“I’m fine,” I said more out of habit than anything else.
Her soft fingers brushed across my forehead before she leaned in to press a kiss there. “A man your age shouldn’t look like he’s been used as a pommel horse, Kingston. Maybe it’s the travel that’s wearing you down. Either way, you deserve to be happy and free.”
Free.
The word resonated through me, making me yearn. The only way to be free—to stay free—was to be done with that life, to convince myself to let the Berlin job be the last one. I needed to let go of this obsession with getting back at Elek. He wasn’t worth the complicated and risky attempt to sneak into the Hungarian Parliament Building for the Holy Crown. It needed to end here. I had to put this life behind me once and for all.
So I tried. And over the next couple of weeks with my family, I began to relax and finally feel like I truly could make a fresh start. By the time we traveled to Napa to celebrate Doc and Grandpa’s vow renewal, I almost felt free in the way Gina had described. I began to think of art theft in the past tense. I would miss my little cat-and-mouse game with Agent Falcon, but it was finally over.
And it truly was. Until that fucker dragged me back in again.
We were all sitting around the lobby lounge in the vineyard lodge having drinks and shooting the shit the night before Doc and Grandpa’s wedding when I spotted a man enter through the main doors. At first I thought my brain was playing tricks on me or maybe I’d had more to drink than I’d thought, but as he came closer I realized Agent Dirk Falcon was actually there in California, in the same fucking room as my entire extended family.
My heart thundered in my chest. This was it. There was only one reason he’d be here. He was coming for me. Which meant he had something. I’d overlooked a detail. Or maybe my little stunt in Berlin had finally been the last straw, giving him enough cause to finally put me away.
I froze for a beat before standing up and glaring at him. “This is a private party.”
“I’m sorry. It can’t wait.” His voice was clipped, professional. It gave nothing away.
I couldn’t believe that fucker dared to do this in front of my entire family. How the hell had he even tracked me here? “Are you here to arrest me, because if so—”
“No, no. Not that. I…” Falcon looked around at my family and seemed to realize we had a rapt audience. “I need your help. I have a plane waiting on a private airstrip nearby. We need to be in…” He looked around again. “We need to leave right now.”
I blinked. The fuck? Was the man actually asking me to go with him? Voluntarily? It didn’t even cross my mind he might be serious about needing my help. It was just a ruse—a trap to get me into custody without a struggle. “I don’t work for you,” I sputtered.
Falcon’s eyes narrowed. Dammit, the man’s intensity only made him more attractive to me. “You do now. Let’s go.”
A million thoughts raced through my head, not the least of which was the notebook of stolen-artwork information in my room. If I left it with my stuff, it could get lost or even shipped back to my apartment building in Paris where any number of things could happen to it including it being found easily in a search of my things. I glanced over at MJ who—thank god—gave me a discreet nod. My sister had my back. I just needed to make sure she had easy access to the notebook so she could take charge of it and get it back to Hobie safe and sound.
And if by some chance the agent let me go to my room alone… I could try to get out of there and take off.
I let out a breath. “Let me gather my things.”
My brother Saint stood up. “What the hell is going on? Who are you?” He demanded of Falcon before turning to me. “King, who is this guy?”
I tried to reassure him. I didn’t want my family anywhere near this situation. I’d successfully kept my past from them up until now and didn’t intend for them to find out the truth like this. “It’s fine. Really.” Then I turned to Doc and Grandpa. “I’m very sorry to miss the wedding.”
Grandpa’s eyes were as warm and loving as always. “We know you love us no matter where you are tomorrow. We just want you to be happy.”
I huffed out a laugh that sounded bitter even to my own ears. “Yeah. Happy.” I glanced at Falcon, wondering if this would be the last time I saw my grandfathers. Would he extradite me? To where? For which job?