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Even knowing that was Isaacs’ typical, sardonic bullshit, Gion still felt Air Energy angrily swirl within him. Instantly, Ty’s powers were there, brushing against his, calming him. Connecting them. Gion’s energy curled around hers, soothed by her presence.

“Be careful.” He warned Isaacs in the coldest, most serious voice of his life. “There are some things you can’t come back from.”

“Isaacs, that was going too far.” Ty scolded at the same time. “Play nice.”

Isaacs made a face, but subsided.

“Lady Michelle is running away with Captain Hawke.” Tharsis volunteered, turning the page in his romance novel. “I think maybe he’s her long-lost stepbrother. Or he could be this guy who escaped prison with the stepbrother. And now he’s pretending to be the stepbrother, while also pretending to be a nefarious pirate, but really he’s a rich duke. We’ll see. I’m only on chapter twelve.”

Isaacs looked intrigued and sat down next to him. “Is there an audiobook of that?”

“Isaacs and I are not having a torrid affair in Acapulco.” Ty told Gion in a comforting, humoring, not-taking-any-of-this-seriously tone. “You know that.”

“Obviously, I know it. But why are you doing things with him today and not me?”

“God, you’re needy.” Cross lamented. “You used to be a scary badass. What happened to that?”

Murdering Cross would end the world. Sometimes it seemed worth the risk.

“Isaacs and I are going shopping, and I don’t want you to see what I’m buying yet. That’s all I’m going to say.” Ty pointed over at Cross and then Isaacs. “You two stop provoking my Match. I mean it.”

Cross held up his palms in surrender.

“Sorry, Ty.” Isaacs said with transparently false sincerity.

Suck-ups.

“You’re going shopping?” Gion scoffed at Isaacs. “Hopefully, it’s for a new apartment. You are planning to move out at some point, correct?”

“Oh, you’d miss me if I was gone.”

“Let’s test the theory. Leave.”

Isaacs sighed like Gion was being a drama queen and reached out to grab a croissant from a basket on the table. “You ready to go, Ty? I’m eager to spend the whole day together.”

“Yes! Let me just get my list.” She hopped off Gion’s lap, kissing the yellow streak of hair at his temple. “Be good while I’m gone.”

Gion made a “no promises” sort of sound, his attention on Isaacs. He waited until his soft-hearted Match was out of the room and then jabbed a finger at his former second-in-command. “Anything happens to her, I will peel your skin off like a banana.”

“Isaacs will take care of Ty.” Tharsis said mildly. “You’re being a control freak.”

Yes. Fine. Physically, she was safe with the son of a bitch. Isaacs had trained under Gion, so he knew how to fight, and he was protective of Ty. Gion acknowledged that, but it wasn’t the point. “I’m not a control freak. I just want everything done the right way, which is my way, because I’m right.”

Cross rolled his eyes.

Isaacs bounded to his feet to face down Gion. “I was Ty’s bodyguard long before you Phazed with her, dickwad. She never got hurt with me in charge. You sure can’t say the same.”

“You kidnapped her and tossed her in a dungeon!”

“Only once!”

Now Gion stood up, too. “If Ty so much as chips her nail polish under your watch…”

Job arrived, interrupting the threat. There was a flash of power, and then he was striding into the room. “Isaacs.” He called, his tone more censorious than usual. “What is going on between you and Saxon?”

“Uh-oh, you’re in trou-ble.” Cross taunted at Isaacs in a singsong tone, eagerly watching his uncle bear down on his target.

Isaacs muttered a quiet oath and rolled his shoulders. It was the same stance he always assumed when he was about to bullshit his way through a confrontation.