My mouth almost dropped, and my hand slid out from his. I turned to Nate. “Is this how your entire group of friends treat each other? Or each other’s whatever? Significant others.”

Nate and Matteo snorted at the same time, both covering a slight grin.

Nate shifted gears, moving now onto a bigger road. “I’d like to say no, but that’s not true. Matteo’s the kindest one in our group. He just doesn’t know the situation.”

“What situation?” Matteo spoke up.

“I don’t want to have that convo in the vehicle. Later. Over drinks. Or at the house.” Nate’s tone grew softer. “There’s someone else at the house I want to introduce you to.”

“Yeah? You get a dog?”

Nate smothered a laugh. “Not a dog, dude.”

“Oh.” Matteo went back to looking out the window. “A pig?”

“Not a pig.” Nate glanced at him through the mirror.

“A hamster.”

“We’re doing this? You’re going to try to guess who you’re going to meet?”

“Why not? Dierek’s keeping quiet. I’m thinking he’s here to watch the fireworks. Am I right, D?”

“You’re not right. I flew in to meet Quincey, actually.”

“You did?” The big footballer suddenly had a new interest in me. He was scanning me over. “You gotta be an athlete for D to make a trip to meet. Let me guess, ice figure skater?”

I laughed. “No.”

“Hmm.” He seemed to be chewing on the inside of his mouth before snapping his fingers. “You’re a horse rider, aren’t you? Rodeos?”

I was grinning, enjoying this. “No.”

“Damn. Racing? No. You don’t look like a jockey. Oh! A race car driver?”

I shook my head.

Through the drive to the restaurant, Matteo alternated between guessing what kind of athlete I was and what kind of pet Nate had at the house. When he guessed a llama, I was laughing so hard that my stomach started to hurt.

I couldn’t remember when I laughed this hard.

Nate cast a grin at me as he pulled up to the front of the restaurant. He jerked his chin up. “Go on. I’ll park and head in.”

Matteo’s eyes were big as he shut his door. “Okay. See you in a few.” He turned to Dierek. “You should take cover. And you should automatically start forgetting everything you hear from now on so you don’t hold it against any of us. I could be your future client. Quincey is probably already your client. Don’t hold anything against her either.”

Dierek chuckled but patted him on the arm. “It takes a lot to scare me, Matteo. I wouldn’t worry.”

We started to go toward the restaurant, but Matteo stayed put. When we looked back, his whole face was grave. “I’m serious.”

A frown pulled Dierek’s mouth down. “I promise.” He held his hands up. “I think you’re underestimating me.”

Matteo snorted, his large feet and legs now moving past us. “I think you’re overestimating us, but okay. You’re not my agent.”

With that, he led the way inside.

32

Quincey

We walked in, and Matteo was hustled, literally hustled, into a back room.

A gorgeous brunette linked her arm with his, then saw Dierek and grabbed him, too.

I’d been heading to the bathroom when I noticed and swung around. I took one step to follow, but they were gone. After that, I wasn’t sure what to do, so I headed into the bathroom anyway.

I was nervous.

It was obvious something was happening.

After washing, I went back out to the front of the restaurant, and I couldn’t see anyone.

For a moment, just a moment, I wanted to leave. I wanted to go outside, call an Uber, and go home to be with Nova. But it was more than that. I wanted to put up those shields around me. It’d been the fortress that my father and his estate had surrounded me with. He had controlled me, but I’d been protected. It’d almost been like a blanket, keeping the cold out, but I wasn’t there anymore.

I was here, and I knew I’d have to go in search of whatever back room they had taken the others. I glanced out the door, but I didn’t see Nate coming in. He probably came in when I was in the bathroom and got grabbed like the others.

These were his people, his friends, his colleagues.

They weren’t mine, but through Nova, Nate was now my family in a way. That meant I would put on a brave face, and I’d walk my rear back there. I’d find wherever they were, and I’d go in to meet whoever was back there.

Unless they truly didn’t want me back there?

Maybe this really was only for Nate?

“You’re Quincey.”

I turned and recognized her immediately. I would’ve anyway. I was a fan, and I froze for a full beat before an awkward laugh came out. “Sorry. Hi. Yes. You’re Samantha Kade, Mason’s wife.” I held out my hand, and she took it. There was an equally awkward handshake, which I had to laugh at because I hadn’t been fanstruck in a while. “I follow you on your social media since your first Olympics. You became an inspiration for me. I’m Quincey.”