Nic pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to fight off a stress headache. LJ didn’t like anyone over the age of sixteen, but of course, she and Burke had instantly become best buddies. He had never heard her giggle so much in his life, and he hoped it wasn’t because she was developing a crush on the young doctor.

He said, “You should be careful around that ‘missing link’ or you’ll end up just plain missing.”

“He doesn’t scare me.”

“And that’s what scares me. These guys aren’t punk kids. Joey’s the real deal. By the way, where did you learn sign language?”

Burke shrugged. “I tried to learn five languages over each summer vacation when I was in high school.”

“Of course you did,” Nic said. “’Cause that’s perfectly normal.”

“I’m not normal. Nor do I wish to be. I used to try so hard to act like I was, but I always failed. Finally, I accepted that I’ll never think and act like I’m a neurotypical.”

“So you can speak twenty different languages?”

“Twenty-six actually. If you count sign language and a few that I only have a rudimentary grasp on. Twenty-seven if you count pig latin.”

“Did you just make a joke?” Nic said, stone-faced.

“Apparently not a very funny one.”

LJ, who had probably been reading their lips, tapped Burke on the shoulder and signed, “Don’t worry about him. He only understands lowest common denominator humor. He laughed at that Adam Sandler movie where he played twin siblings.”

Burke winced. “I heard the CIA is using that movie on terrorists now because it’s a more effective torture method than waterboarding.”

LJ snickered, and her cheeks became flushed.

Nic wagged his finger between them and said, “I don’t know what this is, but I don’t like it.”

The metal door reopened, and Joey poked his head out. “Mr. Romeo will see you now, but when you walk through this door, you ain’t a cop no more. You try to show blue up in here, and you’ll come out covered in red. That clear?”

“Crystal.” Nic leaned in close, so that only Joey could hear. “But you let all the other patrons know that I’m still a Juliano. Spilling red and busting heads is in my blood. Being in the army and SWAT has made me more dangerous, not less.”

Joey smiled. “I’ll let everyone know that Nicky Jewels is still part of the family. Cop or not.”

Chapter 45

Gabi had been monitoring the young gunman’s gradual descent into panic and fear. Now, rather than thinking of a weapon to use against her attackers, she was plotting how she could turn them against one another.

Gathering up every ounce of her courage, Gabi stood and walked toward the armed man. He didn’t notice until she was five feet from him, but when he did notice, he brought his rifle to his eye and said, “Don’t move!”

“I just want to talk to you for a moment.”