I hail a cab, and as I’m waiting, a couple frat-boy types in shorts and T-shirts walk past.
“Hey, doll, you all alone tonight?” one of them asks me.
“Fuck off.”
“Bitch,” he mutters.
“Asshole,” I say loudly, turning to meet his gaze.
A cab pulls up just then, and I step in, giving the driver the address of a downtown bar.
Why do men always assume women are looking for a man? I can’t have an actual relationship because I can’t tell anyone about my work. But I knew that when I accepted this job, and I’m good with it. Hell, I’m only twenty-three. And I don’t think I’m meant to be tamed anyway.
The city is lighting up for the night. I love living in a place where anything can—and does—happen. I was lucky to score New York City as my Greenlight location.
“Right here okay?” the cab driver asks me as he pulls into a parking place near the bar.
“Sure.” I pass him a twenty and slide out of the car.
I walk down the alley next to the bar and find Rae leaning against a brick wall, hidden from sight by a dumpster. There’s no one around, but we still have to be on alert.
“I like the hair,” she says, almost smiling.
“Thanks.”
“There’s buzz about a big weapons deal going down soon. Report back to me immediately if you hear anything.”
“Got it.”
“Have you heard from Alex?”
I shrug. “He texted me at two a.m. the other night. Total booty call. I didn’t respond.”
“Good. He’s all about the chase.”
I glance over at her. “Did you ever…”
With a low, single note of laughter, Rae shakes her head. “No, but I knew his older brother. Be careful with him. The Hassans are a ruthless bunch.”
I nod, my heart pounding. Rae has been my handler the whole six months I’ve been on the job, and she’s never warned me about anyone. She’s not the nurturing type. At nearly six feet tall, she’s lean, fit, and imposingly beautiful. Her long blond hair is always pulled back in a ponytail, and her green eyes are sharp and knowing.
Rae was Greenlight’s top agent until two years ago. Someone at the office told me she was kicking ass and taking names on every assignment when she was injured while off duty. A gunman opened fire at a bank, killing seven people and injuring many more before shooting himself. Rae was shot in the leg and was left with a permanent limp, leaving her unable to work in the field.
“Have you ever heard the name Phoenix?” she asks me.
“Phoenix?” I consider before shaking my head. “No.”
“He’s a cyberthief, but on a massive scale. We think he stole more than fifty million dollars in Europe over the past year. There’s chatter that he’s here now.”
“What does he look like?”
“H-A-F.”
“H-A-F?”
“Hot as fuck, but he covers his tracks well. Report back on anything you hear about large sums of money being stolen or laundered.”
“I will.”
