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“His name’s Mayer.” But he lowered the blade. Notonly because she asked, but because people were staring. “What Idon’t know is what a fucking Storm Crow is doing on this side ofthe Atlantic.”
Ryan laughed. “I fucking flew.” His hand returned toDane’s shoulder, urging him to the side. “They told me you lookedjust like Gia.” His bright, blue eyes appraised Zara, hisink-covered arms crossing over his broad chest. “I kind of see it.Different eyes. Higher cheekbones.”
“That’s makeup,” Gia said disdainfully.”Aren’tbounty hunters supposed to be harder to trick?”
“You know him?” Zara’s attention swung back to Dane,and her priorities seemed to have gone sideways as well.
“It’s complicated.” Dane sighed.Well, itwasonly a matter of time before I landed in the doghouse.
“I wouldn’t say heknowsme. But since hesaved your future sister-in-law’s life, as long as he doesn’t holda weapon on me again, I’d say we’re in a good place.” Ryan’s smilefell. “Adam hired me to find you two. It would have been a lotnicer if you two could’ve stuck around Atlanta a day longer andsaved us all the jet lag, but—”
Zara’s glare slid from Ryan back to Dane and over toSawyer. “So now Dad’s dragging in spare kids to clean his messesup? Where the hell is he, John?”
“Good question,” Dane muttered but stopped at anoutright hostile glare from Zara.
“Spare?” Ryan held up a hand. “Dude. I’m standingright here.”
“Yet you haven’t been there for at least the lasttwenty-one years, so her point stands,” Gia said, sounding far toocheerful for someone in arm’s reach of an oversized StormCrow.
Zara sniffed. “I’ll bother being polite when youaren’t ambushing my husband.”
“Husband?” Sawyer gaped at Dane. “You actuallymarried her?”
“Mad you weren’t the best man?” Grim asked.
Dane’s eyes rolled. No divine stroke of genius orpatience struck, so he had only one option. “Let’s get thisshitshow finished, however it’s gonna land. Where’s Adam?” Maybethey’d finally answer.
“Up there.” Gianna pointed toward the cafe she’dcome from, but up a level to a covered balcony that had been emptyas a grave thirty seconds earlier. Now, Adam Fitzgerald and anotherguard stood just this side of the shadows. “He didn’t think you’dtake it well if you saw him first. I volunteered.”
“If this goes to hell, I’m going to do a lot worsethan the staircase would, Gigi,” Zara hissed at her twin, her toneshockingly cold.Nice to know she’ll wreak a little havoc on mybehalf. Hope she puts flowers on the grave too.“Just so youknow.”
Gia nodded. “I promise he’s only here to talk. Youcan take me as a hostage if he pulls anything shady,okay?”
“Did that threat make sense to anyone else?” Ryan’sconfusion drew a shrug from Sawyer and an eye roll from Gianna.
“If you’re a good mercenary, we’ll explain it later.Come on.” Gia linked her arm with Zara’s, leaving Ryan and Sawyerto walk Dane across the narrow street, but not putting more thantwo steps of distance between the groups—a kindness, Dane realizedwith a start, as it meant there was no clear shot anyone could takefrom Adam’s balcony without risking the twins.Gianna doinganything with forethought and consideration felt as ominous asAdam’s actual presence.That hunk of diamonds and rubies on herleft hand couldn’t have caused a new personality, could it? Jesus,I hope we’re not all about to die.
Inside the restaurant, a handful of well-dressedpatrons lingered by the windows, no doubt taking shelter from themuggy air that had already begun frizzing Gia and Zara’shair—though for once, the twins’ strands were vastly different,with Zara’s lightened to sunny yellow and cut to just below hershoulders, and Gia’s still dark as sin and braided to her waistwith her usual staggeringly expensive extensions. A few patronseyed the pretty girls—and Zara’s bare back—but looked away quicklyfrom the three unhappy men with them. Sawyer wore his usual suit,Ryan wore cargoes and a polo so new they still had marks from thetags being pulled out. Dane half-expected a waiter to interruptthem, thanks to his board shorts and Zara’s flimsy sundress, butwhoever had paid off the staff must’ve included enough to cover thedress code too.
Their mismatched group headed up a flight of stairsthat had probably seen Napoleon’s troops, and out onto the balconywhere Adam lounged in an upholstered seat with a bottle of Chiantiand a massive platter of cheese, olives, and meat spread on thetable.
“Well, well, well. If it’s not the prodigals.” Adamlifted a glass in their direction. “I hope you appreciate the sizeof the donation I had to make to Father McGinty for canceling thatdamn wedding at thelast second, Zara.”
“Not my fault you got out-bargained by a priest,Dad.”
Dane winced. “Maybe we can trynottoantagonize your father right now, sweetheart?”
The look Zara leveled on him could’ve stopped atrain in its tracks. “I don’t think groveling is going to help now,but you can try it if you want.”
Dane lifted a brow. “He’s only related to one ofus.”
“That’s not quite true.” Her attention returned toher father, and Dane tried not to notice Ryan and Sawyer chortlingin the background. “The marriage was done with our legal names.Dane’s your son-in-law now.”
“Ah. So you are married.” Adam sighed. Anddrank.
Dane cleared his throat. “We’d have invited you, butI wasn’t sure if you’d congratulate us or bury me.”
“Smart boy.” Adam nodded with far more approval. “Iought to at least dangle you off the fuckin’ balcony til youproduce a proper fuckin’ apology.”
