The late morning air was crisp, but the tension inside the blacked-out SUV was even sharper. Eloise sat in the back seat, the matte-black titanium card tucked into her wallet like a ticking time bomb. Across from her, Mary looked anxious, her fingers twisting the hem of her dress. In the front, the broad shoulders of Leo and Marcos blocked out half the windshield.
They weren't heading to Rodeo Drive. They weren't heading to a private jeweler or a high-end spa.
"The corner of 5th and Main," Eloise commanded. "The little cafe with the blue awning."
Leo caught Marcos's eye in the rearview mirror. "The one with the sad guy and the mediocre lighting? Miss, I thought you had a Black Card now. You could buy the building. You could buy the street."
"I don't want to buy the street, Leo," Eloise said, her voice grounded and firm. "I want to earn the coffee I'm drinking."
