“Oh, dear,” Gabby said.
Bristow, Declan, and Kelso started chuckling.
Charly wasn’t sure where Ariana was going with this.
“He said he doesn’t know how to love. He was offering me a loveless marriage.”
Charly felt the man beside her relax, but she couldn’t resist adding her own jab. “No wonder you turned him down. The arrogance.”
Everyone laughed, including Antonio. As for Charly, the tightness that formed in her chest when she saw Ariana released for good. Her mind was still spinning that Antonio declared that he intended to be her husband. Charly didn’t know whether to be annoyed or thrilled. Antonio’s arrogance knew no bounds. But that was so typical of the man she loved, right?
“If everyone is finished finding amusement at my expense, can we please take this inside?” Antonio paused, eyes looking at Garrison who’d been quietly observing and hadn’t said a word. “You have news for me?”
The CIA man smiled briefly. “I’ll let the detectives fill you in.”
“Thank you for bringing Dr. Powell to us,” Antonio said. “I know it hasn’t been an easy decision on your part.”
Garrison shrugged. “He understood the risks.”
Antonio nodded and turned to Migs. “What’s in the cooler?”
It was Ariana who answered. “Everything to make tacos, plus some dessert.”
“I hope it’s ready-to-eat,” Charly said. “‘Coz, I don’t cook.”
“Me neither,” Gabby added.
“Yes, you do, Angel,” Declan piped in.
Gabby glared at her husband.
Ariana laughed lightly. “I’ll take care of it.”
“I wasn’t aware I was hosting a taco party,” Antonio said dryly.
“I hope this is enough food,” Ariana said, anxiety in her voice.
It was a make-your-own taco spread on the counter with nachos on the side.
“This is fine,” Charly said, dipping a nacho in melted cheese and promptly taking a bite of it.
Antonio disguised his grin as he kicked back a beer. She got part of her wish at least. He leaned against the wall at the entrance to the kitchen, watching his impromptu visitors chat while making their own plates of Mexican food. His gaze went back to the two women and wondered how in the hell he got this part of his life so wrong. He thought he wanted Ariana, but it turned out he needed Charly. For it was Charly who healed his damaged soul. It was Charly who continued to pull his heart deeper into her orbit. He woke up each day looking forward to seeing her smile, her crystal blue eyes sparkle, and making her happy.
“I’ll be damned,” a voice spoke beside him.
Without turning his head, he knew it was Walker.
“You’re gone for her, man,” Migs said.
Still staring ahead, Antonio replied, “I could say the same about you with Ariana.”
Migs chuckled. “I was never a cold fish like you.”
Antonio smirked and glanced at Migs. “There’s a lot about me you don’t know.”
“Obviously,” the other man replied. “But I’m happy for you.”
“We’re not going to stand here and talk about feelings, are we?”
Migs barked a laugh. “Fuck no. I’m going to get myself something to eat.”
Antonio drained his beer. “Good idea.”
They made their way to the taco bar. Both Ariana and Charly were eyeing them warily.
“We’re good. There’ll be no bloodshed tonight,” Migs said, leaning over and kissing his wife.
“Good, because you promised to be on your best behavior,” Ariana said.
Charly stared at Antonio, but he shrugged and drew her into his arms. He and Walker understood each other. “You’re not going to eat cheese and chips all night, are you?”
“There you go again being the diet police.”
“Someone needs to watch over you,” he murmured as he stole the cheesy nacho from her hand and put it in his mouth.
“Hey, get your own,” Charly groused.
“You need to get used to sharing,” Antonio said, then murmured into her ear. “Especially since you’re going to be my wife.”
He raised his head, grinned, and kissed Charly’s open mouth, relishing her outraged expression.
“Now, wait a minute,” she sputtered.
“Okay, before you all get frisky over there,” Gabby called from the dining table in front of the kitchen. “Let’s get this wrapped up, shall we?”
“Good idea,” Declan said, taking his seat and yanking his wife on his lap. “I can get frisky too.”
Gabby shot her husband a death glare and muttered, “I’m working.” Then plopped over to the chair beside him.
Bristow glanced at Kelso. “I don’t know how you put up with the flirting, man.”
Gabby’s partner chuckled. “By pretending to be deaf and blind.”
“Newlyweds.” Declan leaned back in his seat and winked at them.
Gabby swatted her husband’s chest with the back of her hand. Then looking around the room as the rest of them took their place around the dining table, she said. “We’re closing the loop on the Z-9 series virus.”
“The Ukrainians have arrested all the Skoryks involved and their associates?” Antonio asked.
“Yes and no.” It was Kelso who answered. “Everyone who was directly involved in its production and distribution has been arrested. Katerina Skoryk has been identified as the creator of Z-91. We already know August Leigh created its mutated version the Z-92 and both of them communicated using the Charles Bennet email. Kiev Police are still sorting through Katerina’s lab and documents but it appeared she did have access to her uncle’s work. They’ll be tried for global terrorism by the international courts.”
“And the Ukrainian brotherhood?”
“That’s another story,” Kelso continued. “Lev Skoryk was our only link to them, but the man is dead.”
Skoryk survived the raid at the house but died three days later.
“The cause of Skoryk’s death is blood clot from the gunshot wound he sustained from Jacaré, so we don’t expect anyone to come after you to avenge him, Andrade,” Gabby added. “And from what we’re hearing from Garrison, Olga lays all the blame on Jacaré’s vendetta.”
“Is she denying involvement?’ Antonio asked.
“She’s saying she wasn’t aware of her children’s actions, but we’ll let the courts decide that,” Gabby said. “I don’t know about you all, but after a year of chasing dead ends, we can finally close this case with the virus. Not only that, we have an antiviral and a vaccine. All
