Page 242 of Hunters and Prey

I shook my head, clicking at him softly. “I really, really doubt that.” Grunting, I added, “You’re not a farmer, Black.”

“Neither was my cousin. Not until he got here.”

I rolled my eyes. “You are nothing like your cousin,” I informed him. “Your cousin has that farmer-monk-ascetic thing all over him. Sure, he has soldier and all of that, too… but he’s happy as hell here. It’s why you scare him.”

“What makes you think I scare him?” He frowned, as if thinking about my words. “And what makes you think I couldn’t ever be like him, if I ever came here?”

I snorted, staring at his gold, tiger-like eyes. “Mr. Billionaire, Wall Street pirate-slash-private eye and security consultant? You really need me to answer that?”

“He was the same way on Old Earth. He was worse.”

“He was not,” I said, laughing. “He went into that role unwillingly. You crawled and clawed your way into that role, and have reveled in it ever since.”

He blinked, looking at me in surprise.

I saw him thinking about my words, rolling them around somewhere in his mind.

I almost wondered if I’d offended him.

After a few more seconds, though, he frowned, glancing around the town square as if with new eyes.

“I’d give you a month here,” I told him, wrapping my arms tighter around his neck, sliding my light deeper into his. I felt him react to that, just before he closed his eyes, opening them to give me a heavy look.

I smiled, kissing his face.

“One month,” I repeated. “Then you’d start trouble… and they’d probably have to kick you out.”

Grunting at that, Black wrapped his arms around me tighter. His expression turned serious when he looked up at me, studying my eyes.

He was about to speak, when voices called to us from across the lawn.

I looked over and so did Black.

Allie and Revik stood there, with both of their kids. They were motioning to us with their hands and light, indicating for us to come with them.

Exchanging looks, Black and I both sighed.

“Time for the crazy witch doctor lady,” Black muttered, following me to my feet.

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