Page 34 of On the Chase
“What?” Despite her aggrieved tone, she fell into step with him.
“City girl,” he teased, even as thoughts of where he could see the action while still keeping Grace and Lexi out of harm’s way coursed through his mind. There was a squatty printing shop right off Main Street with a sturdy, climbable tree right next to it. The view from the shop’s roof should be perfect if the other officers had stopped the R and R convoy where they’d been planning to do the bust a few days earlier. “We don’t lock our cars around here.”
“Then what’s to stop people from stealing loose change out of my cup holders?” she asked with mock seriousness. Hugh loved that she could banter with him, that she didn’t ignore him or get offended, but gave it right back to him. “I’m a minimum-wage earner now. Every penny I get from cleaning up dog poo is precious.”
“See that house?” He tipped his head toward a—what else—cedar-sided house. The almost scarily perfect condition of the yard distinguished it from its slightly sloppier neighbors. “That’s Mr. Wu’s house. If anyone even dared lay a hand on your car, much less steal a literal dime from your poo stash, Mr. Wu would be in his front yard, taking video on his cell phone. It doesn’t matter if it’s two in the morning. Mr. Wu takes his neighborhood watch duties very seriously.”
“Makes your job easy,” Grace said, although he noticed that she didn’t make a move to unlock her car doors.
His grin broadened. “That he does. I wish every neighborhood had ten Mr. Wu clones. This way.”
Grabbing her hand, Hugh turned on Deacon Avenue, moving faster and faster until they were almost trotting. His thigh gave a warning throb, but he ignored it. Although Grace was right next to him, he didn’t release her hand. It was pathetic of him, but he was willing to take any opportunity to touch her. Hugh was inordinately pleased when she didn’t try to pull away.
He started to weave through yards and between houses, making his way closer to Main Street. The motorcycle engines were much louder here, hiding any other sounds. He slipped through the weed-strewn lot behind the print shop. There was the tree, with low, thick branches that just screamed, “Climb me!” Even better, there was only a single, dust-covered window on the back side of the store, and Hugh knew the owner was pushing ninety and never wore her hearing aid. Any accidental thumps or stomps as they climbed onto the roof should go unnoticed, especially if the printing equipment was running.
Hugh sent a quick glance in Grace’s direction, wondering what the best way would be to share his genius plan with her. “Ready?” he asked.
“For what?” Suspicion drew her eyebrows together. Even scowling, she was the most gorgeous person he’d ever seen.
Hugh gestured toward the tree. “We need to get into position.”
Looking back and forth between his face and the tree, Grace frowned harder. “Tell me thatpositionis not in that tree.”
“It’s not,” he said honestly, then paused. “It’s on that roof.”
She stared.
“Up you go!” he said cheerily, trying to pretend that her silent, deadpan expression was not having any effect on him at all.
She didn’t even blink. “No. This is a stupid plan.”
“It’s anexcellentplan, and we’re missing all the action.”
“Missing action, when we’re talking aboutactioninvolving a dangerous, drug-toting motorcycle gang, is actually a good thing.”
“No, it’s not. Ignorance is never a good thing.”
“But life is a good thing. I’d like to keep mine, thank you very much.”
“It’s perfectly safe. A baby could climb that tree.”
“Then maybe you should’ve brought a baby with you.”
“Chicken.”
“You could’ve brought one of those with you, as well, although I’m thinking that even a chicken would see the flaws in your brilliant plan.”
“I dare you.”
She froze, and indecision flickered across her face. Apparently, the d-word was her weakness. Hugh filed that away in the back of his mind for possible later use. “You’re evil.”
He smirked, extending the silence and letting his words hang in the air.
“Fine!” Without hesitating, she boosted herself into the first crook of the tree.
Hugh watched as she climbed from branch to branch, her body moving in an athletic, easy way that threatened to hypnotize him.
Clearing his throat, he focused on Lexi, who’d been waiting patiently next to him. “Ready?”
