The elderly Marcelli walked into the kitchen. “It’s ten-thirty in the morning,” he grumbled. “Only a fool would eat now.”

“Lorenzo, stop. We have company. Darcy, come.” Grandma Tessa took her arm. “You must be hungry. All that travel.”

As tempting as it all looked, Darcy couldn’t imagine keeping down food. She felt too unsettled. But before she could say anything, Lorenzo limped over to stand in front of her.

“How old are you?” he demanded.

“Twenty-six.”

“Ha.” He grabbed her left hand and looked at her bare fingers. “No ring. No husband, no babies. What is it with you women today? Listen to your parents and grandparents. Get married and have babies.” He dropped her hand and poked her in the stomach. “You need babies.”

Darcy took a step back. “I’ll get right on that.”

Colleen sighed heavily. “Lorenzo, please. Stop torturing Darcy. At least let her get settled.” She looked around the kitchen and waved at Joe. “Would you take her upstairs and show her around? We’ve put her in Katie’s old bedroom. Brenna and Francesca’s is just too frightening.” Colleen smiled at her. “You can unpack, then come back down and have something to eat. How does that sound?”

For once Darcy didn’t have a snappy comeback. Not knowing what else to do, she smiled and said, “That would be very nice. Thank you.”

She followed the naval officer out of the kitchen and down the hall.

“This way,” Joe said as he headed for a flight of stairs.

The house was large and well kept. She liked the blend of colors, the earth tones that offered welcome. Although a hotel would have made her feel more safe, she could see the charm of the Marcelli home.

He led the way down a long hallway and stopped at the end. “You have your own room,” he said. “It hasn’t been decorated since Katie was in high school, but it’s comfortable enough. You also have your own bathroom.”

She stepped into a large and airy room decorated in shades of lavender. Before she could take in much more than the white eyelet bedspread and the striped wallpaper, a Secret Service agent entered her room, carrying a large suitcase. Three more followed, each with at least one bag. Paige came last. She handed Darcy a wristband.

“Automatic transmitter,” she said. “So we know where you are at all times.”

“I live to be a blip on a monitor.” Darcy took it and snapped it into place. The cold metal was comforting. At least if someone tried to take her away, her team would be instantly alerted.

When Paige had left, Joe glanced at Darcy. “So much for being a regular person.”

Surrounded by luggage, security, and wearing the human version of a homing beacon, she wasn’t in a position to argue.

“Why on earth would I want to be?” she asked. “Talk about boring. So how exactly does a naval liaison know so much about the Marcelli family?”

“Colleen and Marco are my parents.”

If he’d meant to surprise her, he’d succeeded. “But you have a different last name.”

He shrugged. “True enough. If there’s anything you need, just ask. The Marcellis lead with their hearts. The Grands will do their best to feed you to death. Colleen will hover and mother you, and the sisters will seduce you with wine, chocolate, and girls’ night out.”

All of which sounded like fun, but she knew better than to admit that. “Whatever,” she said as she picked up one of the smaller bags and put it on the bed. “So what are you doing here? Why aren’t you on a ship somewhere?”

“I’m part of the team.”

“You’re not Secret Service.”

“I’m the liaison with the family.”

But why would they need one? “The navy doesn’t get involved with the personal security of the president’s family.”

“They do now.”

She looked at him. “You were a SEAL?”

“Until I got promoted out of active duty and into logistical planning, yes.”

“At least you’ll know what you’re doing if the kidnapper returns.”

As the bedrooms in the guesthouse were identical, Paige had figured it was safe to claim one for herself without waiting for the special agent in charge to okay the decision. She’d unpacked the night before and begun to familiarize herself with the area around the house. Now she listed all the sections that would have to be checked on a regular basis, such as outbuildings, tree groves, and storage sheds.

The front door opened. Paige sucked in a breath to brace herself then glanced up as Alex Vanmeter stalked into the small living room.

He’d gotten older, but then they both had. He was still good-looking, in a rugged, street-fighter kind of way. Barely contained energy radiated from him, making her remember how much heat the two of them had once generated.

“She’s going to make this a hell of an assignment,” he said as he crossed to the refrigerator, pulled open the door, and checked the contents. “I heard she’s a bitch on wheels, but I thought the other agents were lying. Obviously not.”

“Yes, they were,” Paige said. “Darcy isn’t difficult at all.” Or she hadn’t been until today.

Alex grabbed a bottle of iced tea. “So you think this attitude of hers is temporary?”

Paige leaned back in her chair. “She’s scared, Alex. She was just kidnapped because our department failed to keep her safe. You might want to cut her a break.”

She used his first name deliberately. He might be in charge and able to pull rank, but she’d seen him naked, and she wasn’t about to let him forget it.

“You’ve worked with her before,” he said. “What do you know about her?”

“That her reputation is a lot more about the press wanting a story than about Darcy herself. She’ll cooperate.”

“She’s not going to have a choice. Nothing is going to happen to her on my watch. I want to meet with the team in two hours. We’ll review the location, set up a schedule. I want you working the house. I’ll be here, mostly, coordinating everyone. The team will work in eight-hour shifts.”

Paige made notes as he spoke. “Anything else?”

“Just one more thing.” He moved close to the table and loomed over her. “Are you going to have a problem with me being in charge?”

“We’ve worked together before,” she said.

“Not in quarters as close as these, and not with me running the op.”

She stood, dropping her pen on the table. “I asked to be assigned to this team,” she said slowly and deliberately. “I care about Darcy and I want to be a part of keeping her safe. As long as you do your job, I don’t give a rat’s ass who’s in charge. You might be a good agent, Alex, but in private, you’re not all that.”

