Page 31 of The Safest Place She Knows

Iris looked upat him, and he smiled. She muttered, “I am not a fan of leashes onme if that is in your head.”

“Naw. I leavethat kind of stuff to Ymer. I just like the generous kindness inyour face when you talk to the dogs and that they understand you.Did you know you could talk to beasts?”

She stared.“What?”

“Let’s go for awalk and find a squirrel for you to chat with.”

She chuckled.“It doesn’t work that way. Animals just want me to be happy. Evenfish. It’s weird, and if there had been any dogs off-leash in thefew blocks I ran, I wouldn’t have needed to jump Brexel’s fence.There weren’t any. The guys shook off the stray cats.”

Oren blinked.“Well, that is making things much clearer.”

Ymer laughed.“Not flattering, but understandable. Mind you, she did work at astrip club.”

Iris frowned.“What does that have to do with it?”

“Affinity foranimals is a rare skill.”

She looked fromone to the other and blinked. “Oh. Right. Got it. Well, that doesexplain why Tonlya’s snakes liked me.”

Oren asked,“What did you think of her appearance?”

She looked fromone of her males to the other and burst into tears. It was all theanswer she could give.

* * * *

Tamara held her handwhile the techs looked for a usable vein. Tonlya looked at thedoctor who was looking up her records and frowning.

Nohehl lookedover the doctor’s shoulder and frowned. “When did you last have acheckup?”

“Fourteen yearsago. Money has been tight.”

The alphabeckoned to the doctor, and they left the room.

Tonlya’s heartsank. Venka was working on her phone, and Tonlya looked at Tamara.“No matter what you hear, I love you more than anything, okay?”

Tamara squeezedher hand. “It’s okay, Lya. I know.”

“No, you don’t,but they are going to tell you soon.”

“What? What arethey going to tell me?”

“A bit aboutyour genetic makeup. Let them take blood if they ask. Someone needsto know if my condition can’t change direction.”

The tech lookedat her. “You look like you have been living on the street foryears.”

“Gee,thanks.”

Tamara wasovercome with a rush of energy, and Tonlya murmured, “Calm. He’snot wrong.”

Tamara held herhand. “Why did you hide it from me?”

“You are achild so far. You didn’t need to know that I was having an issue.Frankly, we were doing okay until I broke my arm. The medical billnearly killed me.”

“Why didn’t youuse my college fund?”

“It is aguardian’s duty to provide for the future of the children in theircare. It was what I could do, so I did.”

“Lya?”

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