“Oh, that?” She waves a hand. “I used an app to change my voice so that it sounded like Mom’s. Then I called the pilot and told him our destination. Since I didn’t know where you lived, I asked the Uber driver to take me to the busiest place in town.”
Anger fills his eyes as Pane glances down at her. “You’re in trouble, young lady. I don’t even know where to start—the voice app? Stealing a plane? Taking an Uber in a strange town? Natalie, you could have been killed, kidnapped!”
Her gaze drops to her feet, and when she speaks, it’s a whimper. “But I missed you and wanted to see you.”
My heart cracks in two right there. This poor kid, who’s been missing her older brother, moved the earth in order to see him.
“She missed you,” I whisper to Pane.
He looks at me and shakes his head. “Natalie, promise me that you’ll never do that again—any of it. Mom’s got the entire NYPD looking for you.”
She grimaces. “I’m sorry.”
“Stay here, and don’t move. I’m going to let Mom and Stone know that you’re okay. He’s on his way to New York right now to help find you.”
Natalie drags her top teeth over her bottom lip. “Am I inbigtrouble?”
He backs away and stops. “Mom will decide that.” Her face falls. Pane sees this, and his shoulders slump. “I’m glad you’re all right.” When she doesn’t look up, he bends at the waist until they’re eye level. “Hey.”
Her lids slowly lift. “Yes?”
“I love you, and I’m relieved that you’re safe.”
A cheeky smile spreads across her face. “What else?”
“And I’m glad you’re here.”
“I knew you would be,” she announces, throwing her arms around his neck.
He lifts her into the air and holds her tight. When his gaze flickers up, it finds me. My heart convulses at the sight of big, mean Pane Maddox melting like a Popsicle for his younger sister.
“Natalie, there’s someone I want you to meet.”
Now my heart’s thundering because Pane hasn’t taken those knee-quaking green eyes off me for several long luxurious seconds, making me feel like I’m the only person who exists in his great big world filled with hotels and important people.
My throat shrivels. For some reason, this feels very heavy, very large, like a momentous occasion.
He lowers her, and Natalie’s feet lightly touch the floor. “This is Rowe Wadley. We’ve been working together.”
Natalie sizes me up. Sharp green eyes that match her brother’s silently pick me apart. After several seconds, she pulls away from him and approaches me.
“So this is Princess Pain-in-the-Butt?”
My gaze snaps to Pane, who suddenly looks very guilty. I fold my arms. “What’s that?”
He coughs into his hand. “It’s nothing.Natalie,” he emphasizes, “Rowe owns piggycorns.”
She flaps her hands up and down with glee. “Piggycorns! You own them! Pane’s told me so much about the creatures. I want one. I want three! I want to see them.”
At this point, I can’t help but giggle at her glee. It’s absolutely deliciously contagious. “You’re welcome to meet them.”
“Natalie, you coming back to play?” McCauley calls out.
“Coming!” She starts to move off, but then runs up to Pane and hugs him again. “I’m so glad to see you.”
Then she grabs me by the hand and drags me to the table. “Come on. Let’s play poker!”
I laugh as she pulls up an empty chair. “All right. How do you play?”
