Hotwire

by Cindy M. Hogan

I nodded again and said, “I do. Unfortunately.” At least I would be near him, even though it wouldn’t be romantically.

  ***

  The next day, I was packing in my room when I heard a knock at the door.

  “Come in,” I called, but the door didn’t open and no one answered. I heard stifled laughter—Ace’s—and a muffled groan from Halluis.

  “What’s going on, you guys? Would you just come in? I don’t have time for this,” I sighed in exasperation. They still wouldn’t open the door, and I could still hear Ace tittering behind it.

  I threw the shirt I’d been folding onto the bed, marched over to the door, and wrenched it open. “What do you want?” I demanded. Then my jaw dropped in utter shock.

  Ace and Halluis stood in my doorway—both wearing tight-fitting, sequined gowns, fishnet stockings, and full makeup. Ace was sniggering uncontrollably, and Halluis had a look of pure misery on his face. I noticed Ace was holding him by the elbow—perhaps it was the only thing keeping Halluis from bolting.

  “Um,” I said, as calmly as I could. “What are you—? Um. Wow. Just…Wow.”

  “I told you she’d forgotten all about it!” Halluis hissed.

  “A bet’s a bet,” Ace laughed. “And when you give your word, you have to follow through.” Ace held up a bag of crickets, and Halluis held up one containing snails. I pressed my hand to my mouth, fighting back bursts of laughter as he filled his own hand and Halluis’s with the disgusting-looking critters. He raised his eyebrows at me.

  “Oh, you want me to give you the cue?” I laughed. “Okay, then. On three. One, two, three!”

  They both downed the crickets in one gulp. They repeated the process with a snail each, using a tiny fork to pull out the fried glob from the shell, then Ace took a bow, pulling Halluis into a bow beside him. “Ta-da!”

  “You guys—you’re nuts. But you’re the best.” I laughed. I gave them both hugs, and they turned to go.

  “You know, those crickets really weren’t all that bad,” Ace said as they moved down the hallway. “Kinda crunchy, kinda salty. I think I might pick up some more before we leave.”

  “You just wait until we get to France. There you will find real cuisine.”

  I leaned up against the doorjamb and listened to them argue, laughing as I watched their sequined figures disappear into their respective rooms.

  I went back to packing, and a few minutes later Jeremy appeared in the door. He informed me that once I was through packing, we’d have a chance to visit one place that I’d always wanted to visit in New York City. Tourist attractions filled my mind.

  “Only one, eh?” It felt strange to think of visiting tourist spots, but I had to move on. If I were to sit here and dwell on what happened to Carson and Jericho and how the bratva turned Mikado and so many others into murderers and thieves, I would have to curl up on myself, and I’d never recover from the pain. No. I locked those terrors into their own little box in my mind and threw away the key. I hoped to never have to think of them again.

  “If it’s only one, then I want it to be a walk along the Brooklyn Bridge. I’ve always wanted to do that.”

  “Your wish is my command.” He swung out his hand, inviting me to go out the front door and begin our New York tourist excursion.

  Jeremy and I sat on the train with our thighs touching. I had to force myself not to unclasp my hands and put one on his knee. It seemed like the natural thing to do. Instead, I took a moment to draw in his smell. Musky. Soapy. Delicious. I had learned quickly to breathe only from my mouth when entering the subway tunnels to avoid the nasty, pervading smells of B.O., urine, and old trash, but Jeremy’s smell overpowered it all.

  “I thought you’d choose the Empire State Building or even the Statue of Liberty. I don’t think I would have guessed the Brooklyn Bridge. You’ve driven over it and everything.” His eyebrows raised in question.

  “But I haven’t walked along it. And besides, it’s sure to look different on foot, walking above the cars. Thank you for taking me.”

  He leaned into me, a smile tugging at his lips. “I don’t want to burst your bubble, but a lot of sightseeing in New York involves being above the cars.”

  “Ah, but none where the exhaust and car noise fills the space around you. I simply can’t wait.”

  He shook his head. “Yeah, I can’t think of a place that says New York better than that.”

  Despite my teasing, I knew there was no better place to view Manhattan, the rivers, and Brooklyn than that bridge, and it was such an iconic spot for travelers to visit. We got off at City Hall and entered the walkway. All kinds of people were on the wide, wooden bridge. Cyclists, runners, tourists, and lovers. The cars and trucks that rumbled below us seemed to disappear the farther we walked.

  My stomach filled with tingles as we looked back where the East River met Manhattan. Leaning on the rail, we looked out at the Empire State Building. The air smelled crisp, fresh, and I breathed it all in.

  “Can you think of a more romantic place than this?” I sighed.

  A mischievous grin spread across his handsome face. “In the interest of making this the best moment ever, I’m going to agree. But I reserve the right to show you a place I think you may find just as romantic if not more so.”

  I bit my bottom lip and glanced at him. “I will definitely need to see this fictitious place one day.”

  Sure, I’d seen masses of pictures of the city, maps, and even live satellite aerial shots of New York, but that was nothing compared to having the cold, windy air hitting my face as I looked out over the city. And I was with Jeremy.

  “This is seriously amazing.”

  He stepped back and took a picture of me on his phone. I crossed my eyes.

  “Hey! Give me at least one decent one,” he chided.

