Page 38 of Sour Layer

I waited until Clark got into the truck and was headed down the road before Honor and I stepped back into the inn.

She pulled off her gloves. “He’s cute.”

“He’s a cop,” I said, making Honor shiver. She had this thing against cops. I didn’t know where her dislike stemmed from, but it was part of her being. The only police officer she ever tolerated was Jimbo, our sister Faith’s best friend.

“Yes, well. Seems like our family attracts them like magnets,” Honor said, stepping into the living room. She tossed her gloves onto the table and held her hands at the crackling fire in the fireplace.

“Why are you here?” I was almost afraid of what her answer might be. Honor was around even less than I was. She was good at having a reason not to be around.

“You were practically screaming at me last night when I closed my eyes,” Honor answered, as if that should explain everything.

One of Honor’s abilities was telepathy, and she was damn good at using hers without leaving a hint that she was listening to someone’s thoughts. Growing up, she’d only ever been able to pick up messages when she was sleeping, only, like the length of her hair, her ability grew with age.

“I’m sorry. We found the kidnapped girls yesterday, and I haven’t slept well. You could have called and I could have saved you the trip.”

“I know,” Honor said with a sly grin on her face. “So, you’ve found the missing branch of our family tree.”

“I have, and they’re something else. I’m not sure they trust me yet.”

“Why wouldn’t they? You’re all kinds of lovable.”

“Because I blurted out when three of them were going to die.”

Honor’s brows rose up into her bangs. “Three, all together? What type of monster could take down three Bennetts, unless of course…they were cheated from having abilities. Don’t tell me they hit the normal jackpot when the rest of us have to remain freaks.”

“They were anything but cheated,” I answered and started to pace as Honor sat down. I explained everything that had happened since my arrival. The Bennetts, finding Clara, the missing family, my mistake of determining a person was dead that was actually still alive, the missing and kidnapped girls, Clark, and his family drama. Everything including the tiny little detail I was going to have to unbox the worst of my abilities and try to survive the outcome.

When I finally stopped for a breath, I turned to find Honor staring at me as if still trying to process everything I’d said.

“Well?”

She sighed. “No wonder you were screaming for me. That’s a lot to take in, in the few days you’ve been here.” Honor tilted her head. “So, you like the cop?”

I tossed my hands up in the air, letting them fall to my sides. “Is that really all you got out of this?”

“You couldn’t read him. That’s an important takeaway,” Honor said, shoving to rise. “Okay, so here’s what we’ll do. I’ll find this Lynnfield guy, and we’ll go after him together, and we’ll leave the cop and the others out of it.”

“I can’t do this. I can’t control the weather.”

“You aren’t going to do this alone,” Honor said, just as there was another knock on the door.

I crossed the room and yanked the door open without even checking to see who it might be.

An older woman with gray hair was standing on the porch looking at me. I knew those eyes. The ones that had shot daggers at me from outside the bomb shelter.

A gun was pointed at me. The voice was eerily calm. “Get your coat and come with me.” He lowered his voice. “Or I’ll kill you and her.”

“Mercy?” Honor asked as she stepped into the foyer.

“Sorry, Honor, I have to go help Dorothy with an errand. I totally forgot I offered.”

Honor’s brows dipped. “Can’t it wait?”

“No. I’m afraid not. I think there’s a chance for a storm after I leave.”

I grabbed my jacket and slid it over my shoulders before taking the gloves out of the pocket. “I’ll be back in a bit so we can figure out how to help Faith over her cold feet. No way are we letting her back out of the wedding.”

“What are you talking about?” I closed the door cutting off Honor’s questioning.

Lynnfield’s grip tightened, pinching into my skin as he led me around the cab of a rickety truck and shoved me inside. “Don’t even think about making a run for it.”

Dark clouds gathered above as the first roll of thunder cracked through the silence. I wasn’t going to run. This was exactly where I needed to be. Someplace secluded where I could open my box full of surprises and die trying to kill this bastard.

Lynnfield got behind the wheel and squealed the tires as he took off. I glanced over my shoulder in time to see Clark’s mother, sister, and the others pulling up in front of the inn.

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