Nora sighed. “No kidding. It’s like a giant Costco formen.”
Aria laughed and glanced at the platter of eggplant. “Is that allset?”
“Unless you want to do something fancy to it,” Norasaid.
“Fancy’s not really my style,” Ariasaid.
Nora raised her hand for a high five. “Me,either.”
Aria clapped her hand with a grin and they took the food onto thepatio.
The men were laughing and drinking beer at the long table that overlooked the water. They stood when Aria and Nora entered and hurried to relieve them of the platters offood.
“What are the rest of you going to eat?” Damian joked as he set one of the platters down on thetable.
Laughter and ribbing ensued as Aria and Nora took seats around the table. Damian offered them beer or wine, then handed Nora a beer after Aria declined. She’d never been a drinker, but she couldn’t help wondering how long it would be before Damian asked about her lack of interest in even a glass ofwine.
She’d been reading up on her pregnancy in private, forgoing all the things that were said to be dangerous to their unborn baby. Coffee had been the hardest thing to limit, and while she was trying to make the conversion to herbal tea, she still couldn’t give up a cup of coffee in the mornings, especially when all her body wanted to do wassleep.
The platters were passed around amid compliments to the chef. Damian held each plate of food, asking Aria what she wanted and dishing everything onto her plate. She wouldn’t even pretend she wasn’t getting used to being treated like aqueen.
It was pretty easy to get usedto.
The patio was lit with white lights strung on the lemon and fig trees, candles flickering on the long table. Every now and then, a breeze blew in off the water, scented with salt and the night-blooming jasmine that grew wild all over the island. Their soundtrack was laughter and the murmur of conversation, the distant rush of waves and the clink of glass as the men toasted with beer orouzo.
A deep flood of contentment filled her from the inside out, a swell of security that she hadn’t felt since she was a child. She didn’t know all of the people at the table well, but she would have sworn she was safe with every one ofthem.
They were finishing up with fresh melon and honey when Derek looked atNora.
“Any word fromBraden?”
Aria knew Braden was Nora’s boyfriend, the other ex-FBI agent on Locke’steam.
Nora shook her head. “I’m not worried. He can handlehimself.”
Damian looked questioningly atLocke.
“He’s in Algeria on a recon mission,” Lockesaid.
Damian lifted an eyebrow. “Algeria?”
He didn’t have to anything else. Algeria had become one of the most dangerous countries on the planet in recentyears.
Lockenodded.
“So what’s the plan for tomorrow?” Coleasked.
It had been nice to see him with the men during dinner. Over the past week, she’d come to think of him as a friend — it was bound to happen when you spent hours with someone — but she still felt bad that he’d had to play babysitter with her while everyone else had been working the streets ofAthens.
“I could try to get in,” Nora suggested. “Say I’m looking for ajob.”
“As a dancer?” Ariaasked.
Nora shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first time I wentundercover.”
“Braden would have my head on a platter,” Locke said. “And anyway, it will take too long to get you an interview. We need to strike fast. We don’t know how long Stefano will stayput.”
Derek laughed and poured himself some ouzo. “Then I guess we need somesingles.”
“It’s the safest way in,” Locke said. “Derek and I pretend to be paying customers and keep an eye out for Anastos.” He looked at Damian. “Once we have eyes on him, we’ll send you and Cole the signal and you can storm theplace.”
“When do we go?” Coleasked.
“Tomorrow,” Damian said. “We’ll get there between the lunch and after workrushes.”
“Do you have comms equipment here?” Damian askedLocke.
Locke poured them all more ouzo. “I have everything weneed.”
Damian lifted his glass, his gaze finding Aria’s through the candlelight. “To tomorrow. And to finally giving Anastos what hedeserves."