Chapter 3

“Hi,” she breathed into the awkward silence.

“It’s been a while.”

She nodded. It was jerky, nervous. He hadn’t heard much of Luc’s conversation with Kimber, just enough to know his cousin had some whacked-out imagining that he’d been keeping the beauty to himself. And that Kimber thought she had an urgent reason to be here. Since they only had one acquaintance in common, this had to be about the Colonel.

“Is everything all right with your dad?”

“He—he’s fine. Thanks.” She pasted on a smile. “He says some psycho ex-convict he helped bring in for a client is out now and threatening him, but that’s nothing new.”

In their line of work? “No, it’s not.”

Finally, his erection abated enough for him to cross the room and plant himself at the fussy Italian table. A smile still tugged at the corner of his cousin’s mouth, and Deke sent him a warning glare.

“I heard you tell Luc you had something urgent to talk to me about. It’s not about the Colonel?”

“N