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brother was dealing with demons even bigger than Brady. “Regret’s a helluva thing,” he muttered. Even though he understood Athens’s motivation, he begrudged his active role in the case. Proficient with guns and fists, London should’ve been the one riding with Boston. The one scheming with Rome and Seth. Instead, he was holding down the fort, so to speak, business as usual in his boring-as-hell life. “What is it, Parker?”
    Parker, Athens’s personal assistant, had an annoying talent of creeping up on a person. Silent as a ghost, only London was used to sneaky people. Entertainers snuck into rehearsal late. Dishonest patrons snuck out on bills. Rival opera house owners snuck in to check out the competition. Unscrupulous gamblers cheated the house, fate, anybody and everybody. A lifetime in theater, a peddler of liquor and chance, he’d seen and heard it all. So, much to Parker’s disappointment, he always sensed his presence before he made it known.
    “A telegram, sir.”
    “From?”
    “Fox.”
    London rolled his eyes at the unnecessary intrigue. Past closing time and holed up in his office, they were very much alone.
    CAT IN THE BAG. ON OUR WAY TO RENDEZVOUS WITH A DOG. SEND A PEACEMAKER TO PARTNER WITH B AT SAN FERNANDO. FOX
    Athens left Boston behind? The practiced gun? The experienced tracker? What the hell? The rendezvous point with Rome and Seth was a good day’s ride. Where the hell was San Fernando? And what did Boston need a partner for?
    “Fox will protect Miss Simmons,” Parker said.
    To the best of his ability. Absolutely. But who would protect Athens? “Dammit.”
    “Sir?”
    Of the handpicked Peacemakers, all but one was currently on assignment. “Contact Manning and--”
    “On it, sir.”
    Parker was out the door before London could finish his sentence. Not that it mattered. The man had a knack for knowing his thoughts. Another annoying talent.
    He looked back to the telegram, trying to read into it. So Kat had agreed to team up with Rome to catch Brady. Unlike Athens, he hadn’t heard about the trio’s history secondhand. He’d been in the thick of it. He’d seen Kat and Rome fall in love. He’d witnessed Brady’s obsession with Kat, her obsession with games, and Rome’s obsession with work. The situation took an ugly twist. He still couldn’t accept what Rome had been too willing to believe. Then again, he’d never been infatuated with a woman to that extent. Though his brother claimed to be over Kat Simmons, the look in his eyes at the mention of her name indicated otherwise.
    He envisioned the reunion of Cat and Dog. If anyone could keep the fur from flying, it was Athens. A gifted diplomat, he’d manipulate a truce--at least until they trapped a snake. If reason failed, Seth would keep Rome in line. Maybe.
    He resented not being there. Resented being on the sidelines, though Athens had supposedly left him in control. Of what? All of the Peacemakers were in the field. Any paperwork was handled by Parker. Athens’s woman, Kaila Dillingham, had moved into his home to care for Zach and Zoe and, though she seemed a bit uptight, he pegged that due to her fiancé’s current mission as opposed to his kids’ erratic behavior.
    Emily was in Chance with Paris and Josh. Not that he wanted the headache, but if his sister and her friend were here, at least there’d be a crisis or catastrophe to handle. Individually, those two women courted trouble without even trying. Together, mayhem circled like vultures. He almost felt sorry for his brother-in-law.
    That left him with the Last Chance. One of sixteen saloons in Phoenix. Broken down and lacking female entertainment of the musical or social kind. Undesirable location. Not exactly a gold mine and he worked hard to keep it that way. The last thing he wanted was another Gilded Garrett. He’d sacrificed success and stability for an adventure. So far this venture was a bust.
    He locked away the telegram. Needing to escape his own