Up in Smoke (Crossing the Line, #2)(74)

Connor nodded to let her know he appreciated her use of the word we.

Derek eyed him closely. “I’ve got a car outside his house, like you phoned me about last night. I’m not going to get a call informing me that you’ve shown up and gone inside, am I?”

He didn’t respond. One thing he’d never been accused of was being a liar, and he wouldn’t start today. Before he could discuss it further, Erin tapped on the van window. Calmness flooded his system like ice water as he opened the door for her, took the coffee in one hand and helped her in with the other. True to form for a van full of cons, not a single one of them had a guilty expression on their face, as if they hadn’t been discussing her a moment earlier. Well, everyone but Austin, who never wore anything but a smirk.

Connor set the tray of coffees in the center of the van floor and watched everyone converge while he pulled Erin down onto his lap. “Okay?”

She buried her nose against his neck and inhaled. The girl loved to smell him. He’d never given much thought to his aftershave before, but it had become top priority. “Yeah.”

Derek held up a hand for everyone to be quiet. Silence descended over the group as he listened to what was being said through the headphones. Bowen had gone still as death beside him. The captain hit a few buttons and removed his headset as Sera’s voice filled the van for all of them to hear.

A muffled shift against the speaker. “—to meet you, Mr. Stark.”

“My father is Mr. Stark. I’m just Max. Especially for the people working so hard to make my campaign a success.” A long pause before the politician said smoothly, “You’re so acquainted with my career, I feel like we know each other already.”

“Oh, f*ck no,” Bowen growled, his hands curling into fists.

For the next hour, the group listened to a campaign staff meeting. From the sounds and explanations filtering through Sera’s wire, it was obvious some kind of PowerPoint presentation was taking place. Even Connor had to admit that Stark was an engaging speaker. He drew laughs from his audience even as he rallied them to work harder for his “noble” cause. It was enough to make Connor sick. Hell, there was suspicion he’d murdered Tucker May to silence the man. He didn’t want Sera, whose friendship he valued, to be anywhere near the sleazy *, either. When the meeting wrapped up, everyone in the van sat forward to see what would happen next. If Sera could get close enough to Stark, she’d been instructed to slip a listening and tracking device in his designer leather satchel. That task was what had Bowen ready to jump out of his skin. If Sera got caught, they would need to get her out immediately.

Stark’s voice came through distorted for a moment, then clear as a bell, calling Sera by her cover name. “Uh, Trish. Trish, right?” The sounds of chairs rolling back and a door opening, signaling the end of the meeting. “Can I have a word with you?”

The barest of hesitations. “Sure. Something I can help you with?”

“Oh, please. You’re doing enough. My assistant tells me you’ve brought in a record number of cold-call donations this week. How did you manage that? You’re so…new.”

Austin made a gagging sound. “The man is sorely lacking in anything resembling game.”

“Shut up,” Bowen bit off, yanking on the ends of his hair.

Sera spoke this time, sounding innocently pleased. “Oh, I was just friendly, I guess. My father always said the best way to make a sale is to listen first.”

“Wise words,” Stark murmured. “Listen, I’d love to take you out to lunch. Just to say thank-you.”

Bowen lunged for the van door.

“Driscol,” Derek said sharply. “You go in there and blow her cover, you don’t just screw her over, you screw us all. Stay put and let her do her f*cking job.”

Bowen ground his head against the metal door once before denting it with a blow from his fist. “If something happens to her, I will burn this city down.” He turned a look on Derek. “How do you know he hasn’t already made her? She could be in danger.”

“Because I know,” Derek returned coldly, initiating a standoff. “Don’t question me.”

Sera hadn’t spoken in a few seconds, probably all too aware of how her husband was reacting to the offer of lunch. “Oh. Could we plan for another day? I’m…well, I’m seeing someone and I’m supposed to meet them for lunch today.”

Until Erin slipped from his arms, Connor hadn’t realized how quiet she’d been. She watched Bowen with concern, but there was something else happening behind her eyes. Plans taking shape, her sharp brain working overtime. She gave him a meaningful look and placed a finger over her lips to silence his questions before slipping out the front door of the van. Every instinct in his body demanded he go after her, but he knew what her look had meant. He recognized it too well. Trust me.

A third voice filled the van. Stark’s assistant. She reminded him about a phone call he had that afternoon with the state education chairman before clicking back out of the room. Stark cleared his throat into the silence. “Another day is fine, I guess. Although my schedule is very tight. I was so looking forward to—”

“Honey? Did you forget our lunch date?”

Connor jolted in his seat as Erin’s voice joined the conversation between Sera and Stark. Four pairs of eyes swung toward him, obviously noting for the first time that Erin was no longer in the van.