“I wanted to warn you.Liam’s mom’s on the way with, like, breakfast in a cooler and grandkids and two sisters and Robert.By the way, Molly’s got it bad for Robert.Please tell me he’s as straight as he seems to be.”
“Like an arrow,” Liam mumbled from Josh’s side.
“Really?”Josh said, this news surprising him more than the mother on her way.“That’samazing.I feel like we’ve finally broken the curse.”
“Glad to sacrifice a sibling,” Liam said, removing his arm (damn!) and sitting up, scrubbing at his face.“When did you say my entire family is coming?”
Grace squinted, and Josh wasn’t surprised to see he already had an earpiece in.“Well, Molly asked to drive Robert’s tiny car, so she misrouted the whole family by going the wrong way down some road I can’t remember.I think you’ve got about ten minutes.Josh, your dragon breath could knock a murder bird out of the sky.Go groom.”
“Our equipment’s still on the coffee table,” Josh grumbled.“If I’m gonna groom, you need to best man.”
“Was there ever a doubt?”Grace asked.“I’ll even steal the rings.”
“That’s my boo,” Josh told him, grabbing some clothes from his suitcase.
“So, Liam,” Grace said as Josh headed for the bathroom.“Did you ever break fifteen seconds?”
“No,” Liam said, and Josh could hear the peevishness in his voice.
“What was Josh’s record?”
“Nine point five,” Liam said reluctantly.
“Mine’s seven.Get dressed.Don’t worry if I see you naked.I have a boyfriend—it’s all academic appreciation at this point.”
“Josh!”Liam complained, but Josh was ducking into the shower for a quick one at that point because Liam had to learn to fend for himself.
Fourteen hours later, in the Caribbean
“I CAN’T BELIEVEI’m the ringer for Molly,” Lucius muttered, and Chuck’s low laugh made him want to ruffle his feathers like a duck.
“Well,” Chuck said, “next to Michael, you’ve got the slightest build, and Michael’s walk is too….”He didn’t want to say prison, but his old boyfriend—and the love of Carl’s life—hadspent two years incarcerated, trying to make himself as slouchy and small and unobtrusive as possible.
Chuck had the sad feeling it hadn’t worked, but Carl seemed to make the man happy now, and that’s all Chuck ever wanted.
Unfortunately, being happy for the two of them wasn’t enough to keep Lucius out of drag.
The key, they’d decided, was to have one ringer for each pair of them.The crew was all so distinctive in their looks.A few simple cosmetic changes and some quick flights of fancy, and anybody trying to keep track of who was responsible for the Lightfingers’ crimesandthe Kadjic sabotage was bound to be thoroughly confused.
And—as the four Salingers had beenveryadamant about—the actual crew would never be recognized in Kadjic’s circles.Ever.
Which meant Lucius now sported long blond locks, padding in his leggings, and a modest set of breasts, as well as some subtle makeup.
Chuck said he looked adorable and charming, but hopefully because Chuck knew what the special jock was tucking under, as that was Chuck’s leaning in a mate.
“So,” Lucius said, twiring the umbrella in his fancy drink, “we know which boats are going out to the island, right?”
“Yup,” Chuck said, eyeballing theveryunsavory batch of merchant sailors as they loaded up their cargo.His and Lucius’s balcony perch overlooked the bay of Saint Kitts and Nevis, the small island with an even smaller island about ten miles off its eastern shore.
Lucius saw one of them, who would look very much like Hunter if Hunter had short blond hair—which he did now—make a quiet move with his hand against his thigh.Chuck sighed, running his fingers through his own newly brown hair.
Next to Hunter, Michael—who had rainbow sprinkles in his own dark hair, much like Grace—gave a little nod, and together they finished loading the guns on the doomed ship.
“Not that I don’t love your company,” Lucius murmured, “but don’t you have something you should be doing?”
Chuck winked and stood graciously, like a swain called regretfully away from a date.He bent to kiss Lucius—an honest kiss between them, in spite of the subterfuge—and said, “Don’t forget it’s got to be theroofof the hotel room or your satellite won’t connect.We need you to have eyes on us to send Carl to go pick us up.”
“You mean Ishouldn’tlet the four of you die in the middle of the Caribbean?”Lucius asked tartly.
