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I’m not sure what to react to first,” he said as she and Sky turned to face him.
    Sky laughed at the confused look on her brother’s face as he took in their attire—or more correctly, her lack of attire. She knew instantly he’d made a major mistake as Ewan’s eyes narrowed angrily. “I’m going to kick your ass, music boy.” Sky put his hands up in a gesture of peace when Ewan took a step toward him.
    “Not yet, you aren’t. What’s the story with the paparazzi? Did they see you?” Ewan seemed as confused by Sky’s response as she was. What did he mean by “not yet”?
    “They’re still here and they’ve surrounded the place. Quite a few have set up shop in the back,” her brother replied slowly.
    “Fuck, we were too slow. Are they inside the pub?” Sky asked.
    “No, Pop told them you weren’t here and there wasn’t room in the pub for all their damn equipment. He gave them the boot. Told them if they wanted to make asses of themselves, they could do it outside.”
    “So they’ve basically still got a bird’s-eye view of the pub through that plate-glass window,” Sky said, his words a statement rather than a question.
    “We can close the blinds,” she suggested. “That would make it hard for them to see anything at all.”
    “No,” Sky said, rejecting the idea immediately. “That would just make them suspicious, confirm their belief that I’m here.”
    “They know you’re here. I’m not sure what this costume change is going to prove,” Ewan pointed out.
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    “I was hoping to make a dash out the back door, but it looks like that plan is shot to hell.” Sky turned and looked at her. “Hey, that staircase in the pub. Where does it lead?”
    She studied his face and realized he was already hatching a new plan. The man was amazing at subterfuge and escape tactics. “My family’s apartment. But the only other exit once you get up there is a fire escape that leads to the back alley. According to Ewan, the cameramen are there as well now.”
    “Do you think your pop would mind if I hid out upstairs for a while? I could lie low until the paparazzi give up and then call Marty, my manager. See if he can arrange discreet transportation through the hotel. There’s a secure entrance there and so far no one has figured out I’m staying in Baltimore for sure.”
    “I think Pop would be okay with that,” she answered.
    “Why are we even bothering with this?” Ewan interjected. “The jig is up. They know you’re here.”
    “No, Ewan, they don’t know I’m here. They only suspect I am. Besides, need I remind you that I won the bet? That means Teagan and I are going to start writing songs for my next album. I’d prefer if we were able to do that in peace without having a bunch of cameras dogging our every move. If we can convince them it was you they saw, they’ll think they’ve gotten a false report and split. I’ve got a friend I can call once I make it up to your apartment who can help me convince them they’ve made a mistake.”
    “So what’s the new plan?” her brother asked. Teagan was surprised by his easy capitulation. It was clear Ewan still wanted to exact a bit of his annoying brotherly retribution on Sky for kissing her, so she couldn’t understand his sudden willingness to go out of his way to help the man.
    “I want you and Tris to distract the paparazzi—maybe get into a bit of a fight—
    while I walk upstairs. I don’t think anyone will think much of a woman leaving the 36
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    room during a brawl, if they even see me at all. Teagan, do you think you could recruit some help from your pop and his friends?”
    “I’m sure I could. What do you want us to do?”
    “I need the men to position themselves around the fight in such a way that I can walk along that back wall to the stairs undetected from the street.” She nodded. His plan was a good one and surprisingly well thought out, considering he was planning on the fly. “That’s no