“Perhaps.I heard he’s just back from Gallipoli.”
That scrunched Mimi’s face.“Gallipoli?Why was he in Gallipoli?”
“Doing an arms deal or buying virgin slaves,” Tripp said, “if you believe the stories.”
The faces she could see enjoyed that.She didn’t get it but probably wasn’t supposed to.
“The rest of you will stay here.Roxie, Tripp, Knox…” Thena turned very deliberately to set her seriousness on the man mixing the cocktails: Zairn.Their eyes met, but he didn’t say anything, just nodded once.“Good.That’s settled.Keep Ariella close.”
“I—”
“It’s not safe for you to be unprotected right now.”Thena was so damn sure.“My boys will look after you.”
Another neck squeeze, then Cam got up to help Mimi off the couch as Thena went toward the front door.
Not safe?Why was it safe yesterday and not today?She trusted Cam, but all these people?She had to keep her head, not allow herself to be bulldozed.She’d stick to her guns… except… didn’t she need guns in order to stick to them?Just what the hell was her plan?
SEVENTEEN
ROXIE AND ZAIRN’S WEDDING sounded wonderful.So much so that she was sorry to have missed it.Eating dinner with Cam’s family was eye-opening.She ate dinner with him and the guys plenty, but this gave her a glimpse at where he’d come from.
Of the group, Roxie was the most recent addition to his life, though she’d been in it for a couple of years.And there was something about Roxie, an acceptance that brought her into the fold like they’d been family all along.
Roxie leaned to the side, bumping her husband with a shoulder.“I’m in an Italian mood, Casanova.”
Turning his head, Zairn rested his nose in Roxie’s hair for a few lingering seconds before standing up.“Gin and It for all.Want to sit outside?”
The others rose from the dinner table too, so she copied.
“There are ears outside,” Knox said, directing the group to the living room.
There were ears in there too.The difference, she guessed, was they were trusted ears.Though, in honesty, she wasn’t sure she was ready for a conversation that required so much trust that even the trees weren’t allowed to hear it.
“Hatfield called,” Roxie said, settling herself in the loveseat with its back to the front window.
In the kitchen, Zairn spun a bottle in his palm.“Hatfield always calls, Lo.”
Tripp dropped into the loveseat by Roxie.“It’s weird how many horny men call your wife hoping today will be the day.”
“If the criteria was not wanting sex with me, you and Knox would be the only men I’d hear from…”
“If you carried a phone,” Tripp muttered.
Roxie continued.“And Knox never calls me.”As though for reassurance, Roxie added, “Cam doesn’t count, Ariella, honey, he doesn’t want to sleep with anyone.Huh…” The beauty paused.“Now you’re in his life, that’s not true anymore.”
Tripp wasn’t satisfied.“Kintyre wouldn’t sleep with you, Rox Out.”
Wriggling her shoulders, Roxie added a confident faux hair toss.“Because he’s married, not because he doesn’t want to.”
“Should I tell them you wanted a threesome, LoLo?”Zairn asked from the kitchen.
“To gather intel not because I lost my mind.”
“With Reid?”Tripp laughed.“Merci told me about that.For the record, I don’t think he’s gay, but refusing a piece like Merci… I get why it was on the table.Darroch wouldn’t sleep with you, Rox.”
“Gauge might,” Cam said.“Old-skool Gauge.”
“Old-skool everyone would sleep with her,” Tripp conceded.“Old-skool everyone would sleep with anyone.”
