Page 148 of Tainted

“I’m leaving this comedy club,” I sighed, scooting to the edge to hop out.

“Good, now I can have my spot back,” Brandy smirked, climbing into my previously occupied spot.

“My two big babies. What am I going to do with y’all?”

“Love us,” Brandy mumbled, resting her head on Banana Girls’ shoulder.

I paused at the top of the stairs, watching Kenyon sit on Nana's porch. Seeing him there, looking like he had something heavy on his mind, made me hesitate. Usually, I'd crack a joke, but things weren’t normal right now.

The pull to be near him was stronger than my frustration. So I pushed open the door and stepped outside, the soft creak of the wooden boards announcing my arrival. I sat down on theother side of the porch swing, the distance between us filled with things unsaid.

“Your food is in the kitchen.” He didn’t look at me, just kept his gaze ahead.

“Thanks.”

With a sigh, I channeled my inner Banana Girl and went for humor. “It feels like we’re trapped in an episode ofGeneral Hospital,” I said, offering a playful smirk. “Hell, what’s next? You find out you’ve got an evil twin, or some long-lost sibling who was switched at birth?”

Kenyon looked over his shoulder at me, his lips twitching like he was trying to decide whether to laugh or stay serious.

I moved next to him, close enough to feel his warmth but far enough to let him have his space. “Come on, that was funny.”

Kenyon chuckled, shaking his head as he leaned back in the chair, finally letting the tension ease. “If this were a soap opera, I’d have some secret life in another country. Maybe I’m actually a prince.”

“And your evil twin would show up at the worst possible moment, throwing everything into chaos. He’d steal my medical records and convince me he’s you. Meanwhile, you’re tied up in some warehouse,” I replied, adding to the story.

Kenyon grinned wider now, looking at me with that boyish grin I hadn’t seen in a while. “Man, we’d definitely rack up some ratings with that.”

We laughed, and things didn’t feel quite so heavy between us. It was nice, even if we were just escaping into a soap opera for a few minutes.

“John wants me dead, and I’m still alive. So what happens next?” I asked.

“That’s for me to worry about. Where is Shana?”

“I’m not telling you.”

“John sees you as a threat. What will stop him from deploying every resource to find her? You want to take your chances with that, or trust me?”

Both seemed like a gamble, but I prayed this was the Kenyon I grew to love talking to. He was trustworthy and reliable. Our trust was already hanging on by a thread, and I didn’t think it could take another hit and survive.

30

Kenyon

The only light creeping in the living room came from the lamp beside me, looking over the specs and notes about a car shop I’d been eyeing as a future project. I had Zara to thank for that. She never missed an opportunity to remind me how talented I was. It made me think I shouldn’t let it go to waste, either. Even more so now that I had a kid on the way.

The floorboard creaking caught my ear, pulling me out of my thoughts. I turned my head just in time to see Nana creeping down the stairs, her robe trailing behind her like she was on some kind of midnight mission.

I jumped up and moved toward her, but Banana Girl waved her hand at me. “Sit down, Soul Snatcher. I’ve been gettin’ things for myself long before you were born.”

I chuckled but couldn’t help the concern that nagged at me. “Just let me help you. What do you need?”

She shot me a look that could wither a man. “Leave that hovering to Zara. I can’t take it from you, too.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Banana Girl shuffled past me, making her way toward the kitchen like she had all the time in the world.

“It was much easier sharing my bed when they were little,” she said in a roundabout manner.

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