Page 104 of Rami

“Honestly, babe. If you want pizza that’s fine,” she said, as she walked barefoot up the driveway and into Rami’s house. No, their house.

“You know biryani is calling your name,” he taunted.

Her mouth salivated at the thought of the delicious rice-and-chicken dish with naan bread. “I mean, if you’re craving it...”

He laughed. “I’ll grab it on the way home. See you in a bit.”

She smiled and hung up as she dropped the mail on the island. It’d been three and a half long months since Gigi was whisked into witness protection. Three months of her internal pendulum swinging from grief and loneliness to joy and fulfillment.

She scooped up the flyers and walked to the recycling bin. Just as she went to toss in the stack, something caught her eye. She pulled out a card she’d mistaken for junk mail.

Her heart stalled in her chest.

A postcard. The words Greetings from Wyoming were scrolled over a red background. The name of the state was written in large bubble letters, and there were images of Wyoming attractions inside each one. Forcing a tiny breath through her nose, she turned over the card.

Nothing.

No words. No hidden message. Tears stung her eyes. Was it a prank? Todd’s idea of a joke? Had he escaped the law and—

Teeny-tiny letters lined the very bottom of the card. At first glance, Ivy had assumed it was a long trademark stamp.

Safe and missing you every minute.

That was it. No signature. No name.

But it was from Gigi. Without a doubt.

Tears rushed to her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She covered her mouth, but a sob leaked through her fingers. In truth, Ivy had been searching the mail daily. On one hand, she’d hoped to hell her sister wouldn’t be careless enough to send a letter, and on the other hand, she’d wished for some kind of sign. While this little postcard wasn’t safe by any means, it gave Ivy some comfort.

She tucked it up in the kitchen cupboard to show Rami when he got home from work. God, she felt as if she were hiding an illegal substance. Would the U.S. Marshals find out Gigi had slipped up? Or worse, was the cartel watching them? Had they discovered the clue?

An hour later, Rami walked in the door. Quietly, she pulled him into the kitchen and handed him the card. He caught the little note quicker than she had and his brow arched.

“That was a little reckless.” His expression softened when he saw her face. “But I’m glad we know she’s okay.”

“Me too.” She fingered the edge of the card, as if putting it down would somehow separate her from Gigi even more.

Rami’s eyes raked over her. “She’s safe, babe.”

Returning the card to the cupboard, Ivy forced a smile. “I guess this is the most reassurance I’ll get.”

He came up behind her, his arm warm and strong around her waist. “For now, let’s celebrate this good news. The cartel hasn’t returned and we can have a little peace knowing she’s okay. Right?”

She turned in his arms and rose onto her tiptoes. “Right.”

They dished out the food and sat in the living room. “How’s Toth? Savannah said he’s adjusting well to his expectant-daddy role.”

Over the last few months, Ivy and Savannah had become close. It was nice to have a friend in the same world. Toth had a work history similar to Rami’s, and of course they ran Backcountry Protection Services together. The guys were great about making time to be home, but as business owners they still worked more hours than they would at a full-time job.

Rami picked up his fork and dug into some rice and chicken and grinned. “I feel bad for the prick. I knew he was nervous about becoming a dad, but I guess he had a lot of worries.”

“Savannah has told me a bit about her past.”

“Mmm,” Rami said, stabbing more food. “I don’t know too much about that, but I know Toth is getting really excited.”

Ivy clapped. “I’m helping Sav plan the gender reveal.”

Rami grimaced and rolled his eyes. “Is there anything you women won’t throw a party for?”

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