the breath left to capture the squirming child against his chest, protecting him from the hard surface as they rolled over.
“Peter, stop that. You’re ruining Marc’s clothes.” Larissa came running toward the terrace, trying to keep a straight face. But it was a losing battle.
Finally, Marc wrestled Peter around and managed to balance them both as he got to his feet. “Okay, partner,” he said to the giggling little boy. “That’s enough now. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
Dana eyes were wide and glittering with fun as she watched Peter squirm. Marc dusted the boy off, straightened his T-shirt and hiked up his pants. With every touch, Peter giggled and stomped his feet with laughter.
Marc’s heart skipped wildly with affection for the sweet child. For the first time since he’d lost himself in Dana’s kiss last night, Marc completely forgot about being arrested and framed by the cartel. Nothing could be very wrong in this world as long as children could laugh so freely.
He threw his arm around Peter to keep him still and introduced the boy to Dana. She bent over and extended her hand. “How do you do, Peter?”
“I’m four,” he told her.
Out of breath, Larissa came up on the terrace and swung Peter into her arms. “When someone says ‘how do you do,’ you’re supposed to answer ‘fine thank you’.” She looked as if she was still trying to keep the smile off her face, but her eyes were giggling like a schoolgirl’s.
Marc introduced Dana to Larissa and they made their way over to the huge glass-top table that had been set for dinner. He went past the table and checked the bar for ice, offering both women a drink.
“You two fix yourselves something,” Larissa told them. “I’m going to take Peter inside and clean him up for dinner.” She carried her son off through the French doors. But long after Marc lost sight of the boy, he could still hear Peter chatting on about the meaning of fine.
“Cute kid,” Dana chuckled.
“Yeah, he’s the best. He’s the kind that makes me wish I had a few dozen of my own.”
Dana looked startled for a minute, then she laughed. “Good luck finding a woman that’ll agree to be the mother to such a brood.”
Chuckling along with her, he offered her a drink, but she shook her head. “I’d better keep my mind clear so I can tell one of you family members from the next.”
Just then Jake appeared at the kitchen door. But before Marc could introduce his cousin to Dana, she had to excuse herself to take a cell phone call.
Jake looked after her as she strolled down the garden path talking into the phone. “Didn’t hear the phone buzz, did you? She must’ve had it on silent ring.” He turned back to Marc. “She’s the FBI agent Ian’s been telling us about, isn’t she?”
“Yeah. And she’s really something, Jake. Wait until you talk to her.” Marc couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of Dana’s retreating backside. The way her jeans cupped that rounded bottom and the way she swung her hips when she walked were driving crazy images through his mind.
Jake slapped him on the back and brought his attention back to the moment. “It’s easy to see what you think of her. But you need to keep your mind on getting out of this mess with the cartel.”
Marc turned around to his cousin and narrowed his eyes. “What’s happening with the campaign?”
Jake shook his head. “We’re trying to keep it on track. Nicola has planned a final statewide campaign swing. We leave tomorrow for a couple of weeks’worth of whistle-stops throughout the state.”
“Dad’s still running ahead in the polls, isn’t he?”
“By a wide margin. We’ve been trying to convince him to use your arrest to make a statement about family and privacy. But he’s reluctant to bring it up with the press.”
Marc wasn’t entirely positive the word “reluctant” could ever be applied to his father. He’d always imagined that Abraham Danforth made use of every opportunity to discuss his viewpoints with the public. But before he could ask anything else, the terrace was suddenly bustling with activity.
Larissa came back outside with Peter. Uncle Harry and Aunt Miranda, followed by his father and Nicola, made their entrances through the patio doors. And Dana walked back up the path, stuffing the phone into her backpack. At the same moment, Florence stepped out of the kitchen door and told him that dinner was ready and they would be serving it outside shortly, if everyone could take their seats.
Marc introduced Dana to his assembled family members and to Nicola Granville, his father’s campaign aide. After a rather boisterous dinner, Aunt Miranda took Peter inside for his bath. Miranda was absolutely wild about her newly discovered grandson, and Marc had to agree that the kid was really something.
The rest of the adults stayed seated around the cleared dinner table, drinking coffee and talking about Marc’s predicament with the cartel.
His father had been rather silent throughout the dinner. But Marc was never entirely sure what his dad was thinking about things. The two of them hadn’t been exactly close over the years. Their relationship was more like a superior officer to a raw recruit. Marc supposed it was do to his father’s many years as a Navy SEAL.
“Marc,” his father began from the other end of the table. “Tell me what the FBI plans for you.”
“I think it would be better if Dana told us, Dad.”
Dana was sitting next to him and had been particularly quiet throughout the meal. Now she looked up at the assembled group and smiled.
“My superior, Special Agent in Charge Steve Simon, is completing plans for us. His goal, of course, is ultimately to capture Ernesto Escalante. While he formulates his overall plan, Marc and I are to try to find a way into the cartel to discover a direct link to Escalante. That means—”
“Excuse me, young lady.” Abraham Danforth interrupted Dana with his firm voice and commanding presence. “I’m glad the FBI wants to remove Escalante from the U.S. drug scene. And I know his capture would not only take the strain off my family but would be a great bonus for the FBI. What I want to know is what assistance my son, Marc, can expect from the FBI in return for his help.”
Dana looked only slightly taken aback by such a direct assault from a man who, in a few short months, would likely be sitting on the Senate committee that oversees the Treasury Department and the FBI.
“We will agree to turn over all of our unclassified findings to his attorney to help with his defense,” she replied.
Abraham slowly shook his head, frowning deeply at her. “Not good enough. I want total immunity for Marc. I want all the charges dropped…or none of the family will share any information with the FBI.”
“Dad…” Marc was stunned. What his father was asking was only fair, he supposed. But it might be much more than the FBI was willing to give. All Marc wanted was a chance to prove he was innocent.
Abraham ignored Marc’s interruption and continued to stare at Dana. “And…I want an absolute guarantee of his safety. Are you willing to personally make that guarantee?”
