Deadly Sweet Lies by Erica Cameron

Author:Erica Cameron
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Published: 2015-03-13T16:00:00+00:00

Eighteen

Nadette

Tuesday, September 30 – 3:24 PM EDT

When Lexi leads me away from Julian and Beth, I hope she just wants to hang out. We do that sometimes. Just talk. For hours. She likes hearing stories about my siblings and Grandpa Horace and some of my mom’s crazy clients. I … Well, I can’t really say I like hearing about Lexi’s life before Abra, but I like that she’s willing to tell me the stories at all.

That’s where I hope she’s taking me. To a couch in the Whatever Room where I can listen to her low, soothing voice for hours. But nope.

Instead, Lexi leads me into Johanna’s room. She’s the only one with her own room. Half the cavern is set up like an office, with a battered wood desk and a squeaky office chair. A dresser, a mattress, and a beat-up nightstand on the other side create a bedroom. When we walk through the curtain, Tanner follows us in. Kelsey, Clarke, and Johanna are already stuffed into the space. None of them are speaking; they’re just waiting. For us?

Why do I feel like I’m walking into an intervention?

Lexi’s hand rests on the small of my back for a moment, her touch warm and solid and sure. “It won’t be that bad,” she whispers to me as she guides me to an empty space on the mattress. She eases herself down next to me. Her calm warmth makes it a little easier to believe that it won’t be that bad.

Johanna isn’t smiling, but she doesn’t look angry, either. Though, with Johanna, it’s hard to be sure. Tanner is watching Johanna, not me—because he’s always watching Johanna. The others have me in their sights and don’t seem inclined to let me out of them. Lexi leans closer, her arm pressing against mine from shoulder to elbow.

“Did you know that you’re only the second person who hasn’t been brought here by Aisling?” Johanna asks. She must not want an actual answer because she doesn’t give me a chance to speak. “Since you got here, we’ve been trying to figure out what to do now that we know we aren’t as hidden from the Balasura as we thought.”

I swallow hard. “But Blue wasn’t like—”

“Yes.” Johanna holds up a hand to stop me. “I know. I get it. He wasn’t like the others. But damn, kid. Can’t you see why that doesn’t really matter? If one of them can figure out where we are, how safe can we really be here? Kelsey is the only other person who found their own way here. You two are it. And you were led here by the same creatures we’re trying like hell to stay away from.”

“I …” My throat feels tight. I swallow and try to speak again. “I don’t know what you want me to say.” Because I’m not exactly sorry for saving my own life and protecting my family.

“Look, you did what you had to do in a tough situation,” Tanner says, finally looking my way.

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