“And the business?” Alfonse Pareto said after a moment of silence.

“Just getting going,” Rica said casually. “It won’t be like New York. Something smaller, less formal.”

“That may be, but it’s an interesting community, this new place of yours. Not so very far away, and there are many people of wealth and influence who pass through.” His voice took on a musing quality. “In many ways, the cloak of invisibility is a welcome aspect of your little town.”

Rica shivered, although the room was warm. “Nothing goes unnoticed here, Papa. Everyone knows everyone else.”

Pareto laughed. “People only see what they are allowed to see, Rica. That is true no matter where you live. Never trust what you see. There’s always another story.”

“I know.”

“I thought I would send Johnny T. over to help…”

“No!” Rica drew a breath and tried to quiet the surge of panic. “I don’t need a guard. I haven’t needed one since I was sixteen.”

“Not to guard you,” Pareto said, sounding wounded. “Just to…assist you. Whatever you might need, in the gallery or around the house.”

“I’m fine, Papa. Really. Thank you.”

“Of course, if that’s what you want.”

Rica could see him sitting forward in his chair, stubbing out his cigar, the meeting ended. She didn’t wait for him to dismiss her.

“I’m sorry, I have to go. Groceries. I just got home.”

“We’re having the Memorial Day party as usual. Just the family and a few friends. Plan to be here, Rica.”

“I will. Goodbye, Papa.”

Rica disconnected, smiling ruefully at her own earlier self-delusion. She loved her father, she was who she was, and a large part of her was shaped by the world she had grown up in. She couldn’t change the past or deny her heritage. The best she could hope to do was decide her future for herself.

Carter carried an ice-cold bottle of Dos Equis out to the small balcony that extended from her second-floor apartment above the law office. The building stood on a corner a block from the center of town, and if she angled her head just right, she got a pretty good view of the harbor. A few sailboats were moored offshore, swaying indolently on the quiet water as the sun and moon exchanged places. Fractured rays of sunlight slanted across the water, close to being swallowed by the glassy surface, and the indigo blue sky above was edging toward black. A brisk breeze caught her shirt and whipped it around her torso. She sipped her beer and thought about Rica. Or rather, exactly how she was going to get close to her. The don’s daughter wasn’t the only member of the organization under surveillance, but she was one of the closest people to him. No one was certain how deeply she might be involved in the day-to-day or even the long-range workings of the organization, but it was common knowledge that she was looked upon by Pareto and everyone else in his crime family as the heir. That alone made her a key figure in the investigation. The move to Provincetown had been a surprise and made the job of observing her all that much more difficult. Routine field surveillance was out of the question in a community so small and geographically restricted. Fortunately, if Rica bought Carter’s cover story, she would be in a unique position to gain access to Rica in a way that she might not have been able to previously.

All things considered, this unexpected turn of events might be advantageous. Carter smiled. Certainly she’d had less desirable assignments.

Her cell phone rang and she unclipped it from her belt. She recognized the readout, and her smile broadened. “Wayne.”

“What are you wearing?”

“Nothing. I’m lying on my bed, imagining you starting at my toes and licking…”

“Stop!”

Laughing, Carter drained the bottle of beer and set it on the wooden deck by her foot, picturing the voluptuous redhead on the other end with a pleasant stirring in the pit of her stomach. She hadn’t had sex in almost a month, and she was edgy because of it. When she was this involved in an investigation, she couldn’t spare the time to meet someone, even casually. That’s why it was nice to have a woman in her life who understood her priorities. Susan Price worked in the DA’s office, so she appreciated the unpredictability and demands of the job. And fortunately, she wasn’t interested in anything more serious than good friendship and excellent sex. “So when did you get back?”

“Just a few hours ago,” Susan said. “And before you ask, Aruba was gorgeous, and I highly recommend it. It’s everything they said…white sandy beaches, tall cool drinks, and the women…God, the women.”

“Did you get any sleep at all?”

“Carter, sweetheart, you don’t go on vacation to sleep.”

“Well, you obviously enjoyed your vacation more than I did.”

“Miss me?” Susan asked with a teasing lilt.

“More and more every day.”

“Once in a while it’s fun to explore new territory, but there’s something to be said for the familiarity of home.”

