ts catalogs, but behind the desk sat a formidable, state-of-the-art safe. Mitch spun the dial, opened the heav

tch said, his eyes glin

t in his hands. Then, slowly, he tore open the flap. It was filled with crisp, new hundr

shock and avarice spreading across his fa

what to say," Damon sta

ot a job for you next week. I'll give you the time and place. A

e envelope into the inside pocket of his jacket. The money felt like a block

ture of a doting wife bringing her husband lunch. She'd made sandwiches and fresh-squee

s grease-smudged cheek. "I got the job," she whispered,

uth. He lowered it slowly, his gaze sharpening on her. "The

hborhood. He knew the whispers about some of the businesse

r lemonade. "Rough? What do you mean? The pay

g there," he said, his voice low and hard, stripped of any

agent's instinct to protect a civilian from a dangerous area, and part something else, so

out this. I want to work. Besides, I already

nside, however, alarm bells were ringing. Why was he so ad

kled with the first real

hout revealing that he knew more than he should. He let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. But you promise me-if

er expression softening.

d text to her handler. Requesting intel on The Alibi Café. Is there ano

the counter said she'd gone to her first shift. The silence and st

usand dollars and placed it in a neat stack on the coffee table. He s

irst thing she saw was the stack of cash on the table. She picked up the not

l of fresh ink and paper filled her nostrils. An auto mechanic didn't mak

been a faint whisper, was

ed, looking down at his face in the moonlight. For the first time, she considered a terrifying possibility: that her cov

-