Page 140 of Mayhem and Minnie

“But—”

“Kai…” She gives him a pointed look. “Next time, only make contact if you find something. Otherwise, it’s too dangerous.”

He purses his lips as he crosses his arms over his chest.

“Minerva, this is unacceptable.”

“I think we’re long past what is acceptable, Kai. I’m no longer the naive little sister you knew, nor are my circumstances what they were before. Now please… Don’t make this harder than it already is.”

He doesn’t move, still staring at her.

“Please?” she repeats.

He releases a deep sigh.

“All right. I shall return if there are new developments.”

Minnie nods and gives him a shy smile. But as she goes to give him a hug, I stop her and pull her back.

“Goodbye, Molokai,” I grit out.

He gives me a mutinous look, but as Minnie nudges him, he eventually retreats and leaves.

Then we’re finally alone.

“Brother, huh?” I add skeptically.

“Yes! You didn’t have to be so violent.” She shakes her head at me.

“Maybe I would not have been if you had told me you had a brother,” I argue. Though of course I would have been just as violent. I don’t care if they’re related. He put his hand on her. That’s all I need to know to act.

“We rarely talk.” She shrugs. “He lives abroad.”

“He has a different accent than you,” I note. After Mother’s comments, I paid more attention to her speech, and as a consequence, to her brother’s. Where hers is what my mother would call a Mid-Atlantic accent, her brother’s is a very standard American one.

Odd.

Then again, what isn’t odd about Minnie?

Her cheeks redden.

“That’s… Well…” she stammers. “As I said. We live in different countries.”

I narrow my eyes at her.

“I’m getting tired of all this secrecy. Who is after you?” I demand sharply.

She takes a deep breath.

“It doesn’t matter. Not now,” she says with a smile as she turns to go back to the dining room.

I follow after her and grab her arm.

“It matters to me. I need to know who you are, Minnie.”

She raises her eyes to meet mine.

“Your girlfriend.”