A cover for this house, just like Zoe’s entire life had been a cover. The same way Ari’s had been a cover for everything she wasn’t willing to face. And she had no words now for the sister she’d misunderstood and in many ways betrayed.

“Do they know you’re alive and well… and here?”

Zoe shook her head, her eyes misting. “To tell them would have been to put them in danger.”

Ari released the breath she hadn’t been aware of holding. At least they hadn’t withheld that. Although Ari hadn’t told her parents she’d known Zoe was alive, her reasons were valid. She hadn’t had proof. But double standard aside, she wasn’t sure she could justify it to herself if they’d known and not told her that her twin was safe.

Zoe turned back to her. “Now are you ready to hear how I ended up in this godforsaken place with only Marco for company?”

Ari nodded. “Might as well give it to me all at once.” She pressed her hand to her temples, feeling the beginning of a headache coming on.

“Once Mom set me up hoping I’d fall for Damon, I went to work there and immediately realized that something wasn’t right with him. I couldn’t say what, but my gut told me he wasn’t as squeaky clean as he wanted the world to believe. I picked up little clues, meetings he lied about, dealings with shady characters, and I realized he had connections with known drug dealers. Money laundering seemed like the obvious answer. I just wanted a look at the books and then I planned on going to the authorities. But before I could even find out where the books were, Quinn caught me snooping. Damon walked in on us and ordered Quinn to take me out.”

Zoe shook her head. “So Quinn dragged me out of the casino through the back entrance. Next thing I know, I’m learning that he’s an undercover cop and I have to be stashed at a safe house until the operation is over.”

“Well.” Now that Ari understood everything about her twin, she almost wished she didn’t. “I’m not sure what to say. ‘I’m sorry’ is a start, but it doesn’t really erase the past, now does it?”

“I don’t hold grudges. I’m not perfect myself.” Zoe glanced down. “I mean, I could have been honest, but I was too stubborn. I wanted you to see me on your own.”

A smile tugged at Ari’s lips. “I guess we do come from the same egg. I was pretty stubborn in my beliefs, too.”

“I’m so sorry I had to let you believe I was missing or dead.” Tears filled Zoe’s eyes. “I never wanted to hurt you that way. I just didn’t want anyone going to the casino and risking their lives. I was so sure you’d hear about me and grieve, but you’d do it long distance.” She wiped her damp eyes with the back of her hand. “Guess neither of us really knows the other, do we?”

“But we can change that, right?” Ari asked hopefully.

“Right.” Zoe pulled her into her arms and Ari hugged her sister tight. “Now tell me all about Quinn.”

Half an hour later, the sisters had caught up. To Ari’s surprise though, she hadn’t confided in Zoe at all about her intimate relationship with Quinn. Not because she didn’t want to share with her sister, but because there wasn’t anything to tell. There couldn’t be anything beyond the here and now.

In discovering the truth about Zoe, her occupation, and the fact that she lived a life with direction and zeal, Ari had learned even more about herself. She was more judgmental than she’d believed and because of that she’d lost her sister’s faith and trust. Ari couldn’t say she liked the woman she discovered herself to be.

She’d come here with Quinn expecting a reunion with her twin. She’d gotten a life lesson instead. One that left her more confused about herself and her future than ever before.

• • •

Quinn’s plan had backfired. He’d sensed Ari’s withdrawal and emotional distance even before they’d left her sister behind. For her safety, Quinn still had to blindfold Ari for their return home, and she’d sat in silence for the better part of the ride.

Until finally she spoke. “Pull over.”

“What?”

“It feels like we’re on a highway, so find a rest stop or someplace safe and pull over. Please.”

Quinn shot her a surprised glance.

Her jaw was clenched, a determined expression on her face. He’d sat in the kitchen earlier. The house was small, the walls purposefully paper thin. He and Marco couldn’t help but overhear much of the sisters’ conversation, and it had been far from the warm, fuzzy reunion he’d hoped for. Then again, what did Quinn know about family dynamics? Still, Ari was obviously upset and he figured it was best not to argue with her now.

He drove into an empty truck-weighing station. No markers showed where they were, so he removed the blindfold from Ari’s eyes.

“Thanks.” She blinked into the darkness, obviously trying to focus.

He inclined his head. “No problem.” He placed his hand over the back of her seat. She was distant and preoccupied, and though he should heed her signals, his gut told him to act as if nothing had changed. Until she told him otherwise, he’d assume nothing had.

