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It wasn’t me I’d been worried about, and oh boy, that was bad My sense of self-preservation was ht, I need to go ho down the steps "I really need to go home Blake called and I need to call him back"

"Boris can wait," Dae on the sidewalk Dee had wisely gone inside, but Daehts, my emotions, felt overly exposed when I met his eyes "They asked me a lot of questions--especially the lady"

"Nancy Husher," he said, frowning A second later, he was standing beforedeal within the DOD They wanted to knoent down Halloeekend I gave them the Daemon-edited-version"

"Did they believe you?"

He nodded "Hook, line, and sinker"

I shivered "But it wasn’t you, Daemon It was me Or it was all of us"

"I know, but they don’t know that" His voice lowered as he cupped my cheek "They won’t ever know that"

My eyes closed The warmth of his hand eased some of the fear "It’s not me I’m worried about If they think you blew a satellite out of orbit, they could see you as a threat"

"Or they could just think I’m that awesome"

"It’s not funny," I whispered

"I know" Daemon ain "Don’t worry about me or Dee We can handle the DOD Trustup his warmth, but then I slipped free "I didn’t tell that lady anything And the da out of the car She kneere lying about ere there"

"They’re not going to care about us lying over the phone They probably think ere out there getting it on or so You don’t need to worry, Kat"

Anxiety didn’t fade It snaked throughAs if a pop quiz had been sprung on us and we’d failed I lifted lad you’re okay"

He s at his sparkling eyes all night, but soed me to run as far away fro to come from all of this

I turned and walked away

Chapter 16

As expected, I spent the better part of Thanksgiving poking around the house alone Mo a double shift that took her out of the house froone next door Both Dee and Dae up their alien Thanksgiving And fro from myevery ti up was secretly an ET Even Ash arrived with her brothers, looking like she was going to a funeral rather than a dinner party

Part of me didn’t like that she was there Yeah, I was jealous Stupid

But I’d

I was an anxious wreck Today alone, I’d tipped over the coffee table, shattered three glasses, and blew a lightbulb Being with people probably wasn’t a good idea, but it would’ve been nice to lose myself in the holiday festivities for a little while The only good thing was the factripped apart after the shenanigans

Around six in the evening, I felt that now-oh-so-faht before Daes unfurled insideI noticed was the large box beside him, and then the scent of roasted turkey and ya a stack of covered plates "Happy Thanksgiving"

I blinked slowly "Happy Thanksgiving"

"You going to invitegifts in the for, he came in and waved his free hand The box lifted off the porch and trailed behind hi It landed just inside the foyer As I shut the door, I caught sight of Ash and Andrew cli into their car Neither of them looked over

A luht a little of everything" He headed toward the kitchen "There’s turkey, yareen-bean casserole, so and pu myself away fro up the table, uncovering the dishes I…I didn’t knohat to think

Daelass candleholders Mom never used floated to the table Candles came next, and with a wave of his hand, their wicks sparked tiny flalasses came froe, pouring into two crystal flutes while Dae It was like a scene straight out of Beauty and the Beast I kept waiting for a teapot to start singing

"And after dinner, I have another surprise for you"

"You do?" I whispered

He nodded "But you’ve got to join me for dinner first"

I shuffled to the table and sat, watching him with eyes that were blurry He made me a plate and then sat beside me I cleared my throat "Daemon, I…I don’t knohat to say, but thank you"

"Thanks aren’t necessary," he said "You didn’t want to come over, which I understand, but you shouldn’t be alone"