“Well, that’s surreal,” Lana said, staring at it.
Griffin grunted. “Some things you never get used to.”
“Hey buddy, I was sorry to hear about Toby Fong,” Darnell said, out of nowhere, looking at Griffin in the driver’s mirror.
“Me, too.”
“The parallels are inescapable.”
Parallels? Griffin’s gaze darted to Lana and snapped guiltily away. He turned to look out the back. “They’re only a couple of cars behind.”
“No stress, we have arrived.”
Darnell swung into a gate guarded by security guards, cops, and people in dark suits. “Are those Secret Service agents?” she said.
“They are,” Darnell said. “We are mooching off the VP’s security. Those guys behind us won’t want to take on this kind of firepower.”
Sure enough, the SUV had pulled over up the road. Lana squinted but couldn’t make out the plates. She noted the goons had swapped the balaclavas for N95 masks.
Darnell rolled down a window, pulling his cap low. “Good morning, ma’am,” he said to the nearest security guard. “I’m bringing in Griffin Hart and his personal assistant.”
Darnell shot a look at Griffin, who groaned and rolled his window down. “Hey, there,” he said with forced cockiness.
The guard waved them through to a holding area, where trunks were being searched and undercarriages checked with mirrors on poles.
“It’s worked,” Lana said. Behind them, the SUV moved off the curb and headed down a side street.
“Oh good,” Griffin said. “Can we leave now?”
Darnell cruised to a halt and killed the engine. “Not until we’ve taken care of this phone. Your friends back there aren’t worried because they assume they can pick up the trail again.”
Another security guard approached.
“You don’t have a weapon in your glove compartment, do you, Darnell?” Griffin mumbled.
“Not that these guys will find. Lana, give me your sister’s phone, and yours. I’ll redirect your sister’s calls and texts to you, in case anyone else contacts her. They won’t be able to track that.”
When Darnell was finished, he got out of the car, holding up Vivien’s phone. “I’ll go hide this on a Metro bus. Should keep them going in circles. And I’ll get back to that butt-dial message, while you take your chances with this detective.” He turned to the guards and staff, as Griffin switched to the driver’s seat. “Sorry to disappoint—Mr. Hart has been called away. He’ll be sure to double his donation, though.” To Griffin, he muttered. “Keep your head down this time.”
“I’ll be stealth,” Griffin said, starting the engine.
“You’ve got to be the least stealth person in L.A.,” Lana said.
Darnell laughed. “Oh, I can see why you like her.”
Griffin rolled up the window.
“I can’t believe I just met Darnell Lascelles,” Lana said as Griffin maneuvered the car.
“He’s just another guy who drips pee on the bathroom floor. I take real care not to, by the way.”
“Are you trying to impress me with … your toilet training?”
“Are you impressed?”
She slowly shook her head, laughing. Truth was, she was more impressed by him with every hour. She blew out a breath. She needed to stop fantasizing that there was more to this than two people thrown together in a crisis. This was aboutVivien.
“Lana? I think you just retracted.”
