Page 60 of Hot Pursuit

She didn’t stop. She walked straight through the open French doors, into the hallway, and down the stairs, taking the steps as fast as her hip-hugging dress would allow her.

“Jo! Wait!”

When he reached the bottom step, she was already disappearing around a bend. He ran after, murmuring apologies as he bumped into people, flying through the house, concerned with nothing more than keeping that red hair within sight. She slipped into a room, out of another, maneuvering through the crowd and the house as though she lived there, as though she knew every turn, every door, had the entire place memorized. She probably did. Which left Nate more convinced than ever that the Degas was exactly what Robert Carter was after, sending his daughter to do his dirty work. The man was disgusting. Vile. He deserved to be in jail. He deserved whatever he got.

A cool blast of air hit Nate’s cheek.

He scanned the room.

There!

Open patio doors.

Nate raced through, skidding into the private courtyard as he spun, trying to find her through the tall shrubs and the crowd that had wandered outside.

Jo. Jo. Jo.

He spotted her at the far end of the courtyard, half hidden in shadow. Where was she going? What was the plan? A second later, he understood, as she opened a door hidden behind a curtain of ivy. Some of the old townhouses on the Upper East Side had service entrances out the back, usually into a communal alleyway. Nate raced for the exit and forced it open as he sprinted into the night. Her dress was dark enough to blend into the evening shadows, but her sun-kissed skin was illuminated by moonlight, the smooth planes of her back a beacon to his eyes.

“Jo, stop! Wait!”

“Why?” she snapped.

Now that he could see her only way out, there was nothing holding him back. With a foot on her and legs in pants instead of a tight dress, Nate finally caught up and grabbed her hand, spinning her around.

“Don’t do it, Jo.”

“Don’t do what?” she spat.

“Ryder is on the move. That’s what Leo was telling me through the comm. Ryder is on the move, and you’re going to meet him.” Nate paused, taking a deep breath. His grip loosened, giving her the chance to leave, the choice not to. “Don’t.”

Jo lifted her face, turning to look up at him.

For a moment, Nate swore the stars reflected in her eyes.

“Why shouldn’t I, Nate? Give me one good reason.”

His throat went dry. “Your dreams. I can make them happen.”

“My dreams…” She released a puff of air as the edge of her lip rose with a sad little smile. “I don’t need you to make my dreams come true, Nate Parker. I already know I’m the only one stopping myself from achieving them.”

He opened his mouth.

No sound came out.

Jo stared at him, giving him the chance to speak, to offer her anything, everything, whatever it took to make her stay.

But he couldn’t.

A clog in his throat held him back.

She turned.

He tightened his fingers. “Jo…”

“There’s a problem with your deal, Nate,” she whispered, not letting go of his hand but not holding on either, just letting it be, letting them hover in an in-between. “The word ‘deal’ implies an exchange. But the way I see it, I’m giving everything, and you’re giving nothing. Immunity? I’m free now. You don’t have anything on me. If you did, I’d be arrested already. I can’t be the only one risking my life, the only one with something to lose.”

“What do you want from me?” he rasped, not understanding.