Page 46 of Nothing to No One

“Don’t I know it. During dinner with Whey I kept reminding myself. He was so different from the man I knew.”

“You did well last night too, sorry I wasn’t there.”

“You can’t be running around after me every minute. I understand your brother can be tedious, but he’s never endangered me.” Yet, the word stayed in her head. Roman had done little to suggest he was any kind of predator, yet she neverquite felt completely safe with him. “Why did Whey give him the role inUndercover Ops?”

“Ricardo Whey doesn’t make casting decisions on—”

“Are you giving me a scripted answer?”

His laugh at her offense only tightened his hold. “He had a thing with our mom a million years ago, before we were born. Never asked for the details but Magnus knows, something anyway, doubt he went past the broad strokes. Why would he want to wade in like that?”

He wouldn’t with his own sister’s sex life. “Whey said Magnus owed him big for this.”

“He does.”

“Shouldn’t it be Roman who pays any debt?”

“If he pulls this off, it works for everyone.”

And if he didn’t…

“Who’s Lomond?” she asked while she had him.

His frown came to her in curiosity. “Zairn Lomond? They talked about him?”

“Once. As soon as Roman said his name—”

“Let me guess, Whey lost his sense of humor?”

Their fingers coiled and played, stroking between each other, rising occasionally to his mouth.

“There’s bad blood there?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Who is he?”

“Zairn Lomond? Owns clubs, entertainment venues, a whole bunch of everything. Billionaire out of New York. I’ve known him a long time, he’s a good man.”

Even having never met this Lomond, she trusted Struan’s evaluation of his character more than Roman’s, and what was suggested by Whey’s reaction to the name.

“Wait…” she said, reaching for the glimmer of a memory. “Lomond. I’ve heard that be—Lomond’s Delight.”

“His fiancée, Roxie Kyst. Yeah, same Lomond.”

Huh, so there was a connection between them. During that conversation with Mieux, Lomond’s Delight had been described as a friend.

“Will Sway be at the party tonight?” she asked. “I’d love to meet her.”

“Doubtful. I can text Tripp and find out.”

“Tripp? Is that who she’s with now?”

“No, him and Roxie have been looking out for her since we got back from the island.”

Being with a man like Roman must be devastating. How did someone free themselves from that?

“Raquel, Whey’s companion at dinner, thought Sway was engaged to a Deacon.”

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