Page 49 of Angel's Share

“And we’re also invested,” Helena added. “Our partners are here too.”

“We’ll stay in touch throughout, Aidan,” Mel assured him. “You’ll know every step of the way what’s going on here.”

Aidan raked a hand through his hair, and when he spoke again, it was raspy, the words ragged, like his emotions. “Mel, this?—”

“I know, hermano. We can’t afford to lose more family, especially not the ones we just got back. I won’t let it happen.”

A throat cleared to their right, Izzy at the top of the stairs. “Can you give us a moment?” she said to Mel and Helena.

“Of course,” Mel said as they rose, Jamie rising to go with them.

“Can you stay?” Izzy said to him. “This affects you too.”

Jamie sank back into the couch beside Aidan, and Izzy settled into the chair Helena had been sitting in on Aidan’s other side.

She took a deep breath, licked her lips, nervous about whatever she had to say. And when she started, there was a sheen in her eyes, and her voice was as scratchy as Aidan’s had been earlier.

Aidan reached out a hand to her. “Izzy, we don’t have to?—”

“Yeah, we do,” she said, as she took his hand. “This needs to be over. We need our lives back.” She sniffled, then charged ahead, the same determination and bravery on display that Aidan had witnessed in her all week. “If God forbid anything happens to me, you’re his guardian. I never changed that in the will.”

Aidan was glad he was sitting, otherwise his knees would’ve given out. “Izzy.”

“Is that okay with you?” she asked Aidan.

“You know it is, but I have no intention of letting that come to pass.”

She looked to Jamie. “Same question.”

“One hundred percent,” he answered without hesitation. “Including to what Aidan said. We will do everything in our power to make sure nothing happens to any of you.”

“Including him?” she said with a nod toward Aidan.

Jamie’s bright blue eyes locked on him, and Aidan hoped like hell Jamie saw in his own gaze all the love and gratitude Aidan felt for him. “He’s the best thing that ever happened to me,” Jamie told them both. “And this week, as wild as it has been, might be the second best of my life, behind our wedding one. I won’t let anything happen to any of you.”

THIRTY

Maryanne threw open her wreathed front door, all smiles and holiday cheer. “You made it!” As her gaze skipped over Izzy’s shoulder to Jamie and Aidan, a frown flitted across her face, but it vanished just as quickly. “And I didn’t expect you two! You told me we were getting the green giant,” she said to Izzy.

“Well, he’s not Ward, but this one”—Izzy backhanded Aidan in the stomach—“is Irish, so he counts as green. And his husband here”—she backhanded Jamie with her other hand—“is a giant, so we can just add them together and call it even.”

Maryanne hooted with laughter, and Jamie had to hand it to Izzy, she was quick with the puns and a pro at pretending all was normal. He’d have to ask her sometime if that came naturally or if it was a side effect of dealing with unruly airline passengers.

“That works for me,” Maryanne said once her hilarity subsided. She opened the door wider for them to enter. “No Angel and Bev?”

“We needed an adult’s night, and they needed a no adults one.”

They handed their jackets to Maryanne, who hung them on top of the other coats on the hooks by the door. Counting jackets, Jamie confirmed the small but decent crowd Matt and Rick had already reported to them through their comms, surveilling as they were from a nearby location with sight lines.

“Fair enough,” Maryanne said as she led them down a hallway toward the back of the house, holiday music and muted voices drifting in from the same direction. They emerged into an open kitchen and dining area, bottles of wine and charcuterie trays arranged on the table, a gathering of folks milling around on the patio outside, clustered near the outdoor heaters. “Please help yourselves,” Maryanne said. “I’m just going to go check the garage fridge for more cheese and meat.”

“Can I help with anything?” Izzy asked.

“No, I’m good.” Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, and if Jamie didn’t know better, he’d think some part of her regretted what she was about to do. “Enjoy your kid-free evening.”

She slipped out the side door, and Jamie reported in through his comm. “Maryanne’s making the call.”

“No movement at the condo,” Berat relayed.

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