Page 73 of Disarming Caine

Miller frowned, likely mirroring my own expression.

“She told me to make sure the two of you didn’t get into a fight.” Kevin held his glass aloft, smiling, but keeping a keen eye on Nathan. “To family.”

We all raised our glasses and took measured sips.

“Mmm. Cloves, oranges, and oak.” Kevin clapped an arm around my shoulders before taking another drink. “My door is definitely always open!”

“Family.” Miller rolled his glass between his palms before sipping again. He at least had the decency to close his eyes and savor it. “Why don’t you tell us about yours, Ferraro?”

“I seem to recall you telling me once you were familiar with my family already?” What had that meant? The night he and I first met, when he had Samantha out for dinner. That evening had nearly come to blows, as well.

“C’mon, you two. Either whip ‘em out or shut the fuck up and sit down.” Kevin crossed to the recliner while Miller and I continued our dance.

I threw back the contents of my glass—a poor fate for such a superb drink—and put the glass back on the bar. I cocked my head and an eyebrow. Miller downed his and poured us another round. We repeated our childish actions. There was no way this pretty, polished man, in his nice little checked dress shirt, could out-drink me.

Kevin flipped channels to a game in progress. “If you two insist on doing that, pick something cheaper.”

Nathan glanced at his best friend, tapping his fingertips on the bar. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, swaying slightly enough I could have missed it if I hadn’t been watching for it. How many glasses of wine had he drank at dinner? He poured another round and looked at me. “What are Sam and Lucy up to?”

I hesitated before grabbing my drink. The abrupt change of topic was unexpected. “As they said, just following up on some questions Rhonda had.”

“Keep a close eye on her. I’ve been out of my mind with worry since Tuesday night.”

“As she likes to point out, she can take care of herself.”

He huffed, raising his gaze heavenward. “Spare me the politically correct boyfriend bullshit. She’s reckless and from what I read in the police report, you’ve seen it firsthand.”

I nodded, sipping my scotch again. He was right. She was an adventure seeker who drove too fast, jumped out of too many planes, climbed too many mountains, and got herself in the way of bullets. “Why does she do that?”

“Because she’s as stubborn as my wife!” Kevin was paying closer attention to us than I thought.

“I think—” Miller took another swig. He was past sipping. “—she’s desperate to be in control. And somehow, by throwing herself into situations where she’s completely out of control, she finds it. I mean, try and get her to do something small she doesn’t want to do and you don’t stand a chance. But throw her into the middle of danger, where she can’t just walk away, and she grabs the reins to take charge.”

That explained so much of her. Why she pushed away from me so hard, despite obviously wanting to be with me. Her feelings for me put her out of control. She had tried and failed to push me out of her life, so instead she found control by denying those feelings.

Miller smiled, the look of a proud brother. “She would have kicked ass in the FBI if she’d gotten that in check.”

“Or she would have ended up dead,” Kevin said.

“True that.” Miller raised his glass to drink again. He rounded the bar and grabbed me by the elbow, leading me to the couch. “Don’t take this little chat to mean I like you, Ferraro.”

“Not to worry, Miller. I hate you, too.”

He laughed, not letting go of me, until he dropped onto the couch. Kevin turned up the sound on the television.

“But I’ll keep an eye on Samantha and Lucy.”

Chapter 25

Samantha

Sundaymorning,Antoniopulledup in front of Felicia’s house. We’d driven by a few times Saturday, but she was home all day and I didn’t want her to see us. No sign of the boyfriend, so we couldn’t get a hint as to whether he was involved in Parker’s Restoration.

But today? It was a glorious Michigan winter day. The sky was clear and the sun bright, temperature hovering around the freezing mark. And no Felicia. Nor any boyfriend.

Antonio put his SUV into park. “So, we’re simply going to look into the windows and see if we can spot anything?”

I sat in the back seat with my binoculars. Between the darkened glass and all-black interior, I was well-hidden. “I want a layout of things. Where’s the master bedroom? If I’m lucky, it’s in the front on the main floor and we can peek inside.”

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