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"Who else has siblings?"

"Not Kai His last sister was killed when he was real young She was in her thirties, and so murdered her I’m not sure, but I think Pharzuph’s kid before her was a sister, too, and she got pregnant"

I didn’t need to ask what happened to her or the baby It put my stomach in knots to think of the cruelty of the Dukes

I didn’t ask any s In my mind family should share a certain bond, but we clearly weren’t dealing with the same dynamics as huer

"So" I cleared irlfriend, huh?"

He sniffed and switched hands on the steering wheel

"Yeah Kai’s always busting ht, but I sensed the slight falter in his words "It’s soht

"You love her?"

"Nah I ot issues, but she can be sweet We have fun"

"Butwhy not just date? What irl all this time?"

He took off his hat and ruht-handed

"It’s the only thing hed, a sad and defeated sound "He says I need a trophy wife, and it has to look perfect to the outside world I’ve been dragging er After ten years or so, he’ll want er model My brother’s on his fourth wife now"

I closed er," he said quietly "I want to hold off as long as possible"

That, I could understand Even if theBlake was attached to another girl in such an inti to lighten the mood for hiive it right back to hiirlfriend now, too"

His almond eyes rounded for a moment and he held out his fist

I buing that same fist to his mouth