Page 135 of The Heart

“So what’s the plan? Wander into the office and ask if anyone requested a slip this morning?” Leena asks.

“Nope. We’re just going to take a stroll down the dock. And you,dear,are going to take lots of selfies. Be sure to include the tags when you do.”

“Lots of selfies, got it.” She smiles up at me.

“Now you better pretend to like me, we need to really sell this wholecouple on vacationthing.” I smirk down at her.

“Hm, yes, pretend.” She hums, turning and holding her hat to her head as she stands on tiptoes to give me a kiss.

Fuck. The kiss doesn’t even involve our tongues, but it’s Leena, so it makes my fucking heart stop all the same. I can’t seem to stop fucking smiling.

Why am I in such a goddamn good mood all of the sudden?I never used to be like this. But it’s so fucking different now being in love with this woman and Luke.

And after telling the team about us, not having to hide it anymore, plus having Colton around? It’s all so fucking much that I don’t even know what I’m feeling anymore.

But I’m fucking smiling.

So fucking much.

“Come on, let’s go stare at the water and pretend we find it interesting,” I say, resting my hand on Leena’s lower back as we walk down the ramp.

“Itisinteresting.” She chuckles.

“If you say so, darling.” I smirk.

Once we’re down on the dock, I put my hands in my pockets, wandering around as if I’m actually on vacation and enjoying the fresh air.

It smells like dead fish and I don’t like it.

But I think I’m doing a great job for anyone who might be watching.

Leena keeps herself busy taking selfies, dragging me into them now and then. She even hands me her phone at one point so she can pose at the very end of the dock with her cute little hat.

I smile.

I could get used to this.

We sit on one of the benches, pretending to look at her precious photos, when in reality, we’re sending them off for Ryan and Ava to cross-reference with the harbor patrol.

Once he confirms none of the vessels came in this morning, we decide that maybe we can kill time at a little café overlooking the marina. That should buy us at least two hours of inconspicuous loitering, especially if we order some of those drinks that come with the little umbrellas.

I wrap an arm around Leena, leading her back up the dock and toward shore. We walk past four men and I notice all the gear they have piled by an empty slip, clearly waiting on a boat to arrive.

They watch us carefully as we move past them, and I nod cordially. But I don’t miss the tattoo that is glaring up at us from the forearm of one of the men. A tattoo of a playing card.

The Ace of Clubs.

Fuck.

Luke may have convinced his uncle back in the States to back the fuck off, but we’re a long way from home. It’s been my experience that the Cards have a tendency to shoot first and ask questions later.

I force myself to continue my leisurely pace, even though what I really want to do is shoot three of them and take the fourth for questioning. I’ve never been this protective over someone I’ve never met, but this is Kathryn we’re talking about. This is Leena’s family.Myfamily. I already lost my sister, I won’t watch the woman I’m in love with lose hers.

Not if I can help it.

When we are far enough away to be out of earshot, I tap Leena’s side with my thumb, getting her attention. She doesn’t look up at me, instead, she raises her phone again, snapping a picture of a nearby tree covered in flowers.

“What is it?” she asks in a low whisper.

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