Total pages in book: 146
Estimated words: 136425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 682(@200wpm)___ 546(@250wpm)___ 455(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 682(@200wpm)___ 546(@250wpm)___ 455(@300wpm)
“I didn’t try to take her,” Kala insisted. “Poppy is a person. I can’t take her away.”
“And how did you feel about it at nine? This is Kala after therapy. What did nine-year-old Kala do when someone threatened her family?”
Kala’s head fell back and she groaned. “Do not do this to me, Dev.” She brought her head back up, a stubborn look in her eyes. “We have a good thing going, Lucifer and I. We hate each other and we’re good with that. The universe accepts it. Why would we change things now?”
“Because you’re very, very similar but you’re older and have seen more and could potentially help her. She’s right. She doesn’t have a Lou or a Kenz. She doesn’t have a Tash or your brothers and cousins. Was she the weirdo in the weirdest town in the world?”
A long-suffering sigh came from her cousin’s chest. “She was the kid who liked to play with matches and take things apart to see how they worked except sometimes she broke important things and maybe accidently blew up a shed or two. It was funny. She was always possessive. Not with things, but definitely with people and animals. She had this cat that she didn’t want anyone else to pet.”
“So smart, awkward socially, curious in a way most people would find annoying. Weirdly possessive.” She was going to have to lead her cousin to the truth. By force. “Sound like anyone we know?”
“You think she’s like Tash?” Kala asked.
Devi stared her stariest stare.
Kala growled a little. “Fine. There are some similarities, and I will admit when it comes to the job she’s not entirely useless. But she’s mean to me now. She named a cranky donkey after me.”
“You call her Lucifer. I think The Fabulous Miss K is a way better nickname. Also, you would have liked the donkey. She would have been your spirit animal after you got over the name and you would have called her your best animal friend.” She knew her cousin so well. Kala would love to hang around an animal sanctuary. It would calm and soothe her and give her purpose.
“What do you want me to do, Dev?” Kala asked. “We’re never going to be besties.”
“Just be nicer. Maybe don’t hiss when she walks in a room,” Devi suggested.
“It’s a conditioned response to the addition of awfulness to my space,” Kala replied.
“Maybe don’t refer to her as awfulness.” They had so much work to do.
“But she is,” Kala insisted.
“Only when you’re around,” Devi shot back.
“Because I see through her…” Kala’s face went a nice shade of pink. “I fucking hate therapy. It sucks and it sucks that I’m so good at it. Fine. Just fine. I’ll refrain from calling out the terrible shit she does. I will try to be nice.”
Devi rewarded her with a brilliant smile. “I know you can do it. And think about how proud Coop and Lou are going to be when they get back and you two are not at each other’s throats. I still can’t believe they left you two here together.”
Devi sat back again, looking at the clock. Time was moving at a snail’s pace, and she wished she could have at least sat with Lou and Tash and watched over him. But no. She had to stay put and not climb out a window.
“They don’t want to further kill Lucy’s cover. She can’t go back to Disrupt because there’s zero way Huisman doesn’t know she’s a plant, but she might be able to work it from another angle. I do feel bad about that,” Kala admitted. “She worked her way in. She’s been working at it for years.”
Progress. “And Kenz wanted to be as alone with Ben as possible. Do you think she’ll tell him?”
Kala’s head shook. “With Tristan there? And I’m pretty sure that Tim guy was going. I doubt it. She’ll wait for some weirdly dramatic time and announce her love for him and then we’ll have to deal with that asshole for the rest of our lives.”
Marriage had not made her cousin more romantic. “It’s called happily ever after.”
“I call it shit I put up with,” Kala returned. “So what was all that spanking and moaning about this morning? You and Zach decide to make my dad want to die? Don’t get me wrong. I approve thoroughly, but I didn’t think Zach would feel the need to spank you after all the moaning from last night. Dude, you are not quiet. Kenzie cried because she said it was so beautiful, but I just wanted to sleep, man. You need to be quieter with your emotional connections.”
She shrugged because she didn’t care that everyone heard them. That way the group would know they were serious. “He was still upset that I didn’t tell him about the whole ‘a dude tried to roofie me and oops, it turned out to be his dad.’ Personally, I don’t think I should be held accountable for that. They don’t look alike. How was I supposed to know it was his dad? No one gave me one of those file thingees, and you know they really should have.”