We’re riding that?”
“Holly’s helmet will be a little big for you, but it should be okay. I’ll be right back. I’m going to reload my SIG and stock up on ammo.”
“Can I come with you?”
“I’m just going down the hall….” Nathan stopped when Lauren’s face went blank. He’d seen this expression before, in Nordstrom. There was no harm in letting her tag along. She stayed close as he walked down the hall to the master bedroom.
“This house is really cool. I like your antique furniture.”
“Holly told me the same thing, almost word for word. I’ll have to show you my La Jolla home sometime. My giant schnauzers are going to love you. You’re about the same size.”
She put her hands on her hips. “I weigh eighty-three pounds.”
“Like I said….”
In his bedroom, he reloaded the SIG’s magazine and put three, fifty-round boxes of subsonic ammo in his left thigh pocket. The right side still held the SIG’s suppressor and spare magazines. Lauren watched in silence. He knew she was evaluating his every move, looking for uncertainty or weakness. Understandable, given their circumstances.
“Lauren, your lavender shirt isn’t dark enough for a night op. I need you in black, at least your top half.”
He removed a black T-shirt from his dresser and asked her to put it on. It hung to her knees. She cocked her head to the side, pursed her lips, and started at him. No words were necessary.
“What’s wrong? It looks great.”
“I can’t be seen like this.”
“Don’t worry, that’s our goal, remember? Come on, I’ll cut the excess off in the kitchen with scissors.”
“With scissors…”
Fighting a smile, he grabbed Holly’s helmet from the hall closet and handed it to her. “Try it on.” She fumbled with the chin strap, so he showed her how to fasten it.
“There’s a microphone.”
“Voice-activated Bluetooth.”
“Okay, now I’m impressed. This is seriously cool.”
“It’s really important you don’t lean while we’re riding. Just stay upright behind me, okay?”
“I will.”
“I need to check the front yard before I open the garage door. Don’t worry, I’ll be back in twenty seconds.”
Nathan retraced his steps through the backyard and scanned the front of his house. All clear — no sign of the menacing black sedan. Feeling confident he’d destroyed the only tracking bug and his cell hadn’t been the culprit, he went back inside. Lauren looked silly wearing the huge helmet and baggy shirt. Clearly, she was thinking the same thing.
“I must look like a total geek.”
“If we crash, at least your noggin’s protected.”
“That’s not very encouraging.”
As promised, he trimmed about eight inches from the bottom of her T-shirt.
She looked down at herself. “At least let me tuck it in.”
Nathan waited while she retreated to the bathroom to do it. He grabbed his keys to First Security and took her into the garage, where she approached his motorcycle in a manner resembling reverence.
She ran her hand along the gas tank. “This is a custom paint job, isn’t it?”
“Our receptionist’s husband does it for a living.”
“I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
The gas tank on his Harley went from pure white on the front end to pure black on the back, with a perfectly blended transition in the middle. The frame followed suit with a much longer blended area. Tons of chrome sealed the deal. He had to admit, it was an awesome-looking motorcycle.
“Wait until I fire her up. Remember, don’t lean. I’ll grab Holly’s leather jacket for you. It’s not too cold out, but riding creates a windchill.” The jacket also prevented road rash in case of a spill, but he didn’t need to share that.
Nathan put on his jacket, opened the garage door, and mounted the bike. When he turned the ignition, Lauren grinned at the deep-throated rumble. Out of respect for his neighbors, he didn’t rev the motor in the traditional Harley-Davidson
“Holly’s helmet will be a little big for you, but it should be okay. I’ll be right back. I’m going to reload my SIG and stock up on ammo.”
“Can I come with you?”
“I’m just going down the hall….” Nathan stopped when Lauren’s face went blank. He’d seen this expression before, in Nordstrom. There was no harm in letting her tag along. She stayed close as he walked down the hall to the master bedroom.
“This house is really cool. I like your antique furniture.”
“Holly told me the same thing, almost word for word. I’ll have to show you my La Jolla home sometime. My giant schnauzers are going to love you. You’re about the same size.”
She put her hands on her hips. “I weigh eighty-three pounds.”
“Like I said….”
In his bedroom, he reloaded the SIG’s magazine and put three, fifty-round boxes of subsonic ammo in his left thigh pocket. The right side still held the SIG’s suppressor and spare magazines. Lauren watched in silence. He knew she was evaluating his every move, looking for uncertainty or weakness. Understandable, given their circumstances.
“Lauren, your lavender shirt isn’t dark enough for a night op. I need you in black, at least your top half.”
He removed a black T-shirt from his dresser and asked her to put it on. It hung to her knees. She cocked her head to the side, pursed her lips, and started at him. No words were necessary.
“What’s wrong? It looks great.”
“I can’t be seen like this.”
“Don’t worry, that’s our goal, remember? Come on, I’ll cut the excess off in the kitchen with scissors.”
“With scissors…”
Fighting a smile, he grabbed Holly’s helmet from the hall closet and handed it to her. “Try it on.” She fumbled with the chin strap, so he showed her how to fasten it.
“There’s a microphone.”
“Voice-activated Bluetooth.”
“Okay, now I’m impressed. This is seriously cool.”
“It’s really important you don’t lean while we’re riding. Just stay upright behind me, okay?”
“I will.”
“I need to check the front yard before I open the garage door. Don’t worry, I’ll be back in twenty seconds.”
Nathan retraced his steps through the backyard and scanned the front of his house. All clear — no sign of the menacing black sedan. Feeling confident he’d destroyed the only tracking bug and his cell hadn’t been the culprit, he went back inside. Lauren looked silly wearing the huge helmet and baggy shirt. Clearly, she was thinking the same thing.
“I must look like a total geek.”
“If we crash, at least your noggin’s protected.”
“That’s not very encouraging.”
As promised, he trimmed about eight inches from the bottom of her T-shirt.
She looked down at herself. “At least let me tuck it in.”
Nathan waited while she retreated to the bathroom to do it. He grabbed his keys to First Security and took her into the garage, where she approached his motorcycle in a manner resembling reverence.
She ran her hand along the gas tank. “This is a custom paint job, isn’t it?”
“Our receptionist’s husband does it for a living.”
“I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
The gas tank on his Harley went from pure white on the front end to pure black on the back, with a perfectly blended transition in the middle. The frame followed suit with a much longer blended area. Tons of chrome sealed the deal. He had to admit, it was an awesome-looking motorcycle.
“Wait until I fire her up. Remember, don’t lean. I’ll grab Holly’s leather jacket for you. It’s not too cold out, but riding creates a windchill.” The jacket also prevented road rash in case of a spill, but he didn’t need to share that.
Nathan put on his jacket, opened the garage door, and mounted the bike. When he turned the ignition, Lauren grinned at the deep-throated rumble. Out of respect for his neighbors, he didn’t rev the motor in the traditional Harley-Davidson
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