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“You don’t need to explain my wife to me,” he said with a half smile as he slipped his hand around Indy’s elbow, grazing her waist in the process. She flinched and my hackles raised. They walked back toward the circular stone tomb where a spotlight and cameras were set up. I followed along, staying as far back as possible yet still close enough to observe everything.

And I did not like what I saw. Indy’s entire body tensed when the guy was around. I’d never seen her like that before. She’d always been this feisty little thing, in constant movement, and as far as I was concerned, confident in herself. She shrank when he was around. Now I’ve had a few mentors myself—beginning with Indy and Josh’s dad—and in my experience, they should never try to belittle you but help you build yourself up. This guy had a way of speaking and looking at people that made them smaller so he could be the big shot.

Indy threw me another anxious glance, and I leaned against a nearby tree and smiled at her with silent encouragement.

“Why don’t you begin by telling us about your theory?” suggested the journalist behind the camera.

Indy wiggled in her seat. “Oh, we hadn’t discussed that . . . Can we just stick to the artifact?”

“We’d like to put in some context. The episode is forty-five minutes long,” said the journalist, a dark-haired guy with thick glasses and a red cashmere sweater draped over a white button-up. Prick. I could tell just by looking at him.

“I don’t have a theory per se, I just happened to come across an object that reminded me of a frieze in an Etruscan tomb.”

“Come now, don’t be shy, Diana,” said Harris. “You’ve yet to tell me this theory of yours, although I’ve asked you about it multiple times. We want to rehearse it now so you’ll sound more articulate when we film.”

Bastard.

Diana straightened in her chair. “The thing is, it’s very nebulous still, and it was at the time. That’s probably how I fell for the—” She cleared her throat. “Hoax.”

“Go on then, do you think, that even though this particular object was a fake that there might be some truth in your theory that there was an Etruscan presence on the island of Lyra?”

There was a long pause, and then Indy shook her head and smiled. “No, not at all.”

God she was a terrible liar, and if I could pick up on it then Harris certainly could. She shot me another desperate glance. So I improvised and started coughing like I was going pass a lung. All eyes turned to me, and I waved them off then stumbled into the spotlight. It crashed to the ground and shattered.

“Goddammit! What is wrong with you?” the journalist yelled as he ran to the spotlight.

Indy, bless her, rushed to my side and bent down next to me. “What are you doing?” she whispered.

“It’s the tuberculosis acting up again.” I winked at her and leaned all my weight into her, pushing her off-balance. With an indignant cry, she ended up in my lap. I laughed and once again had the urge to ruffle her hair and kiss her. She stared at me with wide eyes as if she thought I’d lost my mind. And maybe I had because I wanted to kiss her again, but this time I wanted to make it good. I couldn’t do that here though, so I gave her a little peck on the nose and she recoiled. Then she wiggled in my lap and my entire body stiffened—a reaction I was having altogether too frequently when I thought of her. I’d thought I’d trained it out of myself years ago.

Off-limits. She was off-limits, and my body was supposed to know that.

I pushed her up and away a little harder than I’d meant to. She stumbled away like she wasn’t entirely convinced I didn’t need to be sent to the psych ward. Or the sanatorium.

“Listen, Louis, I don’t know what you’re playing at here,” warned Harris, looming over me, “but we are trying to work. This is highly inappropriate.”

“Sorry, Reggie,” I said, standing and dusting off my ass. “It’s that pesky cough I can’t seem to get rid of. Kept me from a lot of fun times with Diana this year.”

“Yes!” Diana’s eyes brightened like I’d just given her an idea. “And that’s why, unfortunately, he won’t be able to make it this weekend. The pleurisy, it’s starting to act up.”

“Pleurisy. How dreadful. It’s a shame you won’t be able to join us.” He turned back to Indy and placed his hand on the small of her back, just above her ass. She stiffened again, and I had the urge to punch him.

“Actually,” I said, and they both turned around. “I think a weekend away would be just what the doctor ordered. She was just saying how I could do with some fresh mountain air.”

“Lake,” Indy corrected, glaring. “It’s a lake and probably too humid for you.”

“Lake, mountain.” I waved my hand. “Doesn’t matter. She said I needed fresh air.” I draped my arm over Indy’s shoulder. “Besides, I wouldn’t dream of leaving Diana alone this weekend. I’ve left her alone far too much as it is.”

The truth of those words hit me in the gut.

“Really, you should think about yourself. Don’t worry about me.” She slipped from under my arm.

“Diana’s right, Leon. It’s perhaps best if you didn’t come,” Harris stated matter-of-factly. The guy was used to people doing his bidding, and for some reason he thought that would work with me. I could only imagine why he’d like to have Indy to himself.

“Oh no, I’m coming,” I said forcefully. “Wild horses couldn’t keep me away.”

“Diana, I think we’re done here for today.” Harris nodded at the broken spotlight. “Why don’t you see Liam off.”