"Sounds like a good plan." Better they talk when there were no prying eyes or ears and nobody to offer their well-meaning, off-the-wall suggestions on how to run the new venture.

Zoe had been out of work for almost a year, and it had been Costas meddling that had gotten her into trouble in her former job. To help her mother, Zoe had taken a gig as a showgirl for a casino owner to whom Elena owed money. Within a few hours, she'd realized her mother was up to one of her tricks, this time matchmaking between Zoe and the casino owner. Unfortunately, despite his good looks, the man oozed slime and Zoe's instincts had kicked in. In no time she'd discovered a money-laundering scheme, which had put her in danger and the cops already investigating the case- namely Quinn- in a foul mood. He'd forced her into protective custody until their investigation was over and they'd had to tell her family she was missing and presumed dead. Not Zoe's finest hour.

Meanwhile her superiors had been royally ticked that she hadn't come to them as soon as she'd uncovered the illegal operation and had suspended her. She'd quit instead. She hated the rules and restrictions that were part and parcel of government work, so as soon as the case had ended, she'd returned home and settled back into her life, surrounded by her chaotic family. All her time in the safe house had made her realize she didn't enjoy her job as much as she should. Not when the job was all she had. For a while she'd helped her parents in their new spa business venture but playing bookkeeper and receptionist didn't suit her. She missed the action and day-to-day surprises on the job.

The action had drawn her to the FBI to begin with. The training at Quantico and subsequent job had more than filled her need for excitement. Too bad rules and regulations had been part of the package. She hoped her new business would give her back the satisfaction of thrills on the job. And she looked forward to working for only herself and her partners, planning and implementing security detail.

Once the business was established, she could turn her attention to finding a place of her own. Residing with her parents had worked while she'd been on the road on assignment, living out of hotels more often than being home. But she'd turn thirty next week and it was past time for her to grow up and move out.

Her parents accused her of being afraid of committing to anything, any man or any place. She didn't like to think of herself as afraid of anything.

"We'll talk tomorrow. Right now I'm going to find Ari," Quinn said, interrupting her thoughts.

Zoe cleared her throat. "Good idea. Maybe she can talk Mom out of embarrassing Sam with this Pin the Hard-on game, or at least get it over with before the social worker gets here."

Despite the seriousness of the caseworker's visit, she and Quinn couldn't help but laugh. They both found the Costas clan uniquely amusing. They were one big family, including Sam, whom they were intent on protecting and making happy.

Zoe understood how important it was for Sam to feel loved and she had to admit, for all their oddball tendencies, love was what the Costas family did best.


* * *

ALMOST THERE. Ryan Baldwin glanced at the directions supplied by the private investigator and turned right. Two more blocks and his search for his runaway sister's child would finally be at an end. A bittersweet end after a long, nearly fruitless search.

Faith had left home when she was seventeen- hopelessly hooked on drugs- but Ryan hadn't been able to begin searching for her until five years later, when he'd turned eighteen. By then her trail had turned cold. He hadn't given up looking, but Faith had changed her name so many times that the P.I. had had one hell of a time finding out what had happened to her.

Only recently had his P.I. stumbled onto information from a convict who had some link to Faith, and more facts had come to light. Ryan was still reeling from the painful discovery that his sister had been shot and killed six years ago by a bullet meant for her drug-dealer boyfriend, a guy now serving a life sentence. Ryan was also floored by the news that Faith had had a child.

He glanced down and realized he'd clenched his fists too tightly around the steering wheel, and loosened his grip. Thinking of Faith was always difficult. More so now that he understood what had happened after she'd run away.

Growing up, Ryan had alternated between missing his older sister and envying her the freedom he felt sure she'd finally found. Their conservative upbringing in an elite suburb of Boston, Massachusetts had never matched his sister's wilder personality. As his older brother, J.T., had already moved out, her running away had left Ryan as the only child at home. His parents had disowned Faith because of her defiance, and Ryan had caught on quickly, always behaving as expected.

