Page 85 of Nothing to the Wedding

“I know your rules.”

“I know you know, but that’s also not the point.A lot of these women are taken, occupied, otherwise involved with guys who don’t like other guys moving in on their territory.Z knows everyone, he can hook you up with someone suitable.Someone unthreatening who won’t get you maimed.”

“He a pimp?”

“We’ve got to pay for the rubies somehow,” she said.“But, no, though some woman here will owe him something, I’m sure one of them would take on a charity case like you.If not, we’ll blackmail someone.”

“Dark.Sinister… I like that.”

“You’re not really making the best impression on your new brother.”

Zairn shrugged.“Hey, he likes me, my work is done.”

“Good.Does that mean you won’t speak to him on a regular basis like you do my dad?”She filled Sam in.“My Casanova actually likes talking to Dad.Freakish.”

“Guess it’s a different variety of acceptance when you grow up without one.”That was—Sam said it so casually yet it was a tornado through her.“Right?”

“Nothing you can’t find out on Huddle Hunt,” Zairn responded to Sam, nonplussed.

Pushing away from her love to put her back to Sam, she reached up to her guy’s jaw.“Why did you never tell me it like that?”

“It’s not a big deal, Lo.”

“It’s a big deal.You can talk to my dad any time you want.All the time.He’s your dad now too.Officially.”Had been since last year but… “And you have a brother now.Another brother, a new brother, I know you have a lot of brothers.This one’s not so easy to get on the phone.If you ever want to play a game of pin the tail on the hobo, he’s good to chase around the planet.Don’t expect to find him though, so keep your wagers low.”

“Hobo?”Sam asked.

“What?You’re homeless, aren’t you?Of no fixed abode?It’s just another word for drifter.”

“But you chose to go the shabby way.”

She shrugged.“It’s a choice.Same as your choice to float around the world like abandoned litter.You know you’re not twenty-two anymore, brother, right?”

“Roxanna is good at keeping tabs on her people,” Zairn said.“Always surprised me you were the exception.Family is important to her.”

Both of the blood and non-blood variety.

“It’s not through lack of trying, I’ll give her that.”

“Yeah, Sam suits himself, comes and goes.Of course…” Facing her brother again, she rested back against Zairn.“If you’d stayed in touch, you’d be living the billionaire lifestyle right now.”

“I’ll pass, thanks.”

“Always on the move.Keeping to himself.Mr.Lone Wolf.”

“We move in different circles, Talks-A-Lot.”

“It’s like we’re from different planets.Are you sure we came from the same womb?

“Objectively…” Zairn said, which immediately piqued her radar.

Her acuity narrowed.“Objectively what?Hmm, Skippy?Remember you want to get laid tonight.”

“Babe, it’s only fair to highlight, we don’t stick in the one place for too long either.”

“Yeah, maybe these days I travel, but it’s not like in my blood…” Though maybe Sam was proof that vagrancy was in the genes.“And I have a fixed abode.I’m contactable.”

“If Astrid charges your phone.”