Page 38 of Untouchable

I was thinking: there’s no way she’s wrapping herself around Bodine the way she’d been wrapped around me the first half of the trip.

I still don’t know if anything ever happened between the two of them, but given the way she was looking in my bedroom for him and the way they’re always laughing together, my instincts land on yes, and I don’t like it.

I don’t knowwhyI don’t like it, it’s not like it’s any of my business what’s happened between them in the past, my only job is to keep her safe and out of his bednow. Even if the second half of that wasn’t part of what her father asked me to do, it just fits the brand of keeping her safe in my mind.

Why did I ask them to come along again?

As if the universe is trying to remind me, Katarina walks up to the counter of the diner we stopped at and bends over to catch the attention of our waitress. Her long legs look even longer in those cut-off shorts she has on, and it takes everything in me not to imagine her in compromising positions. I look over at Bodineand Mikey who are looking at me like the idiots that they are, all big smiles and speculation.

“What?” The tone of my voice does nothing to calm them down.

“You’ve been a littlelocoabout Kat today, care to share with the class what that’s about?” Bodine spins a finger around the side of his head, and I huff.

“For someone who claims not to know Spanish, you sure use it a lot.”

Mikey snorts as he takes a sip of his water and Bodine clicks his tongue. “Man, quit trying to change the subject.”

My eyes meet his and I shrug. “There’s nothing to share.”

Mikey and Bodine share a look as I see Katarina heading back this way. “Yeah, sure, because you always tie girls’ hands around you when you?—”

“Get what you needed?” I clear my throat and look at Katarina, promptly cutting Bodine off.

“Uh, yeah. My straw just had a hole in it.” She opens the new one and places it in her soda, taking a sip as she looks around the table.

“What are you guys talking about?”

The look of amusement on Mikey’s face puts me on edge. “Actually,” Bodine starts.

“How are your wrists?” I nod to her hands, not giving him the chance to bring up my rather odd behavior today. I’m already aware of it, no sense in bringing it to Katarina’s attention.

She glares at me and puts her hands in her lap. “They’re fine.”

I meet her glare with one of my own. “Really?”

“Yep. Gonna take a lot more than tying my hands around your waist to scare me off, Ace.”

“Yeah, I don’t think that’s what he’s doing,” Mikey mumbles. It’s directed more towards Bodine than anyone but the guy can’t whisper worth a damn so we all hear it.

“Ocúpate de tus asuntos.”They stop and look at me like two kids getting in trouble, sinking into their seats.

“Here we are!” The waitress walks up just then, setting all of our food down on the table. “Anything else I can get for you all?” We shake our heads, no, and Kat looks at her with a bright smile on her face to tell her thank you.

“Have you ever taught anyone how to speak Spanish?” Katarina asks before taking a bite from her club sandwich.

“No.” She nods in understanding.

“Would you ever consider it?” I laugh at the very thought of trying to teach either of my best friends a new language.

“I’m not sure they would be able to focus long enough to learn.” Her eyes meet mine, causing me to pause.

“I didn’t mean them.”

“You want to learn Spanish, Little Reaper?” The shock is written all over my face and her features turn annoyed.

“Is that so hard to believe?”

“Maybe. Why do you want to learn?” I inquire, abandoning my food to hear her reasoning.

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