Since J.T. had followed tradition and gone into the family department-store business to help his father and uncle, Ryan had become an attorney with the family's blessing. He was a partner in a firm downtown, distancing himself in ways his sister couldn't while she'd lived at home.

That distance had given him the strength to continue the search for his sister and it had finally paid off. He was on his way to meet his niece, a fourteen-year-old girl named Samantha who had been in and out of foster care since her mother's death six years ago. He planned to rescue his niece from that hellish fate and bring her home where she belonged.

He pulled up to a well-kept house in a suburban Jersey neighborhood. The clapboard siding was painted a cheery yellow with white trim and on the front lawn was a sign that read Costas Day Spa. Evening Hours Available.

He shrugged at the absurdity of the sign and turned off the ignition. The investigator had given him background information on the current family Samantha resided with and they were an odd bunch. Just a year ago, they'd made their living performing a JerseyShore comedy act based on the Addams family. Now they ran a spa. With clients coming in and out, Ryan didn't consider it the ideal place to raise a child.

Surely his niece would be thrilled to find out she had a sane and stable uncle and family who wanted her. Well, he wanted her. The rest of the family, with the exception of his uncle Russ, wasn't so keen on bringing "his delinquent sister's child" back into the fold. He'd have to deal with his uptight parents later. In the meantime, he drew a deep breath, stepped from the car and straightened his tie before heading toward the house.

Music and laughter sounded from behind the home and when nobody answered the doorbell, he followed the path that led to the backyard. He looked around, taking in the sights. A disc jockey played loud music while a monkey- he blinked, certain he was seeing things, and looked again. Damn, it was a monkey, dancing onstage with a pretty blond teen.

He wondered if the girl was his niece and his heart twisted tight in his chest. A bunch of kids ran by him, laughing and giggling. He glanced up at the clear blue sky and for the first time he noticed, draped between two large trees, a banner that said Happy Birthday, Sam. Welcome to the Family.

A sick feeling of unease settled in his gut as he realized he wouldn't be waltzing in and rescuing his sister's child from an unfit, uncaring environment. Certain he needed to rethink and devise a new approach, he turned to leave when a light touch on his arm stopped him.

"You're here!" a female voice said.

He turned to see an attractive woman wearing a bright red kimono with long black hair flowing over her shoulders. Her outfit was unique and inexplicable. Where he came from, women dressed in designer dresses and suits. He didn't know what to make of the middle-aged geisha woman appraising him with frank, interested green eyes that made him squirm.

"I'm Elena Costas." She treated him to a welcoming smile. "You must be the new man from Social Services. I know our caseworker is on vacation but she promised she'd send someone in her place to wish Sam a happy birthday- which you can do in a minute. Please, first come and meet my husband."

A hint of Greek accented her speech and she spoke quickly without taking a breath, giving him no time to insert a word until she'd finished.

He wasn't the man from Social Services and it was best she knew it up front. "I think you're confusing me- "

Ignoring his protest, she grabbed his hand, pulling him farther into the crowd.

He groaned aloud but resigned himself to going along. Short of digging in his heels, nothing would stop this determined woman, but that didn't ease his sense of guilt. Trained by his parents, Ryan typically behaved above reproach. He preferred not to lie or cheat, but this woman had presented him with an opportunity. If Sam's foster family thought he was a social worker, they wouldn't turn him away.

Besides, he had no idea how Sam would react to him showing up in her life and he appreciated the chance to observe his niece and figure out a plan that would benefit them both. He assuaged his conscience by promising himself he'd correct the false assumption before any real damage was done.

Unfortunately they didn't get far before they were stopped again.

"Halt," demanded a beautiful woman, a younger version of the one holding his hand.

Ryan couldn't help but stare. Her silky black hair twisted around shoulders bared by a lime-green halter top tucked into a pair of faded jeans. The shirt's bright color complemented her Mediterranean skin tone, which glowed beneath the afternoon sun. She completely entranced him.

The older woman he'd begun to think of as a tornado came to a stop and uttered a few words in Greek to her that he didn't understand before switching to perfect English.