“Are you trying to say I’m predictable and boring?” Carter asked, feigning indignation.

“Mmm, no. I’m trying to say you still make me come better than almost any woman I’ve ever met.”

Carter sucked in a breath, the image of Susan’s fingers digging into her shoulders as she cried out in pleasure making her instantly aroused. “Jesus. It isn’t fair to tease me after you’ve left me high and dry for weeks.”

“Aww, poor baby. No one else around to ease your suffering?”

“No one and no time.”

“Where are you? Maybe I can remedy this regretful situation.”

“Out of town.”

Susan murmured sympathetically, “Working?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Long-time thing?”

“Could be,” Carter said, turning to rest her back against the railing. She contemplated another beer, but the evening was so beautiful and her apartment so barren that she didn’t want to go back inside, even for another drink.

“There’s phone sex,” Susan suggested.

Carter laughed. “Make sure you have your cell phone at all times. I might take you up on it.”

“Any time, sweetheart.” Susan sighed. “I should go. I need to unpack and think about getting my head into working again.”

“Okay. If I can, I’ll try to drop in one of these nights.”

“Do that. I’ve missed you. And Carter?”

“Hmm?”

“Be careful, wherever you are.”

“Always. Night, Susie.”

When Susan hung up, Carter felt an instant pang of loneliness. She wasn’t entirely certain why, because she and Susan had never been in love. She stepped inside the sparsely furnished living room and closed the sliding glass doors behind her. She went to the refrigerator in the adjoining kitchen, pulled out another beer, and swiveled off the top. While she tilted the bottle to her lips and let the sharp, cold liquid stream down her throat, she contemplated her next meeting with Ricarda. She was looking forward to it, and in all honesty, she had to admit that the anticipation wasn’t completely due to professional reasons. Rica was a beautiful, intelligent, intriguing woman. It had been a long time since she’d met a woman with just the right combination of brains and charisma to interest her. And, unfortunately, Rica had it all.

When the phone rang, Reese lunged for it, thinking it was Tory. She flipped it open with one hand while simultaneously scooping Reggie off the floor and under her arm with the other.

“Thought I’d better catch you before you rumbled right outside and off the deck,” Reese muttered to Reggie as she crossed the living room to close the sliding glass doors. “Hello? Tor?”

Reggie tugged at the buttons on Reese’s shirt, valiantly trying to liberate them.

“Hello?” Reese repeated.

She stiffened at the first sound of the familiar voice. Unconsciously she tightened her arm around Reggie’s middle, making the child squirm and protest. Instantly, she relaxed her grip and settled Reggie more securely against her chest. “Yes, sir. Go ahead, please.”

She listened for a full five minutes and asked no questions. Instead of closing the doors to the deck, she walked outside, the phone that linked her to one world against her ear, and her daughter, who anchored her in another, against her heart. Reggie, as if she understood the gravity of the moment, rested her head against Reese’s shoulder and went to sleep.

“I understand. Yes, sir.” Reese took a deep breath and did something she had never done before in her life. She asked a favor of the general, because he was her father. “If I could have twenty-four hours, sir.”

The silence was the longest of her life.

“Thank you, General.”

She closed the phone and slid it into her pants pocket, then folded both arms around Reggie, whose small body was warm and soft. She stood at the rail and watched moonlight play over the surface of the water, her cheek resting against the top of Reggie’s head. Everywhere she looked was beauty. Her heart was full of precious wonder at the child in her arms and the woman who had brought love and meaning into her life. Tory, Reggie, and the life they shared among family and friends were the miracles she would carry with her wherever she went. They were her greatest strength, and she knew because of them, she could do what she needed to do.

The wind blew in, crisp and sharp off the water, and ruffled the baby’s hair. Reese cupped Reggie’s face in the palm of her hand to shield her from the night air and went inside. She slid the phone from her pocket and opened it one-handed. The first number on the speed dial was Tory at the clinic. She pressed two.

After a moment, she said, “Mom, I need a favor.”

Chapter Five

Tory closed the door behind her and scanned the living room, trying to sense what was different. It was just past nine p.m., but the house seemed very still. The only light came from a single lamp turned down low on the far side of the room. The glass doors leading to the deck were open, and the smell of the sea filled the air.