Toxic (Denazen #2)(69)

The bench behind me squealed in protest as she sat. “You know it doesn’t work that way.”

This time I turned around. “You obviously know what’s going down.” I hated the desperation in my voice, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t hide it. “Tell me. Tell me if he ends up back at Denazen.”

Tell me if I end up dead…

For a second I thought she might answer. Her expression softened, brows knitting together with a sympathetic frown. Her gaze flickered to my shoulder, then away. Oh, yeah. She definitely knew. She knew, and the sick part was, she was the one person I didn’t have to worry about squealing. Not because I could trust her, but because if I was meant to die, she didn’t intend on lifting a finger to stop it.

After a moment, she shook her head. “I know his purpose and path. Kale’s road, like yours, has never been an easy one.”

And Kiernan thought Rosie had been cryptic?

“You know who’s responsible for burning down the hotel, don’t you? The person who let Dad’s people in.”

“I do.”

That pissed me off. I mean, I knew she did—at least I figured she did—but to hear her admit it really set me off. Jumping to my feet, I stomped forward. “I know you have all these stupid little rules, but people died. Good people. Friends of yours. You’re just gonna let her rip us apart from the inside?”

“There is no interfering in things like this. They happen the way fate meant them to. To allow otherwise would be chaos. We’ve been through this many times now, Deznee.”

“No, chaos is what we had tonight. A burning building. With people stuck inside. Something you could have prevented. That’s chaos. There were kids in there, Ginger. Little kids.”

“That’s fate.”

“That’s bullshit.”

She didn’t answer.

“You know it’s Jade, and you sent Kale with her.”

Thoughtful, she lifted her head to the sky and sighed. “Jade is…in a unique situation.”

“Unique situation? And that gives her the right to destroy us?”

“Perhaps you need to consider the possibility that you and Kale are not meant to be together. That clinging to each other could destroy you both?”

I just about fell over. “What?”

She didn’t answer.

“Screw you,” I spat. An icy chill had crept into the air. “This is where I draw the line. Is that what all this Jade crap has been about? You really are trying to push them together? ’Cause you have some f*cked-up notion Kale and I aren’t meant to be? And pushing him back to Denazen is your answer?”

Reality was starting to slip. It was like a bomb going off inside my brain. Everything from the tips of my toes to the edge of my nose…it all went numb. Everything, that is, except my shoulder. With a sudden flash, pain exploded.

“You’re wrong…” I stumbled up, fighting to keep my balance. My voice sounded funny. Garbled and thick. “…if you think Kale and me aren’t going to stick, you’re wrong.”

She got to her feet, knuckles white around her cane. Eyes sad, she said, “I’m sorry. I know this is hard, and you probably think me no better than your father.”

“The thought crossed my mind several times,” I admitted bitterly.

“I am on your side, Deznee. I know it doesn’t look that way, and you think I don’t love my grandson or care about these people, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.” She was quiet for a moment. The cool September air kicked up, fluttering the edges of her bright blue housecoat. “Everything is happening as it was meant to. And unfortunately, when all is said and done, I fear it will be you and Alex that pay the biggest prices.”





26


I’d been right. No sleep for me. After Ginger finally went inside, I spent the rest of the night on the porch. Well, most of it. There was an hour stretch where I paced from one end of the lawn to the other, wet grass tickling my toes as I racked my brain to figure out a way to prove Jade was behind all this.

And that whole thing about me and Kale? I had no intention of paying attention to it. Never in history had there been a more wrong statement. Kale was the only thing that kept me sane sometimes. Nothing about him being in my life would destroy me. Not ever. As far as the Alex thing, well, I was choosing to look the other way concerning that, too. Alex made his own choices—usually bad ones. They were his responsibility.

I’d been doing that a lot lately. Ignoring things. A tiny whisper in the back of my head said that was wrong—unlike me—but I chose to disregard that, too.

By the time the sun crested the hills behind Meela’s house, I crept back inside with an idea about how to get the dirt on Jade.

“You’re pissed at me.” Kiernan appeared in the doorway. In her hands was a steamy peace offering. Coffee.

I took the cup from her and did my best not to laugh. She was wearing an orange broomstick skirt and pink blouse with an obnoxious ruffled collar. Jesus. Meela was obsessed with pink.

“I figured you might be,” she continued, gesturing to herself. “Which is why I did something only a true friend would. I spared you from this.”

“It’s—”

“Beyond words? Yeah. I know.” She backed into the kitchen and pulled out a chair. “Meela? So not going to be working the runways any time soon. The other outfit isn’t going to buy you a date, but it’s not as bad as this one.”