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“I think she can probably read his dick,” Michael said under his breath.

“Nina knows I’m interested in her.” He needed to throw his parents off the scent or they would have his baby pictures out before dinner this evening. “We’re taking it slow.”

“You’ve known her for a week. We’re at your engagement party, brother. You’re not taking it slow. This is a bullet train,” Michael replied. “And I’m worried it’s going to derail if you’re not careful. Mom, can I steal JT for a moment? I heard the housekeeper say dinner was almost ready.”

His mother sighed. “Well, then I should go and make sure the dining room is properly set. Come along, love. I’ll get you settled and we can…talk to some of our guests.”

His father winced as he got to his feet. “I don’t know why I have to go. You won’t let me eat anything.”

“I’ve got a lovely beef consommé for you to start with,” his mother promised as she started to lead him out. The dog followed gamely behind them.

“I don’t even know what that is,” his father complained.

His mother sighed as she closed the door behind them.

“He’s going to make her crazy,” Michael muttered. “It’s soup, obviously. He knows that.”

“You stay out of my relationship with Nina.” He had to draw firm boundaries with his brother. “I don’t know why you’ve got it in your head that you need to stick your nose in this, but I’ve got it handled. I’m not going to screw up this mission.”

“But you are. You already have.”

He wished he’d never agreed to this party. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means this was supposed to be an easy cover,” Michael pointed out. “She was going in as an assistant. We could have found another place for her. She still could have gone in as a staff member. Hell, she could still have gone in as Dad’s assistant. Did you think of that? She could have gone down to take notes for him. No one would have questioned it at all. No one would have even noticed her, but you had to turn a spotlight her way. That’s the worst thing in the world for a spy.”

He didn’t like the thought of Nina being in the shadows. “She’s handling it fine.”

“She shouldn’t have had to.”

“What was I supposed to do? I didn’t plan on Deanna, Jordy, and Patrick showing up on my doorstep,” he argued. “I was out getting us breakfast or I assure you I would have protected her.”

Michael pointed like JT had just made his point. “And she wouldn’t have answered the damn door in the first place if she hadn’t been distracted by you.”

It would have bought her a little time, but Deanna could be insistent. She wouldn’t have left simply because no one answered the door. “I’m sorry you think I screwed this up, but Nina herself told them we were involved. It was the only thing that made sense at the time. I couldn’t say she was a casual hookup and bring her along to the retreat.”

Michael frowned. “And you couldn’t let her not go to the retreat because you couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing her again.”

“Nina made that decision.” He wasn’t about to admit that he would have done anything to keep her close. “You’re not going to get me to change my mind. I’m going to find out who murdered Bill and stole our tech.”

“I thought you were going to let Nina handle everything.”

“I’m going to help her. That’s what I meant. I’m going to give her the cover she needs to figure it out.”

“I wish I could believe you.” Michael was quiet for a moment. “I told her about Dana.”

His heart tightened when he heard her name, but he’d come to an uneasy acceptance. “I know she’s not Dana. I know this isn’t anything like what happened with Dana. Nina isn’t a nineteen-year-old rebel who picks the wrong men. And I hope you didn’t make it seem like I was crazy in love with her. She was my friend, my best friend most of my life.”

Michael seemed to soften. “I know. She was mine, too. I wish she was with us, but we have to move on.Youhave to move on. I wonder if the reason you haven’t gotten serious is you’re still mourning Dana.”

It was hard to mourn when they’d never found her body. He’d accepted that she wasn’t coming home, but it was hard to never know what happened. “You’re not exactly dripping in long-term women yourself.”

A hint of a smile crossed his brother’s face. “I’m not interested in getting married. But you are. You’re the one who always wanted a family.”

He didn’t see why that was a problem. “I’m not jumping on the first woman I see, if that’s what you’re insinuating.”

“I know. The truth is I like her,” Michael admitted. “I like the fact that she’s already willing to back you up even when it comes to me.”

“She is?”