“I still think we need to follow the white rabbit.”
“Hirzog,” she murmured as the server returned.
“Can I get you anything else?”
“We’re good, thanks,” Luciano replied.
“I hope everything was to your satisfaction,”
“It was perfect.” Simone thanked her. After she left, Simone said, “We should go.”
“What’s the rush?”
“I want to attach the tracker,” she whispered.
He chuffed out a laugh. “You’re as driven as I am.”
“No, Mr. Santini, no one isthatdriven.”
They exited the restaurant, and she shivered from the chill. He removed his suit jacket, placed it over her shoulders. “Do you want to wait inside while I get the car?”
“I’ll stay with you.” She entwined her fingers through his. “Why don’t you valet park?”
“Not safe.”
After tucking her into the SUV, he leaned in, and kissed her. As they stared into each other’s eyes, hope started to take root. One more kiss before he closed the door, got behind the wheel.
He drove out, wrapped his hand around her thigh, and glanced over. Her gaze met his.
“Love,” she murmured.
“Love,” he replied.
After a beat, he asked. “Did that just happen?”
She shot him an adorable smile. “It’s just a word.”
“It’stheword,” he murmured. After a pause, he asked, “Should I talk shop or wait?”
She caressed his hand. “Tell me.”
“Teddy’s going to scrub the No-Fly list. That’ll help us figure out who got in so we can stop everyone else.”
“That’s good,” she replied. “Jerod told me Frederica’s death wasn’t an accident. He said that a reliable source told one of his agents it was The Bomb Maker.”
“What did he think?”
“Becca returned to the table, so we stopped talking about it.”
He turned into a DC neighborhood, cut the headlights, and called Teddy.
“Yo, baby,” Teddy answered.
“I’m attaching the tracker to Newburg’s car. Where should I park?”
“Pass his house on the right, turn left at the corner,” Teddy said. “There’s a house for sale on the right. It’s vacant. Park there.”
“How ‘bout I place the tracker and you drive around the block?” Simone asked.
