Under the Boardwalk

better.”

“We’ve got two years invested in this operation and it’s nearly over. Remember your career, because it’ll be the one thing that’s there for you when this is over.”

Quinn nodded. They’d perfected that line during their time at the police academy when things got tough. They had each other’s backs. No one else in life could be counted on to stick around for the long haul.

“Don’t worry. I’m thinking with my head,” he told Connor, as much to convince himself as the other man.

“Just make sure it’s the right head, because from where I’m sitting, the only reason you’d tell her the truth would be to get into her pants.” Connor nodded, obviously certain he’d come to the right conclusion.

He hadn’t. Quinn’s truth was far worse. When it came to Ari, sex wasn’t the only thing driving him. She hit an emotional chord inside him, one he didn’t ever remember feeling before and one that gave light into the deepest recesses of his soul. He just wasn’t about to admit it aloud.

“I wouldn’t jeopardize a case just to get laid,” he said in disgust.

“Excuse me if I don’t want my only friend to end up on a slab at the morgue.”

“Maybe you need to make some more friends. Just in case,” Quinn said, laughing.

Connor shook his head and laid a brotherly hand on Quinn’s shoulder. “Remember one thing. When all this is over, she’s still going back to her cozy little home in Vermont.”

“Hell yeah, I know.” And Quinn told himself he wanted it that way.

Yet after whipping Connor’s ass at a game of hoops, he’d showered and headed to Ari’s parents’, hoping to find her home on her night off. Plain old desire to see her was driving him and he knew he was in deep. Although she wasn’t at the house, it had taken a long while to make his escape from her family. He sniffed his sleeve but wasn’t sure whether he smelled of fish or if the stench was permanently embedded in his nostrils.

An hour later, he finally walked into Paradeisos, the diner owned by Nicholas’s sister Kassie. Quinn had never been to the diner before, but judging by the warm decor, he figured he’d be back again. Glancing around, he noticed Ari sitting at the counter in the back.

“Can I help you?” a dark-haired woman asked, menus in hand.

“Actually, I’m looking for someone. I’ll just go on back to the counter, if you don’t mind?”

“Of course not.” She smiled, her gaze raking him over from head to toe before she gestured toward the rear of the restaurant.

He strode back, all the while feeling the presence of the hostess following close on his trail as she click-clacked in her high heels. He reached Ari and chose a stool beside her, glancing over. Her hair had been pulled back into a ponytail and little makeup adorned her face. He liked her fresh, natural look better than the made-up-doll look she chose for her nights working at the casino.

“Hi there,” he said, laying one hand on the stool behind her.

She turned. Only the slightest widening of her eyes told him she was surprised to see him. “Following me even when I’m off duty?” she asked, the chill in her voice obvious. “Pretty silly of you, since there’s not much I can find out from my own family.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised,” he said, thinking of all Zoe knew. The usual gut-twisting guilt followed. To distract himself, he took in the basic diner look-linoleum floors, vinyl seats, tables in the center and booths by the windows, with individual coin-operated jukeboxes for each.

But considering this was a Costas restaurant, there was a unique flair. Every table had its own centerpiece of what looked like a Greek god. A naked Greek god with some portion of the anatomy left to hold flowers.

“So this is your Aunt Kassie’s place?”

“Mmm.” Ari focused her gaze on the milk shake in front of her, stirring the thick liquid.

Obviously she was going to make him work for conversation. “Is that dinner or dessert?” He pointed to her drink.

“It’s comfort food,” the hostess said.

He’d forgotten she was even there.

“Ari always drinks a milk shake when she’s got a lot on her mind. At least she used to when she lived at home. She’s been gone so long, none of us really knows what she likes anymore-”

“Go away, Daphne,” Ari said in a singsong voice. “She likes to lay the guilt on me. It makes her feel better, since she gets so much of it from her mother,” Ari explained to Quinn before tipping her head back to Daphne. “Get a life, cousin,” she said good-naturedly.

Aah, Quinn thought. So these two women were related. He’d never experienced ribbing from a family member, and he envied Ariana even this luxury.

“Here’s your Burger Deluxe.” A man dressed in black pants and a white shirt placed a plate in front of Ari.

The delicious aroma wafted under Quinn’s nose and his mouth watered.

“What can I get for your friend?” the waiter asked Ari.

“What makes you think he’s my friend?”

Ari’s voice held a trace of boredom Quinn didn’t buy for a second. Her hand was gripping her fork so tightly she’d have nail marks in her palm when she finally let go.

“His hand’s on your stool and you no tell him to get lost,” said the man whose name tag read Gus. “On second thought maybe I just call him your boyfriend?” The man chuckled.

Quinn raised an eyebrow and watched as Ariana gritted her teeth. He stifled a laugh, saying nothing. In this case discretion was smarter, especially since Ari still held the fork in her hand.

“He’s not my anything.”

“Then you won’t mind if I ask for his phone number.” Cousin Daphne leaned close, her big breasts brushing against his arm.

Ari glanced at the sight and scowled. “Argh! I should have stayed home. At least the damn monkey respects my privacy.”

Once again Quinn was tempted to chime in, this time to remind her of Spank’s Peeping Tom tendencies. But being smart, he shot Ari an I’m-so-innocent look instead.

“I get you a burger, too,” Gus said without asking if Quinn even wanted one. The other man strode off, pulling a laughing Daphne along with him.

“This side of the family is just as interesting,” Quinn said once he and Ari were alone.

She poured ketchup onto her plate then poked at the red puddle with a thick french fry. “They’ve all sent more than a few men running for the hills.”

Quinn hadn’t been a cop this long without learning how to read people, and Ari’s sarcasm was a definite cover for her share of pain. Though he enjoyed her eccentric relatives, she didn’t. She had no idea how fortunate she was to have family in her life, he thought. But apparently she’d been given good reason to distrust people’s reaction to the Costas clan.

He snagged a french fry and dipped it in the ketchup, eating it before addressing her comment. “Those men you mentioned? I’m sure they were pansies.”

She tipped her head to one side. “Lesser men than you, you mean?” she asked wryly.

“Can I help it if the men in your life don’t measure up?” He shot her his best boyish grin and she rolled her eyes.

“Coke for you,” Gus said, placing a glass in front of Quinn.

“He’s got a point, you know, Ari,” said Daphne, who’d returned, popping up along with Gus.

“Don’t you have work to do?” Ari asked her cousin.

“Ari’s last boyfriend-well, her last boyfriend we know of, since she’s so silent while going to live on her own in Vermont-well, that guy was a real piece of work. A stuffed prig with no sense of humor.” Daphne gave an exaggerated shudder.

Quinn leaned an elbow over the back of his chair. “Do tell.”

“Oh, don’t encourage her,” Ari said on a sigh.

“If she doesn’t tell, I will,” Gus said.

“Gus,” Ari said in warning, “if you snitch, I’ll tell Uncle Constantin you’ve been giving the pretty girls free drinks.”

“And it’d be worth his roar.” Ignoring other customers around the room, Gus sat down in the chair next to Quinn. “Did you know Cousin Ari is famous?”