4

Darcy unpacked three pairs of linen slacks, jeans, several shirts, and five pairs of shoes, all black. As she held up her third black T-shirt, she felt her lips twitch. Dear God, she really did dress like a rock star groupie in mourning.

Not the best time in the world to notice, she thought as she carried her clothes to the closet. What with her being abducted the last time she’d gone to the mall, she had a feeling she would be doing all her future purchases online. But maybe she could try a color other than black. Maybe-

A knock on the door interrupted her mental list. “Come in,” she called.

The door opened and a very pretty, very pregnant woman entered. She had long, dark wavy hair, olive skin, and huge brown eyes. She held a bottle of wine in one hand and a glass in the other.

“Hi, I’m Brenna,” the woman said. “I can’t have wine, but I figured you’d need some.”

Darcy glanced at the bedside clock. “It’s barely eleven in the morning.”

“Sure, but you’re still on East Coast time.” Brenna grinned. “Trust me. With my family, you need all the help you can get. Drink early and often.” She set the bottle and glass on the dresser. “Wow. You have a lot of clothes. And they’re gorgeous. I’m currently shopping in the tent department of the sporting goods store. What a nightmare. Nic and I both really want kids, but I have to tell you, unless he plans to carry the next one, this is the end of the line for me.”

Brenna lowered herself into the room’s only chair, then sighed. “Better. Now, you look confused. What didn’t I explain?”

Darcy sank down on the edge of the bed. “Who the hell are you?”

Brenna grinned, then started to laugh. “Sorry. Brenna Marcelli. Well, technically Brenna Giovanni. I live in the next house over, which is about two miles away. I’m one of Marco and Colleen’s daughters. I run Marcelli Wines. I have my own winery, too. Four Sisters. It’s doing great, but that’s another story.”

Darcy felt as if she’d been caught up in a tornado. “Okay. Am I in your room?”

“Nope. You’re in Katie’s. She has much better taste. I shared a room with my twin, Francesca, and let me tell you, you don’t want to stay there. Very scary wallpaper.”

“You’re one of four sisters?”

Brenna nodded. “Katie’s the oldest. She’s married to Zach, and they have one daughter, Valerie. Francesca is my fraternal twin. She’s married to Sam. They have a fifteen-year-old, his from a previous marriage, and twins who are nearly two and a half. Mia, the youngest of us, has just graduated from Georgetown with a master’s in world domination. She starts her job with the State Department in September. Currently, she’s traveling with friends, enjoying her last summer of leisure. And you’ve already met Joe.”

“Yes.” The good-looking naval officer. “I thought being in a political family was complicated, but we’re easy compared to your relatives.”

Brenna rested her right hand on her swollen belly. “Don’t worry. They won’t quiz you on the various relationships for at least a week. But this can’t be tough duty. You’re used to hanging out at state dinners. I could never do that. I’m way too opinionated.”

“I avoid state dinners. That’s more my sister’s idea of a good time.”

“Still, I can’t imagine what it must be like to be the president’s daughter. Everything would be so public. I mess up enough in my life that I really appreciate being anonymous.”

“There are advantages to no one knowing who you are,” Darcy said lightly.

Brenna’s expression turned sympathetic. “They told us about the kidnapping. How terrifying. Are you doing okay?”

“I’m fine,” Darcy said. “They didn’t hurt me.”

Brenna glanced at the marks on her wrists. “I would think they did. But you’ll be safe here. There are tons of us to protect you. Not that I could really do much. Except maybe sit on the guy until he screamed for mercy. But Joe’s burly. All that SEAL training. Just toss him a Q-Tip and he’ll take on any enemy.”

“A Q-Tip, huh? What could he do with an actual weapon?”

“Conquer the known civilized world. Oh!” She pressed down on her belly. “Someone’s awake. It’s time for soccer practice.” She felt around on both sides of her stomach. “Just the two feet, I think. There can only be two. I couldn’t take more.”

“Are you expecting more?”

“I’m terrified I’m having twins. The doctor swears there’s just the one heartbeat, but they’ve been wrong before. I’m a twin, my twin had twins, and I firmly believe God has a sense of humor. Plus, I’m huge. Francesca didn’t even show until fifteen minutes before she gave birth, and Katie gained exactly twenty-seven pounds. I am a freak of nature.”

Darcy wanted to be sympathetic, but she couldn’t help laughing. If Brenna was an example of the Marcelli sisters, she couldn’t wait to meet them all.

She heard footsteps in the hallway. Grandma Tessa appeared. “Brenna, there you are. How are you feeling? Are your feet swollen?”

Brenna raised a foot. “Pretty much all the time since late June.”

“When are you due?” Darcy asked.

“The end of September. Another seven weeks. I don’t think I can stand it. Can someone just knock me out until after the delivery?”

Grandma Tessa reached in the pocket of her dress and pulled out a rosary. “Don’t talk like that. Babies are a blessing.”

Brenna leaned toward Darcy. “It’s never good when Grandma Tessa takes a trip around the beads. Just so you know.”

Darcy grinned. “Thanks.”

Tessa sniffed. “You’re already teaching our guest to be disrespectful. What will your mother think? What will the president think?”

“You don’t have to worry about him,” Darcy said. “I won’t tell.”

Grandma Tessa returned her rosary to her pocket. “Lunch is at twelve-thirty. Brenna, you’re staying. I called Nic, and he’s joining us. Darcy.” The old woman reached for her hand. “We’re so happy to have you here with us. I’m going to put you across from Joseph. A pretty face like yours will help his appetite. He doesn’t eat enough. Plus, an officer, eh? Think how nice everyone would look at the wedding.” She winked, released Darcy, and left.