Page 139 of Lovers Like Us
Farrow ditches his spot and stands next to me, peering at the fuzzy FaceTimescreen.
“I can’t…I can’t get a hold…” She rattles the knob. “OPEN THE DOOR!” she screams helplessly, and I make out an Elfish sign on the wood. Xander’s room. And Iknow.
My brother broke a rule and locked hisdoor.
I go rigid and abandon my emotion. “Kinney, listen to me.” I glance over my shoulder to alert my cousins. So they can call family, so security can call bodyguards—but everyone alreadyrises.
Beckett is awake. Charlie is on his feet. Phones are being drawn, numberscalled.
“Eliot, are you down the street?” Charliesays.
“Mom?” Lunasays.
“Dad, are you near the Hale’s?” Sulliasks.
“Tom?” Beckettcalls.
Jane speaks in hurriedFrench.
“Get Banks,” Akara says to Thatcher, then he lists off other names, and the rest of SFO starts dialing. Phones to theirears.
All butFarrow.
He puts a hand on my shoulder, zeroed in on Kinney with me, and I tune out the rest of theroom.
“Kinney, Kinney,” I say in a calm but forceful voice. I watch my thirteen-year-old bony sister—barely ninety-pounds—run at the door. Arm slamming into the wood. Tugging at the knob. Pounding her fists. Trying to break itdown.
I’m painfully aware that she’s going tofail.
“Slow down, look at me,” I tell her. “Look atme.”
Kinney breathes, steadies the camera; her smudged eyes look broken butmurderous.
“Go wait at the front door,” Isay.
“I’m not leaving him!” she screams at me like I’m not helping Xander. But right now, I can only helpher.
And I’m not letting Kinney find ourbrother…
I gocold.
Farrow’s thumb strokes the back of my neck, and he tells Kinney, “You need to unlock the door forBanks.”
That works. Kinney runs downstairs, rubbing at her cheeks. “If he did something…I’ll never forgive that turd—” She cuts herself off in a sob. “I didn’t mean it. I don’t want himto.”
“It’s okay,” I say, a knot in my chest. “Don’t think about it. Just unlock the door. Staydownstairs.”
Flying through the foyer, she lands on the welcome mat and flicks the locks. Then shesprintsto thekitchen.
“Kinney!” Iyell.
She opens a drawer and grabs a carvingknife.
“You can’tcuta door down—stop.” She’s going to hurt herself trying to unlock his room. Kinney races backupstairs.
Farrow looks at Akara. “She has aknife.”
“Kinney,look at me,” I growl. The camera is on the floor. She chips at thewood.
