living just south of Santa Barbara with Gabriel Reese. He’s the grandfather of one of the Marcelli granddaughters’ husbands.”
Darcy blinked. “I’ll never keep this straight.”
Paige grinned. “You’ll have time to study before the quiz.”
Joe held open the back door. “Food’s waiting.”
Darcy hesitated, then stepped past him and entered a massive kitchen and was confronted by what had to be three tons of food.
Grandma Tessa and Colleen carried trays to a huge kitchen table by a row of windows. There were platters of meats, bowls of pastas, mounds of salads, along with at least three different kinds of bread. The scent of simmering sauces competed with the fragrance of cinnamon and fruit.
The elderly Marcelli walked into the kitchen. “It’s ten-thirty in the morning,” he grumbled. “Only a fool would eat now.”
“Lorenzo, stop. We have company. Darcy, come.” Grandma Tessa took her arm. “You must be hungry. All that travel.”
As tempting as it all looked, Darcy couldn’t imagine keeping down food. She felt too unsettled. But before she could say anything, Lorenzo limped over to stand in front of her.
“How old are you?” he demanded.
“Twenty-six.”
“Ha.” He grabbed her left hand and looked at her bare fingers. “No ring. No husband, no babies. What is it with you women today? Listen to your parents and grandparents. Get married and have babies.” He dropped her hand and poked her in the stomach. “You need babies.”
Darcy took a step back. “I’ll get right on that.”
Colleen sighed heavily. “Lorenzo, please. Stop torturing Darcy. At least let her get settled.” She looked around the kitchen and waved at Joe. “Would you take her upstairs and show her around? We’ve put her in Katie’s old bedroom. Brenna and Francesca’s is just too frightening.” Colleen smiled at her. “You can unpack, then come back down and have something to eat. How does that sound?”
For once Darcy didn’t have a snappy comeback. Not knowing what else to do, she smiled and said, “That would be very nice. Thank you.”
She followed the naval officer out of the kitchen and down the hall.
“This way,” Joe said as he headed for a flight of stairs.
The house was large and well kept. She liked the blend of colors, the earth tones that offered welcome. Although a hotel would have made her feel more safe, she could see the charm of the Marcelli home.
He led the way down a long hallway and stopped at the end. “You have your own room,” he said. “It hasn’t been decorated since Katie was in high school, but it’s comfortable enough. You also have your own bathroom.”
She stepped into a large and airy room decorated in shades of lavender. Before she could take in much more than the white eyelet bedspread and the striped wallpaper, a Secret Service agent entered her room, carrying a large suitcase. Three more followed, each with at least one bag. Paige came last. She handed Darcy a wristband.
“Automatic transmitter,” she said. “So we know where you are at all times.”
“I live to be a blip on a monitor.” Darcy took it and snapped it into place. The cold metal was comforting. At least if someone tried to take her away, her team would be instantly alerted.
When Paige had left, Joe glanced at Darcy. “So much for being a regular person.”
Surrounded by luggage, security, and wearing the human version of a homing beacon, she wasn’t in a position to argue.
“Why on earth would I want to be?” she asked. “Talk about boring. So how exactly does a naval liaison know so much about the Marcelli family?”
“Colleen and Marco are my parents.”
If he’d meant to surprise her, he’d succeeded. “But you have a different last name.”
He shrugged. “True enough. If there’s anything you need, just ask. The Marcellis lead with their hearts. The Grands will do their best to feed you to death. Colleen will hover and mother you, and the sisters will seduce you with wine, chocolate, and girls’ night out.”
All of which sounded like fun, but she knew better than to admit that. “Whatever,” she said as she picked up one of the smaller bags and put it on the bed. “So what are you doing here? Why aren’t you on a ship somewhere?”
“I’m part of the team.”
“You’re not Secret Service.”
“I’m the liaison with the family.”
But why would they need one? “The navy doesn’t get involved with the personal security of the president’s family.”
“They do now.”
She looked at him. “You were a SEAL?”
“Until I got promoted out of active duty and into logistical planning, yes.”
“At least you’ll know what you’re doing if the kidnapper returns.”
As the bedrooms in the guesthouse were identical, Paige had figured it was safe to claim one for herself without waiting for the special agent in charge to okay the decision. She’d unpacked the night before and begun to familiarize herself with the area around the house. Now she listed all the sections that would have to be checked on a regular basis, such as outbuildings, tree groves, and storage sheds.
The front door opened. Paige sucked in a breath to brace herself then glanced up as Alex Vanmeter stalked into the small living room.
He’d gotten older, but then they both had. He was still good-looking, in a rugged, street-fighter kind of way. Barely contained energy radiated from him, making her remember how much heat the two of them had once generated.
“She’s going to make this a hell of an assignment,” he said as he crossed to the refrigerator, pulled open the door, and checked the contents. “I heard she’s a bitch on wheels, but I thought the other agents were lying. Obviously not.”
“Yes, they were,” Paige said. “Darcy isn’t difficult at all.” Or she hadn’t been until today.
Alex grabbed a bottle of iced tea. “So you think this attitude of hers is temporary?”
Paige leaned back in her chair. “She’s scared, Alex. She was just kidnapped because our department failed to keep her safe. You might want to cut her a break.”
She used his first name deliberately. He might be in charge and able to pull rank, but she’d seen him naked, and she wasn’t about to let him forget it.
“You’ve worked with her before,” he said. “What do you know about her?”
“That her reputation is a lot more about the press wanting a story than about Darcy herself. She’ll cooperate.”
“She’s not going to have a choice. Nothing is going to happen to her on my watch. I want to meet with the team in two hours. We’ll review the location, set up a schedule. I want you working the house. I’ll be here, mostly, coordinating everyone. The team will work in eight-hour shifts.”
Paige made notes as he spoke. “Anything else?”
“Just one more thing.” He moved close to the table and loomed over her. “Are you going to have a problem with me being in charge?”
“We’ve worked together before,” she said.
“Not in quarters as close as these, and not with me running the op.”
She stood, dropping her pen on the table. “I asked to be assigned to this team,” she said slowly and deliberately. “I care about Darcy and I want to be a part of keeping her safe. As long as you do your job, I don’t give a rat’s ass who’s in charge. You might be a good agent, Alex, but in private, you’re not all that.”
