Page 54 of Cops and Robbers

“Very expensive, but very useful.” She hopped onto the barstool next to Clyde. “The rest of you will get the cheaper version. Caige, you can either fly in blind or take the earpiece.”

Caige mumbled through an agreement, and Clyde pulled on a pair of blue nitrile gloves with a snap.

Kate stared up at the skyscrapers as their drive through Detroit came to an end. The Renaissance Center rose like windowed goliaths into the dark, cloudy sky. Anxiety bubbled in her rib cage. This is the simple part.

The vehicle stopped in the valet section, and Sid jumped out of the driver’s seat. She waited for him to open her door after he opened Caige’s.

“We’ll be here.” Raz’s reassuring voice came from the backseat and calmed her nerves a fraction.

This part was up to her and Clyde. And they only had one chance. She offered him a beaming grin to reassure him and herself before she exited the SUV. The chilly air whipped across her bare arms, creating goosebumps.

She turned as Caige strolled around the vehicle. The suit highlighted his lanky build, but the black and white combination seemed bland. His Influence muted his striking icy eyes to a plain blue, and his hair was light brown and longer. Wrinkles stressed his cheeks and forehead, making it seem as though he’d aged ten years. For Influence changes, it deserved a ten out of ten. So this was his alias as one of Matsuda’s lackeys?

“Time to fake it until you make it.” The motto had been another one of Naomi’s lessons, and her stomach twisted at the reminder of why she was here.

He offered her a chilling grin and his arm. Taking a deep breath, she accepted it. No longer did danger radiate from his pores. Instead, he felt normal. Not even eye candy. Okay…maybe eye candy, but not the kind she would take a second glance at.

What kind of person was his alias? Excitement scuttled in her stomach at the idea of going in blind. Unknowns always made the heist more challenging.

Releasing a breath, she walked with him, heels clicking as they headed to the front desk.

“Good evening. How can I assist you?” the younger woman behind the desk asked.

Kate slid the black and gold invitation across the counter.

She smiled bigger than before. “I’ll have Patrick take you.”

A man too muscular to be just a bellhop led them to the elevator, put his key in, and hit a button for the floor marked Z. As they rose, Caige’s arm remained steady like a dance partner. She inhaled deeply, and the doors swung open to two large guards in full tuxedos.

“Invitation,” the burly one on the left grumbled.

She handed the black piece of paper over with a grin.

He flashed a light under it before he waved them forward. “Stand on that white line to be frisked.”

“Oh, I love a good rubbing,” she murmured, unable to help herself, while the other guard, who had more of a boxer build, approached her. A soft red tinge highlighted his cheeks.

Sid’s and Lewis’s laughter filled her ear as a rumbling growl from Raz suppressed it. Both inaudible except to Caige and her.

“Look, I made him blush, darling.” She glanced over as the burly guard frisked Caige.

“You suppose he’d want to join us later?” Caige spoke in an unrecognizable voice. Higher and throatier. Was that a Boston accent?

She tried to keep her jaw drop in her head. Her giggle came out higher pitched and more choked than she meant, his full persona change taking her by surprise.

The stream of grumbling threats from Raz along the Micron Ear heated her cheeks.

The guard was efficient, not meeting her gaze as he patted her down. “Can I check your clutch?”

She forked it over.

He grabbed the lipstick tube and popped off the top. The fake red silicone didn’t fool him. With narrowed eyes, he reached for the metal-detecting wand beside him. Oh, no, you don’t.

She leaned forward. “Press the button on the bottom for a few seconds.”

He gazed at her pointedly.

She winked. “For when the night gets boring.”