Page 39 of Lady Death

When she entered the kitchen, Leia sat at the table, sipping coffee while scrolling through her phone.

“Morning,” Keres said, a little surprised.

“Good morning.” Leia smiled and sat her phone down. “You look tired. Did you sleep at all?”

She shook her head. “Not much. What are you doing here?”

“Wanted to talk with you,” Leia replied. “The coffee is fresh. Mugs are top left.”

Keres nodded and turned to grab a cup to fix the hot brew, adding sugar and milk until she got the right consistency.Then she turned and headed for the table, sitting across from the other woman.

“Parker left you with instructions how to keep Ronin’s wound clean.” She pointed to a piece of paper. “Acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain. Ice pack for swelling. He also left his number in case you need to ask questions.”

“Oh, good.” She picked it up and read through the instructions.

“How are you?” Leia asked.

“Fine.” Leia raised an eyebrow, waiting, and Keres sighed. “Not fine.”

“Anything I can help with?”

Unexpectantly, tears flooded Keres’s eyes. Leia made a small sound in her throat and rose to sit next to her so she could take hold of her hand.

“It’s okay,” she whispered.

“No, it’s not,” she choked out. “I think … I’m cursed.”

“Interesting word. Why do you say that?”

“Because I’ve gotten everyone around me killed, or almost killed.” She wiped tears from her cheek. “It’s getting hard to look at myself in the mirror.”

“Nothing is your fault…”

“I’ve killed people,” she admitted.

Leia didn’t say anything, and Keres expected to see horror. Fear. Yet the only thing shining in her deep brown eyes was understanding.

“Doesn’t that horrify you?”

Leia gave a soft smile. “My husband is the president of a motorcycle club that doesn’t always operate aboveboard.”

“Right,” Keres murmured.

“Have you ever heard the story of how Brim and I met?”

She shook her head.

“I cleaned a bar at night after the patrons left,” she said,smiling as her focus drifted. “It was busy one night and I had to help the bartender. This drunk grabbed hold of my arm and before I knew it, Brim kicked that man out.”

“That’s kind of romantic.”

“Yeah,” Leia mused. “This is the good part. You see, I have a talent. Or a curse, depending on who you ask.”

Intrigued, Keres tilted her head.

Leia leaned closer. “I can see the shadow of death.”

Was she kidding?“I don’t get it. Is this a joke?”

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