  It made me nervous. He’d have this picture of me forever. I wanted it to be a good one. I tried to smile, but I’m sure my nervous energy made it look more like a smirk.

  He laughed. “Did you just catch a whiff of something gross or what?”

  I tipped my head back and laughed. He snapped a picture.

  “Hey!” I yelled, putting my hand on my hip.

  He snapped another.

  “I reserve the right to delete any picture you take today.”

  He shook his head and mouthed the words, “I don’t think so.”

  I reached out for the phone, and he held it away from me. A girl with a ponytail came up to us. “Do y’all want me to snap one of both of y’all?” she asked sweetly. Her Southern drawl was thick, and she wore an “I Heart NY” hoodie. Obviously a tourist.

  “That would be awesome,” Jeremy said.

  We made funny faces for the first picture. Then we made stone faces. After that, he smiled at me, and I heard the camera click. We both looked at the camera and smiled for the final one.

  “I hope you like them.” She handed the phone back.

  “Thank you. I’m sure we will.”

  “You two make a cute couple.”

  To that, neither of us replied, but heat crept up my neck.

  I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture of us that was sure to only get a small section of our faces. “Now that’s a fine picture,” I said, looking at it on my phone and then showing it to him.

  “Here.” He took the phone from me with one hand, and his other rounded my hip as he pulled me close. I sucked in a deep breath and a heavenly heat spread through me. “Smile!”

  And I did. I couldn’t help it. It was totally involuntary. My cold nose was no longer cold, and as he snapped away, a rush of warm liquid settled in my gut. I leaned my head on his shoulder and laughed. The moment ended much too quickly.

  We continued across the bridge, and he pointed out Wall Street, the Manhattan Bridge, and the many different skyscrapers. We didn’t talk much after the picture session, but instead enjoyed every sensation that came to us.

  “Do you feel it?” he asked, stopping, at a point where Governors and Staten Islands wer
e visible.

  “What?”

  “The energy? The wonder?” His eyes scanned the area.

  “Yes! And the beauty.” I threw my hands in the air, unable to contain my excitement.

  He looked at me, his eyes sparkling. “Yes. And the beauty.” He touched my face, his fingers tracing my jaw, and I took a sharp intake of air.

  I wished with all my heart he would tell me there was no reason we couldn’t be together, that we could have anything we wanted. But I knew it couldn’t be.

  His brown eyes hit mine, and I knew he was lamenting the same thing. His hand dropped from my face, and he looked away.

  I took my water bottle out of my jacket and held it up. “To us never having to work on a case without each other.” He pulled out his own bottle and raised it to mine. I smiled and tapped my bottle to his.

  “Here. Here.” The way he said it made me think he didn’t believe it would happen.

  I continued to grin and took a drink. It was okay if he was losing faith. I had enough for both of us.

  We were at the end of the bridge, and made our way to the Brooklyn Bridge Park that was bustling with people getting pizza and even ice cream. We walked along a trail, joggers and bikers whizzing past us. Children, all bundled up, played on the playground and the sky above the East River caught my eye as a helicopter entered the space. Jeremy pulled out his phone and looked at it.

  “What would you say if I told you we were about to go on another adventure together?”

  “I’d scream out with joy.”

  “Really? Well, get ready then.”

  The beating blades of the helicopter got louder and louder as it neared. While all the people around us scattered to avoid the pounding wind, Jeremy and I moved out onto a wide grassy area.

  Two cables fell from the sky, and both Ace and Halluis waved to us from the belly of the chopper.

  “No way, Jeremy! This is too cool.”

  Jeremy handed me one of the cables. He took the other. We stepped into the foot loops, and the cables rose. I leaned my head back and gave the loudest scream of excitement I’d ever given.

  Let the adventure begin.

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  Acknowledgements

  My husband was ecstatic about this book because it took us to one of his favorite places in the world, New York. I knew I wanted to write a book set in New York, but I was uncertain of what I wanted to write about. As we walked along the Coney Island boardwalk, we couldn’t help but notice how the closer we got to Brighton Beach, the more Russians we saw. Bill told me a story a friend of his told him about car thieves who were shipping cars to West Africa, the friend’s homeland. They were making a fortune—and the idea for Hotwire was born.

  Amazingly enough, the newspapers in New York echoed my husband’s friend’s stories, and I started my research. It was easy to be inspired by such an interesting and eclectic city, and it seemed natural to bring Division there.

  As always, my readers, my critique groups, and my editor, Charity West played a huge role in the shaping of this story. I’ve won the editor lottery and feel blessed and amazed at her ability to help me find the right words. Without her, Hotwire would not be what it is today. And in a twist of fate, my agent, Michelle Wolfson, played a huge role in putting the team that appears in this book together. Her advice was for Fatal Exchange, but played perfectly into this book.

  Thank you all

  About the Author

  Cindy M Hogan is the bestselling and award-winning author of the Watched trilogy. She graduated with a BA in education and is inspired by the unpredictable teenagers she teaches. More than anything she loves the time she has with her own teenage daughters and wishes she could freeze them at this fun age. If she's not reading or writing, you'll find her snuggled up with the love of her life watching a great movie or planning their next party. Most of all, she loves to laugh.

  To learn more about the author and the books she has written, visit her at cindymhogan.com

  or on Facebook at Watched-the book