Seriously. It’s like being strafed every time he laughs.
The intimidating man sitting in his high tower lording over his hospital had been reduced to an awkward teenaged boy in front of his crush.
We’ve got thisWren told herself.So you can quit with the sprints anytime now, heart.
They stepped out onto a wide patio overlooking a yard manicured to within an inch of its life. His patio furniture looked like it belonged inside. And Wren was mistaken—it wasn’t a backyard grill she smelled but a full-on outdoor kitchen.
“Here we are. Make yourself comfortable. Barbie, why don’t you sit on the loveseat?” Weisser made a beeline for a bucket full of ice holding the bottle of Cristal upside-down, like it was mooning everyone.
Gina shot Wren a look that saidAre you all right?
She gave her a quick thumbs up right before Weisser turned back around, the bottle in his left hand.
In his right, he held a saber.
Oh, Mother of Mercy, you’re kidding me.
“Stand back,” he said, despite the fact that Gina was sitting on the loveseat as requested and Wren was in an armchair.
“Oooo!” Gina clapped her hands and bounced—something that the real Barbie would never actually do if faced with this spectacle—but it kept old Donny fired up and distracted.
Which was a good thing because Lachlan’s voice came over the comm just then.
“Soup, Spooky, over.”
Weisser was looking straight at Gina.
She hunched her shoulders, tucked her chin, put her palms together like she was praying and lifted them until they blocked most of her wide, excited smile.
“Go ahead, over.” Wren heard Gina’s voice whisper over the comm. The visible corners of her lips never wavered from that smile.
“Police are in place on standby, over.”
“Acknowledged, over.”
Okay. I’ve got to get him alone, ASAP.
Weisser brandished his saber and readied the champagne bottle for its dramatic uncorking.
Here we go. Champagne and broken glass everywhere, in?—
“Three, two, one!” Weisser shouted, then swept the blade down the bottle andPop!
Wow. He actually did it.
Weisser set the saber aside, thank God, and quickly poured the foaming champagne into two flute glasses waiting beside the bucket. He picked the flutes up and carried them over to Gina. Weisser handed her one, then sat down next to her and clinked his glass against hers and drank.
“I guess none for me.”
“Oh.” Weisser acknowledged Wren for the first time since the front door.
“It’s all right, I’m doing a dry summer anyway.” Wren patted the satchel full of fake bearer bonds. “Actually, if I could use your restroom?” She grimaced. “I’m not feeling well all of a sudden.”
“Oh dear,” Gina said. “I hope you haven’t caught my cold.”
“Maybe that’s it.” She patted the satchel again, hoping Weisser would catch her drift.
“I’ll show you to the restroom, otherwise you might get lost.” Weisser set his champagne aside. He grabbed Gina’s hand and kissed the back of it. “Be right back, my dear. Drink up, drink up! We’re celebrating here.”
