Shuttergirl by CD Reiss

Author:CD Reiss [Reiss, CD]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

“Laine?” Michael said from a million miles away.

“His name’s Enid,” I said, flipping the photo over. “We called him Foo Foo the Snoo.” I shifted toward the kitchen, holding the picture behind me. “He’s friends with my foster brother. Not the one you met. Not Tom. Another one.”

I got to the kitchen island. It was spotless, like everything else in my house. Why did I notice that now? Had Michael noticed? Did he think that was who I was?

“This other brother? He was Jake, so we called him Jake the Pillow Snake. Which is from Dr. Seuss. I Can Read with My Eyes Shut. It goes…” Casually, I opened a drawer in the island. Inside, spoons and forks were nestled in shiny sleep. I slid the photo on top of them as if it was normal to keep damning evidence with flatware. “‘You can read about Jake the Pillow Snake or Foo Foo the Snoo.’ See, they were partners.”

And they shared everything.

“Are you all right?” He looked at me sidelong, as if that would give him a better view of my troubles.

“I’m fine.”

He sat up. “I’m putting a bodyguard on you.”

“You are not.”

“Oh, I am, Laine. I am.”

“He’d better run fast, because I’m going to work.”

His phone went off, as if on cue. He ignored it. “You are not going to hang around dark alleys.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I’d forgotten to worry about its silence. Between us, the phones were on fire, and we just stared at each other.

“You gonna get that?” I asked.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and silenced it before dropping it on the coffee table. “I mean it. You’re not safe.”

“Neither are you apparently.” I sat next to him, and he leaned on me. I put my arm around him.

“Touché,” he mumbled, kissing my neck. “But if you think I’m going to let you protect me—”

The napkin of ice threatened to fall, and I held it against his face. “I’m not going to sit here and defend my masculinity with a straight face. But I’m worried about you. And I feel responsible for you getting hit. If anything happens to you—”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me.”

“How do you know?”

“Everyone’s watching me.”

His weight became too much, and I leaned back. He adjusted himself as if his intention the whole time had been to get on top of me.

“You need a bodyguard as much as I do,” I said. “You need to take these guys seriously. I don’t…” I took a deep breath when he pulled up my shirt. “I hate putting you in this position. But he’ll be back.”

“Which is why I’m sending someone for you.” He stroked my belly with his fingertip.

I turned to liquid physically, but a voice echoed in my brain.

Whore.

Slap, and a backhand.

Such a slut.

“He’s from my world. I understand what makes him and his friends do what they do. I understand how to get rid of them.” I hated saying it. I hated how true it was and

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