Austen turned, her hands on her hips, her face steel.“She’s dangerous and trouble, and what in the world are you doing with her, Stein?”
FIVE
“Is she your girlfriend or not?”
Steinbeck didn’t have an answer for Jack.Frankly, he didn’t even have an answer for himself and his out-of-body behavior out on the lawn.He could have kept kissing her until...well, until he forgot himself, his mission, why she drove him crazy.
“Listen, I didn’t exactly lie, but the truth felt too complicated.”
“Because you knew we’d all freak out!”This from Conrad, who sat on one of the single beds, shaking his head.
They had bunkered up in one of the upstairs bedrooms of the Norbert after the showdown at the campfire.
“She’s dangerous and trouble, and what in the world are you doing with her, Stein?”
He couldn’t argue the first two.And with the taste of her kiss still inside him, he went right to, “Reasons, Austen.You don’t have to rubber-stamp my every move.”
Which probably hadn’t been the right thing to say, because Austen’s mouth had opened and she’d then turned to Emberly, her voice tight.“I’m glad you’re alive.”
To which Emberly had nodded.“You too.”She’d twisted out of his hand despite his grip and said, “I’m sorry, but I think this game is over.”
And then she’d stalked toward the house.
He’d nearly run after her—should have—but he’d been pinned into place by the expressions of his family.They’d stared at him, his mother stricken, his father frowning, Jack with his hands in his pockets, shaking his head, and Penny and Conrad sitting up, mouths agape.
“It’s complicated,” he’d said and headed toward the house.He’d gone to Emberly’s room on the second floor at the end of the hall.Knocked.
And knocked.
And knocked.
Until finally Jack and Conrad had followed him and dragged him down to another guest room.
Now Jack stood at the window, arms folded, that big-brother look of disapproval on his face.“You should have trusted us.I mean, I knew who she was, but...c’mon, bro.This is me.And Con.Weknowyou.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You can’t help but get involved,” Conrad said.“Of course you’re going to dive into something completely crazy—and that’s what this is, right?Something crazy?”
Steinbeck hung his hands behind his neck, folding them there, which felt like a better alternative than using them to strangle his sister.
Thanks, Austen.
At least now he knew Declan’s whereabouts, so that was something.Austen told him that she’d caught a flight back to Minnesota with her new beau.
“I can’t get into it, but yes.Emberly?—”
“Phoenix?”
“Emberly is her real name.Phoenix is her?—”
“Spy name?”Conrad raised an eyebrow.
“Cover name.And you might consider cutting her some slack.She was trying to protect you all.”
“Please,” Jack said.“She was trying to protect herself.And maybe you.But from what?It’s not like we’re not used to you living a clandestine life.You spent years not telling us where you were going, where you’d been.You didn’t have to lie.”Jack leaned forward, quirked a brow.“I want to know what went down in Portugal.”
Stein sank down onto the edge of one of the twin beds.“What do you mean?”
