Page 69 of My Karmic Destiny

I shake my head. No. That isn’t it. This is all so confusing.

“Are you freaking out because you didn’t enjoy fucking me the other night?” she demands. “Or are you playing some kind of game?”

I’m not playing a game, but I believe she might be. This is so out of character for her that I’m beginning to worry.

“I have to go.” I slip on my shoes and rush out of there, leaving the door wide open.

I run down the hallway, then use my new power to pop into Dante’s room, as I sense Tessa is going to visit him next. If she hasn’t already.

Dante startles when I appear next to his bed where he’s reading a book—a spicy romance by the cover.

Before he can blurt out something or yell at me, I place a finger over my lips to let him know to keep quiet.

His brow crinkles, but he clamps his mouth shut and gives me the look that tells me I better explain myself quickly.

I whisper, “Meet me at Tessa’s club.” The secret name for our sacred circle. I still have the tent out there to remind me of when everything must have fallen apart. It feels like the safest place to retreat while we figure out what’s happening with her.

He pops away. Then I zero in on Evan’s energy. I wonder if he has run into Tessa yet.

I find him in the garage, pacing in front of his Corvette. “You okay?” I ask as I appear next to him.

“Fuck!” he shouts, then quickly recovers from my surprise. “And no. I’m very much not okay.”

“Tessa?” I ask with a knowing inflection.

“Yeah, how did you know?”

“Let’s talk about it in the circle.”

We both appear just outside of the sacred place Tessa created. It blocks out gods and psychics, so it should keep Tessa from spying on us, unless she walks inside the boundary.

Dante waves for us to join him. He nervously runs his hand through his thick black hair. He barks at me when we cross over into the protective space. “What’s going on? Is she okay? Why here?”

I glance back and forth between Dante and Evan. I’m usually the dumb one in the mix. And I worry that I’m overreacting—being stupid and overly cautious. But if I’m right, then we need to be careful.

“There’s something wrong with the way Tessa is behaving,” I begin. “I’m not sure if it’s the pressure of being with us, or if it’s a situation at her job, but she doesn’t seem herself.”

“You saw her?” Dante’s eyes dart in the direction of the mansion, deep longing shining in his expression.

“I saw her too.” Evan takes a deep breath and places a hand on Dante’s shoulder. “Kurtis is correct. She’s different. Odd.”

“Odd?” Dante shrugs off Evan’s touch. He takes a step to leave. “Odd how?”

“She tried to seduce me, but it felt… wrong.” Evan rubs his arms like he’s trying to clean himself of some invisible grime.

“Yeah, same with me. I think… maybe…” I can’t finish what I have to say.

What if I’m wrong?

“Spit it out,” Dante snaps. “Or I’m grabbing Tessa and getting her the fuck away from the both of you. If this is the way you’re going to be as her boyfriends, then she doesn’t need it.”

“I think it’s Instant Karma,” I blurt out.

Dante goes completely stock-still. “Whatis?”

“I don’t know. Like maybe Tessa has been brainwashed or… Or Instant is possessing her. Like how Instant wanted to do before Death killed her.”

“You think Instant is back and has enough power to take over Tessa’s body?” Evan questions, but his voice is soft, and he sounds like he’s considering it as a possibility.

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