Free Undercover with the Hottie (Investigating the Hottie) by Juli Alexander

Christie said. “And text us where you're going.”
    I rolled my eyes. As if they wouldn't know exactly where we were at all times. “Yes, Mom.”  I walked over to the counter and grabbed my purse and coat.
    Will slid his phone into one back pocket and his wallet into the other. It wasn't until Grandma laughed that I realized I was checking him out right alongside the other three girls. I glanced away as fast as I could. Christie cleared her throat, a warning for me to be more careful to act like he was my brother. Uggh. I was never going to get this right.
    Will's cheeks were pink when I looked back at him. He must have caught some of the ogling. “Let's go then,” he said, slipping his jacket on.
    He opened the door and motioned us through, “After you.”
    “He's such a hottie,” Genesis whispered.
    I was totally not having fun on this mission so far.
    Leah had finished her hair, along with her makeup and jewelry, and she looked ridiculously pretty. I made sure to avoid looking at Will. I didn't want to know if he was checking her out.
    “I can't go with you guys,” Leah said. “I have some shopping to do.”
    Genesis glared at her. “Go tonight instead.”
    “I can't. We're going to Matt's party tonight.”
    “So go tomorrow.”
    Leah sighed. “I'm going today. It's important. You guys will have to go without me.”
    “Hi,” a small voice said from beside me. “I'm Sidney. You must be Amanda.”
    The girl was smaller and plainer than her sister and their friends. She wore a hoodie instead of a sweater or form fitting top like the other girls. “Nice to meet you,” I said. “Have you met my brother yet?”
    Sidney didn't answer. She stood, her mouth ajar, staring at Will.
    Uh oh. Another Will fan.
    “Sidney,” Leah said. “Oh for heaven's sake. Close your mouth.”
    Sidney's mouth snapped shut.
    “Oh, and,” she leaned in close to her younger sister and said, “dibs.”
    I tensed. Over my dead body .
    With her eyes glued to Will, Sidney said, “You can't date everybody, Leah.”
    “Can I hang out with you today?” I asked. “My brother is getting on my last nerve.”
    Leah shrugged. “Sure. Brothers can be a pain.”
    “I'll say,” Sidney said, rolling her eyes. “You can come with us.”
    “Thanks! What are we shopping for?”
    “It's kind of a secret,” Sidney said.
    A secret? I loved secrets, and if I got lucky, it might even lead me to the assassination plot.
     
    The last thing I expected was to get in an SUV and fight our way out of the city to the suburbs. I should have gone with the others. I didn't think a lead on the assassination plot was likely to be hiding in New Jersey. It was possible, but unlikely.
    Forty-five minutes later we pulled up in front of a big chain toy store. A store I could get to anytime back home, in a whole lot less than forty-five minutes.
    “We're buying toys?”
    “You'll see,” Sidney said.
    Yeah, so would the team that was following us. I hadn't spotted them though, and I didn't expect to.
    I followed them into the store. Sidney and Leah each grabbed a cart. “Get one too,” Leah directed.
    Okay. I guess we had a long list. Of toys. To get after Christmas. Yeah, I didn't have a clue.
    Leah pushed her cart to the back of the store. Sidney was behind her, and I brought up the caboose. I had pictured us shopping some high-end designer store that I'd only seen in movies. Some place magical where the high price tag guaranteed that the clothes would transform me into a classier version of myself. Instead, I had a crying baby on the next aisle, two boys running through the store with swords and almost crashing into us, and an angry mom swatting her toddler on the diaper-clad bottom.
    Suddenly, Leah stopped, eyeing the shelves to the right. They were stuffed with preschool toys, specially packaged for Christmas. Castles, pirate ships, barn yards, school buses, doll houses.
    “Here we are,” she said, gesturing to the toys. “The