Page 74 of Nothing to Do

“Oh, baby, are you hurt?” she asked, searching up and down. “Were you injured?”

“No. Are you okay? Did you get hurt? Where’s Alessia?”

“I left Alessia in her suite.” The moment he was upright, she threw her arms around him. “Don’t do that to me again. Please.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” he said, wrapping her in his arms, stooping to rest his mouth in her hair. “I told you I’d never endanger your family again and then—”

“I don’t care about that. I don’t! We talked about it.” She held on tighter. “I’m so sorry I left you; I was so scared you got hurt.”

“Wanderer, you had no choice,” he said, sliding a hand into her hair to guide her gaze up. “Security was instructed to take you to safety. You and Alessia. You’re the most important—”

“Fuck you!”

Spinning around, the other carts were empty, and people crowded around the SUV. All except Roxie and Zairn who wandered through the portico, her tucked under his arm. Somehow, they let it roll off.

Roman appeared from the SUV.

Magnus jumped out behind him. “We’ll iron all this out and—”

Logan came around from behind one of the carts. Deacon was there too, but he didn’t follow. Maybe the guy was getting the message.

“No,” Roman declared, pointing at his brother. “I don’t want you near me.”

“You’re being a little bitch.”

“Your fucking asshole of a friend—”

“This is the bullshit,” Struan called, quieting them. “Where the fuck does all this posturing get you?”

“Let’s leave them to it.”

TWENTY-FOUR

ZANE SLID AN ARM around her to guide her through the portico. They met Roxie and Zairn in the living room on this side of the kitchen. Zairn was at the bar.

“Are you both okay?” she asked.

Roxie gestured her over to pull her down on the couch. “Z is mixing drinks, we’ll be fine with a little of his elixir.”

“I didn’t eat much.”

“Oh, don’t worry about getting crazy, my Casanova has seen everything.”

And Zane?

Hubbub rose in volume from around the front door. Thankfully, it didn’t come their way. It carried through the house, getting a little quieter before rising again outside at the front of the building. A sliding door was open, but they could only see the corner of the terrace.

“Guy loves a stage,” she murmured.

“I know, right?” Roxie asked, her head swinging toward her fiancé. “Isn’t this the part of the conversation where you remind me to cut him some slack?”

“Lola, it’s taking all my restraint not to go out there and throw the damn guy into the ocean. Good riddance. I’ll do the fucking time.”

“He’s usually not like this,” Roxie said, threading their fingers together. “He’s a very patient man.”

“Has to be to survive being with you,” Zane said, dropping onto the couch opposite theirs. On an exhale, his elbow met hisknee, and his palm cupped his forehead. “This place is supposed to be a sanctuary.”

Zairn brought drinks to her and Roxie. Whatever the drink, it was good.

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