Page 25 of Taming the Beasts
“We’re in the middle of Main Street,” I said.
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“It kinda does,” Emma said.
“Hey, Emma. I’ve heard a lot about you…”
“Grudge stop hitting on my best friend. Has Kebe reappeared somewhere yet?”
“Reappeared implies that she actually disappeared,” he said. “Which isn’t possible, right? Or is it? Because a lot of weird stuff has been happening and I don’t know how to explain the camera glitch twice.”
“What do you mean twice?”
“Well she reappeared. Out of thin air. It’s gotta be a glitch but…”
“Where?” I asked.
“She’s back at your house. Just standing in the living room.”
With the guys? Fuck.I grabbed Emma’s elbow and we both started running down Main Street.
“Don’t forget about the session you promised me…”
I hit the end call button as we raced toward my house. But when I threw open the door, the living room was empty. My boyfriends were gone. So was Kebe. But her suitcase was right by the door. And the silver coin was sitting on top of it.
“Oh thank God.” I reached out to grab the coin but Emma swatted my hand away.
“Zoey, I really don’t trust that coin. Kebe tries to skip town with it and then for some reason comes back and leaves it right here for us? What the hell is she up to?”
“We have a lot of research to do, but the coin is better with us than with her.” I picked it up and put it in my pocket. “And where is Kebe?”
My phone started buzzing again.
I answered Grudge’s call.
“She’s sleeping,” he said. “In her room.”
It was so weird that he was listening and watching my every move. But even weirder that Kebe just came back and went to bet like nothing had happened.
Emma shook her head back and forth. “None of this makes sense. And what research can we even do when there is no trace of that coin online?”
“I’ll talk to King.”
“I think we need to stop trusting someone whose face you’ve never seen.”
“We’ve been over this,” I said. “I don’t show my face online either. It’s just for anonymity.”
“I’m with Emma on this,” Grudge said.
He would be. He was trying to get in all my friends’ pants.
“All that matters right now is that we have the coin back. We can take a deep breath and figure out everything tomorrow. I gotta get back to the guys.”
“I’m not staying here alone with her again,” Emma said and shuddered.
“Grudge, can you watch her for us?” I asked.
“Already on it.”
