Page 34 of No More Spies

Devi huffed. “See, this is the part I don’t like. I loveyou, too, but you think you know better than all of us.”

“No. I don’t. Like I have no idea how to make clothes lookbeautiful like you do. I don’t know how to write a book like Bri does. The listof things I’m expert at is small, but I know how to protect someone, and Idefinitely know when a person is being stubborn and putting themselves indanger they know nothing about. You think Huisman won’t hurt you because you’rea woman? You think the worst that could happen is he locks you up somewhere andyou get to be the damsel in distress?”

“Kala.” Her sister managed to make her name a warning.

“I think Zach doesn’t give a shit about me, so I’m not indanger at all,” Devi admitted. “I think this is all BS to make my mom and dadand brother feel better.”

Kenzie sighed and sat back, gesturing Kala’s way, permissionto do her worst given.

“Even if Zach doesn’t give a shit about you, there’s the bigold chance Huisman thinks he does,” Kala explained. “If he does and he decidesyou’re a way to get to Zach, then let me offer you some of my thoughts on himas a kidnapper. I’m a connoisseur, you see. I could write a Zagat rating systemfor kidnapping. Huisman is chef’s kiss. I’m not joking. The man knows what he’sdoing. He hates women and doesn’t rely merely on words to hurt us. I still feelit. I don’t know which hurt more—not being able to move and being forced towatch the fucker haul Carys out or the liquid fire he poured through my veins.I like to consider myself fairly stoic when it comes to pain. I’ve beenstabbed, shot, beaten. Stepped on Seth’s freaking Legos. Don’t discount those.But nothing, nothing, was ever as bad as the drug he gave me. I would havekilled my own sister to make it stop. I would have done anything. I screamed. Ibegged. I pleaded with God to kill me. And when my heart stopped, my prayerswere heard.”

“Kala.” Her sister could also make her name sound like therevelation of a long-held secret.

“I asked Dad not to talk about that part,” she explained. “Ididn’t want to freak you and Mom out, but I think our cousin here needs all thebad parts or else I’m just trying to scare her. I am. The truth is terrifying.I went into cardiac arrest but only after the paralytic wore off and I tried tobreak my own bones to make the pain stop. My chest still hurts from where theCanadian got my heart started again and…” She winced. “I know that CPR requiresmouth things, but, eww. I think that might be the worst of it. I had to wake upto my twin’s dream boyfriend’s mouth on me. But the point is, if you thinkyou’re safe, you’re wrong. Huisman wanted Tasha. Not me. He took me because mylast name is Taggart, and he blames my father for an event he wasn’t even therefor. Let me see, last time I checked, your last name was…”

Devi put a hand up, her expression softening. “I get yourpoint. I’m sorry. I’m not handling this well. I really…I really liked him. Ithought we were getting somewhere.”

“You thought for once it was going to be you,” Kala replied.She understood what it meant to pine for someone. She’d been doing it for yearsand years, and it was time for both of them to get this shit out of theirsystems and move on. “You thought for once I’m going to get the epic lovestory. I blame Aunt Serena. I often wonder how much better off we would be ifshe’d, like, written murder mysteries and we all grew up wanting to hang out inBritish country houses waiting to solve some rich person’s untimely death.Anyway, maybe listen to Landon. About the bodyguard stuff. Not anything else.Maybe don’t put the people you love through having to worry about you becauseyou’re pissed a guy turned out to be less than you thought.”

“I will.” Devi sniffled because she was capable of feeling.“I’m sorry, Kala. I didn’t know.”

It wasn’t that Kala was incapable of feeling. She felt shitall the time. But she couldn’t cry about it, couldn’t let it out in healthyways.

So she found unhealthy ones. Well, she was sure the shrinkswould tell her dominance was a coping mechanism. “You weren’t supposed to. Andif anyone asks…”

Devi nodded. “I know nothing. Everything is classified.”

“But if I maybe left this folder here when I went to the barto grab a Coke,” Kenzie offered, touching the file that held the secrets ofZach’s life.

Her sister was way too romantic. It would get her hurt oneday. Or fired. Kala grabbed the folder. “No. This is classified, and I wouldn’twant Zach handing mine around even if he did think it might help me get laid.It opens Devi to things she doesn’t need in her life, so I’ll lock this up.”

Kenzie sighed and sat back. “I just think if she knows whathe went through she might be easier on him.”

Kala took the folder anyway, locking it up. Her knee achedbut she still kept the boots on. No one wanted a flat-footed Dominatrix. Sheclosed the locker and when she turned, Devi was there.

“I truly am sorry. You’re right and my bitch came out andyou were an easy target,” she admitted. “Forgive me.”

There was nothing to forgive. She was a big girl. She couldtake it. “It’s fine. Stay safe and tell me if you see anything weird. I meananything.”

“I work in fashion design. Everything is weird.”

She wasn’t wrong. “You know what I mean. And maybe come infor some refreshers in self-defense. We’re all benched for the time being, sowe can help out.” There was actually one thing she felt bad about. “I’m sorry Isaid you were like me. I didn’t mean it in a bad way. You say what needs to besaid. That’s all I meant.”

She didn’t want Devi to start thinking she was bad deepdown, that she had a dark soul or that she wasn’t lovable.

Devi stared at her for a moment, and there were tears in hereyes. “I can’t think of anything I would rather be than like my cousin Kala. Noone ever tells Big Tag he’s too much.”

“I assure you my mother does. A lot.”

“It’s all a joke when she says it. No one thinks your fatherneeds to change anything about his big, loving, brave, over-the-toppersonality, but they tell you all the time. I see you, Kala. You think Idon’t, but I do. All of our lives, you were the protector. If you had a set ofballs, no one would question it, but because you’re a woman, they say you’retoo much. Too intense. Too bombastic. Too scary at times. You are exactly whowe need you to be. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” She reached out, puttingher hand in Kala’s. “I need you to know that even while I’m hurting because Ithought I was in love with Zach, I see you, too. And I’m sorry I made you feellike less than you should. You should know how much we all love you andappreciate what you do for us.”

She wasn’t sure she believed it, but she was grateful shewouldn’t have to fight with Devi. “Be careful, and let me know if he tries tocontact you. You won’t believe me, but I think he was into you, too, and he’s abig old dumbass, so it could happen. Don’t keep it to yourself. You don’t haveto tell the parents, but you do have to let me know.”

“See.” Devi squeezed her hand. “Protector.”

She walked off, joining the others.

“You are, you know. You even protect me from myself becauseI totally would have given Devi that file.” Kenzie leaned against the row oflockers.

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