Stone Barrington 06-11

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    Published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Previously published in a G. P. Putnam’s Sons edition.

    First Signet Printing, September

    Copyright © Stuart Woods, 2000
    Excerpt from Orchid Blues copyright © Stuart Woods, 2001
    All rights reserved
    eISBN : 978-1-101-10013-4
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This book is for Barbara Danielson and Lewis Moore.

One

    E LAINE’S, LATE. STONE BARRINGTON AND DINO BACCHETTI sat at table number four, looking grim. Elaine joined them.
    “So, what’s happening here? You two look like you’re going to start shooting any minute.”
    “I’m getting married,” Stone said. “Congratulate me.”
    “Congratulations,” Elaine said. “Anybody you know?”
    “Hilarious,” Stone said.
    “It would be, if it weren’t so insane,” Dino added.
    “You and Dolce are really going to do this?” Elaine asked, incredulous.
    “Now don’t you start,” Stone growled.
    “He won’t listen to me,” Dino said. “I’ve been telling him for a year to stay away from her.”
    “What’ve you got against your sister-in-law?” Elaine asked him.
    “First of all, she’s my sister-in-law,” Dino replied. “Second, she’s evil. Her old man is the devil, and Dolce is his handmaiden.”
    “Don’t start that again, Dino,” Stone said. “I don’t want to hear it anymore. We’re in love, we’re getting married, and that’s it. What’s wrong with that?”
    Elaine shrugged. “You’re still in love with Arrington,” she said. “Everybody knows that.”
    “What do you mean, ‘everybody’?” Stone demanded.
    “Me and Dino,” Elaine replied.
    “Right,” Dino chimed in.
    “She’s married; she has a child,” Stone said.
    “So?” Elaine queried. “So, she’s married to a movie star; nobody ever took a girl away from a movie star? Happens all the time.”
    “I’m not breaking up anybody’s marriage,” Stone said, “and Arrington knows it. I’ve told her so. Anyway, there’s the boy.”
    “Wouldn’t be the first kid raised by a stepfather,” Elaine said.
    “I think it’s Stone’s kid, anyway,” Dino said.
    “Dino, I told you, the blood test was done; I saw the lab report. The boy is Vance Calder’s, and that’s all there is to it. I’m not taking a kid away from his father.