Of course he was going to need it, which Marco already knew or he wouldn’t have booked a table for them too. “I’ll be there,” Gunnar decided. “Book one for the guys too. I’m not walking in there unprepared.”
“It is already taken care of,” Marco replied. “It has been too long since I have seen some of my brothers. Do you wish for me to ask some of my guys to be there too?”
“I don’t think we will need them.” How difficult could it be to handle one woman? “I’ll meet you there at seven.”
“Perfecto, see you then.”
Fuck my life. This better not be some chick I fucked during those hazy days after the divorce.
Gunnar pinched his fingers into his eyes. Just when he’d been so sure everything would be quiet for a few days. There went his hopes of a weekend surfing. He shot off a text message to his brothers, knowing they would pass it onto the team. As soon as he’d showered, he’d go back to the war-room and see what Remi found, because there was no way his brother was still sleeping. The second Marco’s email hadpinged a notification to his phone, Remi would have been moving. Gunnar went to the window and peered down into the courtyard just in time to see a flash of Remi’s bright yellow t-shirt as he disappeared through the archway leading to the business end of the compound.
“So much for a chill night in,” Gunnar grumbled to himself as he went to shower. “I have to go to fricking Pisa because some bird is looking for me. Damn it.”
* * *
“It has to be her.”
“I hear what you’re saying, bro.” Gunnar flipped on the flicker and turned into the square. He whipped the truck into a shaded spot which opened up next to a tree. Even though the heat of the day had dissipated, living here in Italy, he’d learned to keep his truck under shade if he didn’t want to burn the backs of his thighs on the leather seats when he got back into it. “But just because her name is spelled the same doesn’t mean it’s her.”
“The passport is hers, and Mom said she lives in Europe,” Remi reminded him. “Her mom told her she’s been in Germany for years.”
“Passports can be cloned, and you know better than most that shit isn’t always what it seems to be. We’ll find out soon enough.” He wasn’t quite ready to shake off the gut feeling which urged caution. Gunnar locked the truck and turned toward the restaurant. He and Remi had traveled together. Talon and Colt were already in situ along with Tyrone and Levi. Everything they had found on Jorja Buchanan indicated she wasn’t affiliated with any alphabet agency. That didn’t mean she didn’t work for another government or country, but he was willing to bet that answer was no. He opened the restaurant door and held it for Remi to enter ahead of him. The urge to palm a weapon and clear the room was still his reflex, but he’d learned to combat it by focusing on thetension levels of his brothers’ shoulders. He ignored Talon and Colt where they sat with coffee and an appetizer platter at the table just inside the door with Zombie sprawled under the table at their feet. The dog lifted his head when they entered, but remained where he was.
Across the room at the bar, Marco straightened and grinned at him. “Ciao, Grizzly, come stai?”
“Bene, amico, e tu?” Gunnar automatically responded to Marco’s greeting with some of the few Italian words he was confident in, and switched to English. “Thank you for having us tonight.”
“Did speaking Italian hurt your brain?” Marco knocked his knuckles off Remi’s. “Ciao, Zipper.” He led them to the counter. “It’s no problem, you are always welcome here. Do you want coffee, wine, or beer?” Marco leaned over the counter. “I brought you some wine from my father’s vineyard.”
“That better not be the piss-water you gave me in Sicily,” Gunnar grumbled. If he squinted, he could still feel the hangover, even if the wine had been drank almost a decade ago. “If it is, I’ll stick with coffee.”
“Weakling.” Marco grabbed some glasses, poured wine into each, and handed them to Gunnar and Remi. He spoke to the server who was polishing cutlery behind the bar in Italian. She nodded and went with another bottle of Marco’s wine to the table where Tyrone and Levi sat near the window behind them.
Gunnar scanned the restaurant. “It’s quiet this evening.”
“I asked them to cancel the other tables.” Marco swirled his glass and inhaled the aroma of the wine. “Last time I had dinner with all of you, an RPG was served up before the main course,” he said dryly. “I do not think we want that to happen here. My family don’t mind having a quiet evening.”
“I’ll cover…”
“Shut it. You won’t.” Marco cut him off with a slash of his hand in true Italian style. “It has been busy. A quieter evening is welcome.”
Gunnar cautiously sipped the wine from his glass and swallowed gratefully when its tart dryness exploded over his tastebuds. “It’s good.” He gestured to Marco with the wine. “Much better than the vinegar from Sicily.”
“Spoke like a true Northerner.” Marco grinned. “We may allow you to stay in my Bella Italia after all.”
“Asshole, we have permits to stay.” Gunnar smirked at his friend. “You can’t get rid of us now.”
“Damn, I need to talk to the comune at La Spezia and tell them they made some mistake.” Marco smiled at the server when she returned from behind the counter. “I hope you are hungry. The chef has created some of his special dishes for you and for our other guest,” Marco said.
“No menus, huh?” Remi shifted against the counter, turning to give himself a better view of the door. “Do you think she will go for that?”
“We will tell her…” Marco snapped his mouth shut when a woman paused outside the restaurant and peered from her phone, to the sign, over the door, and back again. “She is here.”
“Game time,” Gunnar whispered softly. He nodded when Marco handed him the wine bottle and pointed to a table in the corner, set for three. He and Remi went to take their seats as Marco went to greet the woman. Gunnar pulled back the chair facing the room. He studied the woman.
She didn’t look like a threat.
Dressed in jeans and a simple t-shirt with her black hair in a messy bun, he watched as she bent to greet Zombie who’d come out from under his brothers’ table to greet her. While she might think this was just another friendly dog, heknew better as Zombie snuffled and sniffed around her hands and the large purse on her elbow.
