Kathleen’s heart slammed. “Logan,” she said under her breath, not breaking stride. “See that woman, near the hedge on the far side? Black pants. White blouse.”
Logan’s posture didn’t change, but his gaze sharpened. “I see her.”
“She was at the wedding,” Kathleen continued quietly. “One of the servers.”
Enzo’s jaw tightened. “You’re certain?”
“I’m sure of it.” Her voice didn’t waver, even though her hands had gone cold. “She was there all night. Blended in perfectly.”
Logan nodded once, already touching his ear. “Copy that.” He smiled at Kathleen to hide his words. “Well, that’s not good. It means our security failed. I have work to do when we get back to New York. I have to see how she managed to slip under our radar.”
The woman shifted position, drifting casually toward one of the intersecting paths, but Kathleen caught the way her attention stayed fixed on the obelisk, and on them.
“She’s not sightseeing,” Kathleen said.
“No,” Enzo agreed softly. “She’s waiting.”
Logan had said his brothers were there, in the area around the obelisk, but she didn’t see anyone. “Where is everyone else?” Kathleen wondered aloud.
Just then, on the path across from them, she spotted another woman. The only reason Kathleen knew it was Alex was because the woman gave her a small two-finger wave. When Kathleen looked more closely, it became obvious how good the disguise was.
Alex wore a dark, chin-length wig, cut in a bob. That and the simple summer dress with ballet flats created the overall effect of making her look French. She certainly didn’t look American. It was a great disguise.
Kathleen exhaled slowly, her stomach tightening and then easing just a little. Maybe, just maybe, they could get through this without anyone getting hurt. Without drawing attention. Without trouble.
She glanced at Enzo, then back at Alex as she moved easily through the small knots of people, blending in as if she belonged there.
Kathleen, Enzo, and Logan stepped closer to the center of the fountain. The water danced and cast rainbows in front of them. Kathleen’s trepidation deepened and settled into her bones.
Whatever the treasure was, if indeed there was a treasure here, they weren’t the only ones ready to claim it.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
The gravel crunched beneath Enzo’s boots as they stepped fully into the circular clearing around the obelisk. Mist from the fountain cooled the air, the sound of the rushing water filled the space, and made it harder to hear anything beyond arm’s length. Damn, he hated being this exposed. He hated that Kathleen was out here where she could get hurt. It made him want to protect her all the more.
Enzo’s gaze swept the ring of gravel automatically, faces, hands, posture, movement. He knew what to look for. A lifetime working for the mob had taught him that. It had honed his instincts to a fine point, and the few months he’d been retired hadn’t dulled anything.
Tourists lingered at the edges of the circle, couples murmured, and a few people paused to take photos. Nothing out of place. Not too many people, which was good news.
Then he saw someone who made his blood boil.
Matteo stood near the far hedge, just off one of the branching paths. Jeans. A faded T-shirt. Baseball cap pulled low, brim shadowing his face. He wasn’t looking at the fountain or the water. He was watching the people. Watching them.
The air seemed to go thin in Enzo’s lungs.Fuck.
Matteo kept his distance, exactly the way a trained man would, close enough to see, far enough not to draw attention. He cursed Danny for training Matteo so well. Anyone else would’ve missed him. Enzo didn’t.
This wasn’t a coincidence. This was confirmation. The train. Nice. Gare du Nord. The way Dominic had found them too easily, too precisely. The way the net had closed before Enzo even realized it was there.Matteo.
Enzo’s jaw locked as heat flared up his torso. He didn’t move, didn’t react outwardly. He shifted his weight slightly, angling his body so Kathleen was shielded, his eyes never leaving the far hedge.
Logan noticed immediately.
“What is it?” Logan asked under his breath.
“Matteo,” Enzo said quietly. “Far hedge. Jeans. Hat.”
Logan followed his line of sight, barely turning his head. “Shit. Is he one of Dominic’s men?”
