Free Miranda Vaughn Mystery 01.00 - Chasing the Dollar by Ellie Ashe

I wanted to grab it, but I didn 't want to rustle more than necessary. Instead, I held my breath, waiting to hear the inevitable sounds of Jake Barnes being confronted by the building security officer.
    Countless minutes passed, and I finally heard Jake 's whisper.
    " It's clear." His hands reached down, and he helped me out, more slowly this time. "We've got to get out of here."
    I scrambled for my shoes under the desk, and as I did, I reached up and yanked at the piece of tape, my fingers closing around the plastic case and keeping it hidden in my palm. I planned to stash it in my purse, but as I emerged from the desk, I saw Jake holding my bright blue clutch. I turned away, resting my closed fist on the desk to steady myself as I slid my feet into the shoes. Still holding my purse, Jake walked to the office door and peered down the hall. While his head was turned, I shoved the device into my bra.
    He looked back at me and nodded toward the hall. "Let's go."
    I shook my head. "No. I'm not going anywhere with you."
    He stared at me like I was out of my mind. "Look here, Ms. Vaughn. You're trespassing in a closed office. In a foreign country. You really want to try and explain that to the local authorities? Or the security personnel working for your former employer?"
    He had some good points, but I wasn 't convinced that it was a better idea to go off with an FBI agent who had already arrested me once.
    " What are you doing here?"
    He shook his head, his lips compressed in a line. "Let's catch up later."
    The soft ding of the elevator announced that we weren 't going to be alone for long. I moved toward the door. I'd take my chances with the U.S. authorities on the trespassing charge. The devil you know, and all that.
    We hurried down the hall in the opposite direction from the lobby, and I followed Jake blindly, hoping he knew where he was going. I knew there was a staircase that linked the three floors, but it was near the internal elevator that had brought me to this floor. Jake turned down a hall that appeared to end, and I nearly stopped, but he reached back and grabbed my hand, pulling me into a darkened room. It had been a break room, and there was still the scent of stale coffee in the air. I heard a soft click as Jake locked the door.
    He looked around the dimly lit space, pulled me to the corner and opened a door marked "supplies." We barely fit into the tiny space, and I was petrified that we would knock something off the shelves or kick a mop bucket. He closed the door and moved us so he was between me and the door.
    I heard the sound of the break room door rattling, then the jingle of keys and the door opening. Jake 's arm tightened around me, and I could feel his breath on the top of my head. The footsteps on the tile floor drew closer. I closed my eyes waiting for the door to the closet to be yanked open, but nothing happened. I opened an eye and saw a brief flash of light at the edge of the door, probably a flashlight being waved around the room. Then the door closed firmly, and the footsteps faded away. In the distance, I could hear indistinct voices.
    " Wait," Jake whispered in the dark.
    He still had his arm around my shoulder, and I found myself nearly wrapped around his body. Not like there was anywhere else to go in the small closet. But that didn 't quite explain how my leg came to be wrapped around a very solid thigh. In any other circumstances, I'd be completely embarrassed by the full-body contact. At the moment, though, I had too many other concerns competing for room in my head—were we going to be dragged out and tossed onto the street? Arrested? Shot? Why was the FBI here? Were they following me? And if so, why?
    Jake slowly and quietly turned the knob and opened the door, letting in the weak light from the break room. The room was empty and quiet, and I loosened my grip on him. He stepped out of the closet, and I followed. He turned and pointed at my feet.
    "Take off your shoes," he