Page 25 of No Reason to Trust

“I do,” he said, opening his luggage and pulling out another pair. “I want to see what the traffic is like in and out of the building.”

“Yeah, me too.” They pulled two chairs over to the window and lifted the binoculars.

Chapter 10

Jake and Livvy watched the building from the safety of their room, and people began to leave around five. By six, the groups exiting the building had dwindled to almost none. It was still light out, but as the sun began to sink behind the buildings of Manhattan, fewer and fewer people exited.

Finally, when they hadn’t seen anyone come out of the building for at least fifteen minutes, she looked over at Jake. “Go time?”

His throat rippled as he swallowed, and he glanced over at her. “Yeah, I think it’s time. We don’t want the streets to be completely empty, because then we’ll stand out. So let’s get moving.”

“Sounds good,” she said. Jake put the two cameras into a smallish backpack, then added the installation directions and the screwdriver. She put her gun into its inside-the-waistband holster on her left side, and draped a loose jacket over it, making sure it was zipped enough to hide the gun. It was loose enough to allow quick, easy access to her weapon, and she noticed Jake had done the same. She hoped to God neither of them would need to draw their gun.

Once their guns and equipment were hidden, she tugged a black knit cap over her auburn curls and shoved her long hair into the hat. Both of them wore dark clothes.

“Time to move,” Jake said. “There are still people on the street, and we want to get there before it’s completely deserted. We want to blend in instead of stand out.”

“I’m ready,” she said.

Jake’s gaze swept over her, and it felt as if he’d brushed his hands down her body. Shivering, she tried to ignore the sensation, but her skin itched like it was too tight.

“After we’re done, we’ll have dinner at a restaurant in Sheepshead Bay. It’ll make us look like tourists.”

“Dressed all in black?” Livvy scoffed. “We’ll look like what we are -- cat burglars.”

“Hell, no, we won’t. Especially if we get rid of these,” he said as he snatched the hat off Livvy’s head and stuffed it into the backpack, along with his own hat. It felt as if he’d tangled his fingers in her curls for a moment, and she shivered at the sensation. Then he stepped away. “Now we look like New Yorkers,” he said.

“Yeah, I’ve heard they wear a lot of black.”

“They do,” Jake said. “Trust me on this, Livvy,” Jake said, slinging the pack over his shoulders and shoving his arms through the straps. “No one should give us a second look.”

“I don’t know about that,” Livvy said. “I feel as if we’ll stand out like sore thumbs.”

“We’ve got this, Livvy,” Jake said, adjusting the way the pack sat on his back. “New Yorkers? Dressed in black? A dime a dozen in Brooklyn.”

“I hope to God you’re right,” she muttered. She drew a deep breath and headed for the door.

Jake grabbed her hand and tugged her away from it. When she turned to face him, he asked, “You have your gun?”

She patted the waistband of her pants. “Exactly where I need it. You have yours?”

“Yep. I’m good.” He studied her for a long moment, then finally said, “You know you don’t have to do this, right? I can get into that building, do the recon, and get out by myself. If you’re nervous about this, don’t join me.”

She stared at him for a long moment, not sure if she was grateful or insulted. Insulted won. “Of course I’m nervous,” she said. “We’re breaking into a building. And if we’re caught, we have no excuse for being in a locked building at this time of night.”

One side of Jake’s mouth curled up. “Really? The woman who rides a Harley is nervous about a simple B and E? I’m shocked, Williams. Shocked, I say. I’ve never seen this cautious side of yours.”

“Yeah, well, breaking and entering a Bratva building has a lot more risk than riding my bike,” she shot back. “At least when I’m riding, I’m in control. Of everything.”

Jake’s teasing smile faded. “I can do this by myself, Livvy. You don’t have to come.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Of course I’m nervous. And I’m sure you are, too. But the whole point of this B and E is figuring out good hiding places,” she said, irritated that Jake was putting her on her heels. “And planting those cameras, which will go a lot more quickly with two people. So, no. I’m not gonna back out. I’m just registering my objections.”

“Objections heard and appreciated,” Jake said. “But I’ll be fine by myself.”

“You’re an idiot if you think this is a one-person job,” she retorted. “At the very least, I can keep watch while you install the cameras.”

“All right. If you’re sure you’re in, let’s stop bickering and get moving.”

---