They exchanged looks. “Everything okay?”
“Yes. But I need some…reassurance, I guess.”
They walked into her studio and dropped down on chairs in her spacious office. “So, kiddo, what’s going on?” Oliver asked.
“You know I’ve been seeing Joe Larson.”
“Yeah, we all do.” Finn’s eyes danced. “You’re sweet on him.”
“I’m in love with him.” She held out her hand.
Oliver took her hand. “What a lovely piece of jewelry.”
“What kind of ring is it?” Finn asked bluntly.
“An engagement ring. He said the jade matched my eyes.”
Oliver grinned. “Congratulations, sweetie.” He was the sentimental one.
“Thanks. But I have some concerns that you two have experience dealing with. How did you justify getting married with the collective being under siege?”
Finn jumped right in. “For one thing, Elise was pregnant. But mostly we wanted to be together badly so we did it regardless of the circumstances. We figured we could be guarded together.”
“Anabelle and I said, fuck it. Nobody’s going to keep us apart.”
“I knew I liked those women. But I worry about Seth, who’s a little boy.”
Oliver held her hand. “Will you stop worrying if you cut off ties with them?”
“No, of course not. But won’t they be in more danger because they’d be with me?”
“If this perpetrator is as omnipresent as the FBI thinks, he or she already knows you’re close to them. Better have them at your house with the two guards and police patrols.”
“I guess. I worry, though.”
“We all do,” Finn said. “But we can’t stop living.”
“No,” she said. “We can’t do that.”
* * *
After Scarlet left, Joe showered and dressed for an appointment with his lawyer. He was looking for his keys when the front bell rang. He walked into the foyer and opened the door.
Evangelina stood on the porch, looking different from the last time he’d seen her. She wore a light pink hoodie with pants to match. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her makeup gone. “Hi, Joe.”
His heart started to beat fast at the notion of what new trouble she’d cause today. “Evangelina.”
“Can I come in?”
He let her into the foyer and they moved to the living room to sit down.
“I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”
“I want to talk. Gayle told me I handled all this wrong and I should come back here and apologize for my behavior.”
That’d be a first.But he didn’t voice the thought.
She looked around. “This place is nice. I didn’t even notice my surroundings when I was here. Is Seth home?”