He let his fingers trail over her shoulders in an attempt to offer comfort. She subtly but noticeably eased back, away from his touch.

His stomach cramped. “What’s up?” he asked. After all, stopping at a truck station wasn’t an everyday occurrence. No more than reuniting estranged twins at an FBI safe house, he thought wryly.

“I wanted to talk.” She glanced down at her intertwined hands. “You knew Zoe was a federal agent.”

He shook his head. “Not at first. When she started working as a dancer, I had no idea. When I found her with confidential files in her hands after she’d broken into Damon’s office, I thought she was just incredibly stupid. Then Damon showed up and ordered me to get rid of her.” He gripped the steering wheel hard, the memories of his dealings with Zoe coming back to him. “The next day, your parents reported her missing.”

“A disappearance you and Zoe staged.”

Quinn nodded. “It would have gone down smoothly if-”

“I’d stayed in Vermont the way Zoe thought I would.”

“That pretty much sums it up.”

She sighed and Quinn felt her pain.

He’d dreaded this day from the moment they’d met, but he’d mistakenly believed he could orchestrate the twins’ meeting and benefit everyone in the process. He shook his head. He certainly couldn’t claim a relation to Dr. Phil. If anything, he’d screwed up Ari even more.

“What happened back there, anyway?” he asked, hoping she’d confide in him.

She shrugged. “Zoe pretty much let me know that it was my attitude and assumptions that kept me distant from her and the family.” Ari rubbed her eyes with the silk scarf he’d used as a blindfold. “And she was right.”

Indignation rose inside him on her behalf. “I’ve dealt with your sister and, believe me, she’s no picnic. She does things her way. She could have confided in you and spared you both a lot of pain.”

She shook her head. “She wanted me to accept her for who she was. Isn’t that what I wanted from Jeffrey? From my family? Yet I couldn’t do the same for them. I was arrogant, stubborn, and completely self-absorbed in my opinion of who Zoe was. God, I even dictated what kind of life she ought to live, when all along, she was working for the government!” Self-disgust rang in her voice.

“Look, I don’t know much about family relationships, but I do know you two love each other. That counts for something. So you misjudged her. You’ll make it up to her. In the meantime, look on the bright side. Look at the good in what you just learned.”

Instead of her falling into his arms and telling him how smart he was, she stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. “And what positive thing did I just learn?” she asked, sarcasm in her tone. “Please do fill me in, because frankly I’m blank.” She spread her hands in front of her.

Quinn drew a deep breath, then laid his final card on the line. “Ari, you just found out Zoe’s a federal agent, not a con artist with no direction. You must realize now that she’s lived with your crazy family-your words, not mine-and she’s still managed to take a positive direction despite it all.”

Ari still stared at him blankly and frustration filled him. Obviously she wasn’t ready to hear anything he had to say, let alone relate it to herself, her life, and ultimately to them. She needed time to process tonight, and he could understand.

“I need to know one more thing,” she said.

He shrugged. “Just ask.”

She laid a hand on his arm, then as if realizing she’d reached out for an emotional connection to him, she withdrew her touch. “Why did you bring me to Zoe now?” she asked. “Why didn’t you wait until the case was over and the risk wasn’t as great?”

He felt himself being led toward even greater disaster and refused to participate. “You aren’t ready to hear the answer,” he informed her. “Put the blindfold back on now.” He placed his hand back on the gearshift, hoping she’d listen before he spilled his guts and drove her further away.

“I asked you a question and I’d appreciate an answer.”

Damn stubborn woman. He exhaled a groan. “No, you wouldn’t. It’s like your sister all over again. You only think you want to know. Once you do, you’ll run for the hills.”

“I’m a lot tougher than you think. Especially after tonight. So tell me, Quinn. Why did you bring me to Zoe? Why did you take the risk to this assignment? To your career?”

He grabbed her by both shoulders and pulled her to him. “Because I had to.” By being vague, he was at once refusing to answer, yet goading her to press him for more.

A perverse part of him wanted her to keep pushing him until he bared his soul. And then what? he wondered, his head pounding with the knowledge that he was about to find out.

“Why?” she asked again. “In a few days I’ll be gone from your life. You’ll remember me as a woman you screwed with no strings attached. Most men would be thrilled with the situation, but you put yourself on the line. For me. And I want to know why.”