Page 11 of Undercover Agent

Lorenzo greeted the doorman, and led Mia inside.

But once they got inside, he didn’t take her into the main restaurant. He led her through the doors marked STAFF ONLY and into the kitchen. A few people looked up, but everyone seemed to know him, and they didn’t say anything.

Finally they went through a set of doors and found themselves in an alley out the back of the restaurant.

Mia was confused.

“What’s going on?”

There was a car waiting, a sleek black Maserati. Lorenzo unlocked the door for her.

“Let’s go.”

Mia swallowed hard. But she got in the car with him.

Lorenzo started the engine.

“Can you tell me what’s happening?” Mia asked.

“I use the restaurant as a cover. As far as anyone knows, we’ve gone inside and we’re still there.”

“Who isanyone?”

“Anyone who might be following us.”

“Why would anyone be following us?”

He stared over at her.

“Don’t play dumb. You know who I am.”

“I may have Googled you today. But I don’t understand why anyone would be following us.”

“I have a lot of enemies. People who’d like to get me backed into a corner, or take out someone important to me.”

He put the car into gear. It growled as he hit the gas and drove out of the alley.

***

They drove over the Brooklyn bridge. It was getting dark, and the lights of Manhattan twinkled in the rear mirrors.

“Can you tell me where we’re going now?” Mia asked.

“I’m going to show you a good time.”

He gestured to the back seat.

“You might want to change your shoes.”

Mia looked in the back—there were a pair of sneakers, in her size.

Lorenzo pulled up at the back entrance of a jewelry store. He got out of the car. Mia followed.

Lorenzo walked up to the back door of the store and opened it without knocking. Mia went in after him.

They were in a dark hallway, but Lorenzo seemed to know where he was going. He led her up the hallway, and up a set of stairs. Just as they reached the top of the stairs, Lorenzo handed Mia a gun, without a word.

He drew his own gun, and walked through the door.