Hunted by the Mob by Elisabeth Rees

Author:Elisabeth Rees
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-04-06T01:07:39+00:00

* * *

Goldie opened the fridge and took a deep lungful of cool, crisp air, letting the white vapor glide over the layer of sweat on her face.

“I can’t believe that the air-conditioning chose today of all days to stop working,” she said. “It must be more than one hundred degrees outside.”

“One hundred and three to be exact, ma’am,” Officer Diaz said. “Extreme heat warnings have been issued by the local forecasters.”

Goldie closed the refrigerator door and picked up her damp cloth from the kitchen counter. As soon as she pressed it to her forehead, it became apparent that the ice she had placed inside the folds just ten minutes ago had melted away, and the fabric was now tepid and unwelcome on her skin.

“Oh, this is ridiculous,” she said, tossing the cloth aside. “Did you call the technician?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Officer Diaz replied. “But the sudden heat has caused a lot of technical problems today, and I’ve been told that a technician might take a few hours to arrive.”

She slid down the side of the wall and sat with her legs outstretched, hands flat on the tiled floor, desperately trying to glean some coolness from the ceramic. But, like everything else, the tiles were warm and clammy.

“The whole house feels like it’s sweating,” she said. “It’s excruciating.”

“It would certainly help if we could open the drapes and windows on the shady side of the house,” Officer Moss said, fanning himself with a magazine. “But that’s strictly against the rules.”

Goldie wiped her brow with the back of her hand and jutted her bottom lip to try to blow some damp tendrils from her face. With the house constantly shrouded in darkness and lit by artificial light, she imagined that the bulbs themselves were emitting a scorching heat to mingle with the awful humidity that pervaded every corner of every room. Wearing shorts and a tank top didn’t help in the slightest. She wanted to be immersed in water.

“I think I’m gonna melt into a puddle right here on the floor,” she said. “Would you guys think I’m totally crazy if I said I wanted to take a swim in the pool?”

Officer Moss laughed. “Taking a swim wouldn’t make you crazy, but it might get us fired. We’re not supposed to let you go outside.”

She stood up, her bare feet slightly swollen, skin stretched tight. “Actually, I can do what I choose. You’re here to oversee my protection, but not to decide my movements. I’m still an agent of the FBI, and I get to weigh the risks.”

Officer Diaz took a sip of water from a glass on the kitchen counter. Both officers had removed their ties and rolled up their shirtsleeves, but Officer Diaz had also taken off his shoes and folded up the hems of his pants. The overall effect meant that he looked a little like a ship’s castaway, and he sat on a stool at the breakfast bar, wiping his neck with a cloth.

“Technically, ma’am,” he said, “you outrank us, so we take orders from you, not the other way around.

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