The early sun warmed Wulf’s bare back as he jogged along the coastline with Mary Jane at his side. He slowed down when his phone vibrated in his khaki shorts pocket. He watched the contours of the muscles in her neck, back, and then her ass as she continued ahead. Mary Jane turned around, running backward, and gave him a teasing look like he couldn’t keep up.

“Okay, super-agent, you’ve got me beat.” He held out his hands. “It’s Quincy. I have to take it.” Because this asshole is overstepping his boundaries recently.

She gave a quick salute and continued running.

Wulf answered at the last second. “Q, what’s up?”

“D, you’re mad at me, I get it. And, shit, I’m angry with you too. And I know how good you’ve become at alienating yourself, so I might as well come clean. I told Megan why I found her. I told Megan that I was searching for her on the behalf of Mallory Portman-Grienke.”

“What?” A heavy weight slammed against his chest. Wulf initially asked Quincy to find Megan just to ensure she was safe for Mary Jane’s sake. Mary Jane didn’t need to be bothered with her sister. She had enough baggage of her own. He planned on subtly mentioning that he knew of Megan Portman’s whereabouts during a conversation about her past, when Mary Jane was ready to talk about it.

“I’m saying your friend’s sister is in town. She had a missing person filed for Mallory Grienke a while back. They’re in Generosa, Mexico.”

“They?” he growled.

“Megan and . . . a friend of the family.”

“Exactly how do they know Mary Jane is here?” Wulf asked the obvious.

“They know Mallory Portman-Grienke is in Generosa, because I told them. Dylan, we’ve been friends too long. Mallory needs to see her family. She needs to mesh back into society.”

“Quincy, you do not know Mary Jane. Don’t speak for her.”

“All right, then you! You’ve spent enough time out of touch after dealing with the Gunner gang. Nobody can bring back that kid, Gracie. She was born in the gutter and died in the gutter. We got out, D. You moved to New Mexico to take some time after getting the Gunners. Time taken. Besides, we got out of the gutter. Stay out.”

Wulf glanced off in the distance as seagulls squawked, fighting over something in the sand. “So, you’re saying Mary Jane is from the gutter?”

“I’m saying she has no objective, no aspirations. Look, I was in Santo Cruces with you guys for all of twenty-four hours. Shit, I’d go mad if I were her. She’s got issues. No matter how fine she is, the girl has baggage. This is not you, Dylan. You’ve always had a plan, stuck to it like clockwork. That is, after you finally grew up. No beautiful girl has ever made you change.”

He scoffed. “Are you done, Quincy?”

“One last question. Did Beasley and Peter Grienke brainwash you too?”

“Fuck you, Dr. Q.” Wulf hung up. His phone vibrated again. Quincy had left Megan’s contact information and implored him to tell Mary Jane. Knowing he couldn’t catch up with Mary Jane, he headed the mile back home.

On Bogota Lane, he entered their villa on the beach and sat at the two-seater table in the kitchen with a picturesque view of outside. He couldn’t fathom how Quincy would push Mary Jane’s mess of a sister on her when she had her own problems to handle. No way was Wulf allowing anyone else to hurt Mary Jane emotionally or otherwise.