“Cut it out, Summer!”
Bryttni leans back against the passenger door, making sure she’s out of my reach.She clamps a hand over her face in a desperate act of self-preservation.
“Hell no, Declan,” I bark at him.“You and I have a job to do, and I’m glued to your snake-like hide until the job is done.After that, you can do… whatever it is you’re gonna do.”
I give his nose one last twist and let go.He stares at me, eyes steely.
“I can’t believe you just did that.”He sounds like he has a cold.“Heads up, sweet cheeks.If you think—”
He’s interrupted when my phone rings.It’s a FaceTime call from Cal’s mobile.
“Yo,” I say, putting it on speaker.“We just got here.Pulling up to the hotel now.”
Cal holds the phone at arm’s length.Jamie’s right next to him, looking irritated.“Put him on,” Jamie says.I hand over the phone.
“I know.I know,” Declan says before anyone can get a word out.“Finding Evander and Phoebe is my number one priority.Understood.”He presses the camera against his shirt and shakes his head at Bryttni reassuringly.He flashes her a thousand-watt smile.“You’re my real priority,” he whispers.
She doesn’t look reassured.She looks confused.
Declan resumes the call.
“Don’t fuck this up, little brother,” Cal growls.
“Seriously, don’t fuck it up.”That comes from Victoria, Cal’s wife.
“Son,” Jamie says.“If you allow Evander to take that girl to one of those tacky Las Vegas wedding chapels, the Travises are going to put a blowtorch to every structure on this ranch—every house, barn, shed, shelter, garage, split-rail fence, and hundred-year-old outhouse.You understand what I’m telling you?”
I laugh, becauseIsure understand.
Jamie’s saying that Declan’s not too old to be put over his knee and given a good spanking.Of course, Declan iswaaayytoo big for that.And strong as an ox on steroids.Just the same, I decide I’ll hold on to that image in my head for future chuckles.
“I understand what you’re asking for,” Declan says.“But you’re aware that it’s New Year’s Eve, right?It’ll be impossible to find Evander and Phoebe if they don’t want to be found.This place is a human zoo.The streets are already overflowing with partiers and it isn’t even noon.And anyway, how can you be certain that they’re even here?They could be anywhere on the planet by now.”
“Oh, they’re in Vegas,” Victoria says.“No doubt about it.”She presses her face closer to the camera.“Once we figured out they were missing, Emma remembered that she’d overheard Evander making calls, talking about hotel reservations and shows and restaurants and she even heard him utter the words ‘wedding chapel.’The man wasplottinga secret getaway.Emma’s sure of it.”
I’ve loved Emma ever since she arrived at the ranch.I’m thrilled that she’s now Finn’s wife.But learning that she has advanced undercover skills makes me love her even more.
“Get ’er done,” Cal snarls.
Declan shoots a winning smile into the camera.I don’t trust that smile.Because I know that smile.It means that he hears what’s being said but doesn’t like what he’s hearing and doesn’t intend to do a damn thing about it.
I wish I had a dollar for every time he’s smiled at me like that.
“No problem,” he says, too cheerfully.“So, to recap, I’ll hunt down Evander and Phoebe in the chaos of millions of falling-down wasted people and deafening music.I’ll go to every neon chapel of love on and off the Strip to locate them and stop their wedding.Next, I’ll drag my combative behemoth of a brother and his terrified fiancée back to the ranch against their wills.Oh, I probably should mention that I forgot my elephant tranquilizers, so I might need to make a quick stop at the veterinarian’s before we head out to acquire our targets.But never fear—I’m on it!”
“Fucking hell,” Cal grumbles, hanging up.
I snatch my phone away from Declan, realizing that the plan sounds a lot more difficult the way he just laid it out.Unattainable, really.I look at him like I’m about to spit nails.
“What?”he asks, shrugging.“You’re the one who hijacked my jet and put us in this ridiculous position.I was simply repeating instructions.It’s what any hot pilot should do.”
He winks at Bryttni.
I point a threatening finger at Declan.“We will stick together and get this over with.No separating.”
He nods.“Sure.I’ve always wanted to run a sting operation out of the Bellagio Hotel.This is gonna be a rip-snorter of a good time.”
Bryttni looks from me to Declan and back to me.“I’m so confused,” she says, pouting.“Am I getting in the hot tub or what?”
