Changing the Rules (Richter Book 1)(38)

Her chest rose and fell a little quicker, and unlike the night before, it wasn’t anger fueling her change in heart rate. That, Cooper could tell by the way she slightly bit her lips together as if not doing so could possibly be an invitation. “I should go.”

“Yes, you should.”

He looked at his palm on her skin and soaked in the feeling a moment longer.

Reluctantly, he let his hand drop. “I’m going.” He heard Claire’s footsteps behind him as he walked to the front door.

Hand on the knob, he turned back. “I’m sorry I made you run hard today.”

Claire’s cheeks blushed with her smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll pay you back.”

Cooper clenched his chest. “Don’t I know it.”

She reached around him, opened the door, and gave him a playful shove. “Goodbye, Cooper.”

“We’re good, right?” he asked, knowing they were but needing to hear it from her beautiful lips.

“We’re good.”

He practically skipped to his car, a chorus to a song tapping in his head. And when he looked up, he found Claire watching him.



The party was hosted by a student at Bremerton. That’s all they knew up until thirty minutes before it started. There was no way for the team to work out any details until the address was posted. On Instagram, of all places.

Ally had the connection, and since the algebra-study-session-turned-girl-party had procured the invite, with the encouragement to invite others, it looked like Elsie had done just that.

Wearing tight jeans and a spaghetti-strap top that stopped above her belly button, Claire was teenage party ready. Jax took it up a notch, as any kid in a private school forced to wear a uniform would, in a tight miniskirt and a top that boasted her ample D cups. They both wore their hair bone straight and in exactly the same style. They wore hidden earpieces, the devices so tiny you would have to be looking for them to find them. They worked as microphone and earphone. Jax wore a pendant necklace equipped with a tiny camera. Claire’s smart watch had a similar function. Their cell phones were a constant uplink of the entire experience to a mobile headquarters, otherwise referred to as the creeper van, which was parked a few blocks away.

Sasha, Cooper, and Manuel were in the van. Their mics tuned in to Claire’s and Jax’s.

Neil was back at headquarters watching it all.

Teenagers, and several not so teen, were strolling toward the bump of the music and mix of voices like bugs to light.

Claire and Jax had parked just far enough away so that they could leave without a lot of eyes on their car.

“Let’s do a mic check,” Cooper said in their ears.

“This is Yoda, one, two, three.”

“Sounds good. Claire?”

“Loki. It’s Loki to you. One, two, three.”

Someone chuckled.

“Your turn,” Claire instructed.

Each person in the van said their name and counted.

Nearly at the edge of the driveway, they did a sweep of the area. “Do we have the details on who owns this place?”

“Working on it,” Sasha said.

“It’s a nice neighborhood, average list price in the three million and up range, I’m guessing,” Claire said.

“North of that. Find the residents so we can get a clear picture of them.” The request came from Neil.

“Copy that,” Jax said.

The closer they came to the front door, the louder the music screamed.

“Let’s do this.” Claire reached out a fist and bumped Jax’s as they walked inside.





CHAPTER SEVENTEEN


The party had just gotten started, and the crush of teens was staggering.

“Start talking so we can zero in on your voices,” Cooper told them.

Jax started. “I can’t believe I’ve only been in LA for a couple months and I’m at a huge party. This place is massive. What parent tells a kid they can have full run of the house? Even this would be too much for my dad. It’s crazy—”

“Got it. You’re fine-tuned, Yoda.”

Claire liked that Cooper obliged them by using their nicknames.

“Stick with me, Jax, I’ll get you invited to all the parties. Lots of party kids at Auburn.”

“You’re good, Loki.”

Claire smiled at the faces of kids she didn’t know as she walked by. A few of the guys looked her up and down the way they do.

“There’s Ally.” Jax pointed to the far end of the living room.

Three guys surrounded the younger girl, one Claire recognized from Auburn.

“We need to get drinks in our hands,” Jax reminded her.

The music was a little easier on their ears when they walked into the kitchen. On the massive island was a host of alcohol and mixers with a cooler filled with ice that sat by the side.

Claire nodded toward the open French doors that led to the backyard. There were teens gathered around a beer keg in the outdoor kitchen where Claire and Jax took their place in line.

“Hey! Aren’t you in my homeroom?”

Claire turned and smiled. “Yeah. It’s Todd, right?”

“Right. Man, what you did the other day with Eastman, that’s some epic shit.”

“Eastman’s an asshole,” Claire said.