“Sisters!” I yelled into the phone. Everyone looked up. “The five women are sisters! The general wasn’t saying she was his sister, he was saying she was his sister. There were five sisters and each general was responsible for one of them, each had to take care of his sister!”

I sat there panting for a second. The other end of the call had gone quiet. “Luka?” I asked. “Does that mean something to you?”

There was a long pause. Then, “Tell me where you are,” said Luka. “I send car for you.”

“A car? Why?”

“Because…” Luka sighed. “You need to speak to my father.”

56. Erin

56

ERIN

Less than fifteen minutes later, two black Mercedes pulled up to the curb. JD, Danny, Gabriel and I got into one car while the rest of the team piled into the other. Our car was driven by Yuri, the head bodyguard we’d run into at the ballet. His nose was swollen and red, and a bandage was taped across it. “Sorry about that,” Danny told him. “Put some ice on it, it helps.”

Yuri glared at him. “Is not my first rodeo.”

The car swept us off into the night. After the homeless camp, the luxurious, soft leather interior felt otherworldly. I let out a long sigh and just…flopped. After the theater and nearly getting shot and running through alleys and the rooftops and the homeless camp, I was done, exhausted and cold and wet through. Danny was next to me and I laid my head on his shoulder. Immediately, the world was a better place. I slipped an arm around him and snuggled in, feeling my whole body relax.

His hand smoothed my hair…and then he gently lifted my head from him.

I glanced up at him, thinking that maybe my hair was cold and wet and I’d soaked his neck, or that he was just lifting me for a second while he got comfortable and then he was going to let me snuggle in again. But no: he was looking at me sadly. He slowly shook his head.

Oh God. I’d forgotten. I was so burned out and exhausted, I’d forgotten that I couldn’t do that. I’d just seen him there, so big and warm, and he’d looked so comforting…my body had cuddled in before my brain knew anything about it. Luckily, JD was up front with Yuri, staring out of the window. I quickly pulled my arm back and sat up straight. Danny and I exchanged looks and I could see the yearning in his eyes. All he wanted to do was grab me and hold me close. God, this was torture!