I nodded.
“Homicide detective. Goes by his last name, Fergus. Nice, affable guy, but watch out. He’s a piranha. You think he’s on your side, and he’ll get you to agree to anything. And the worst part about it is he’ll make you think you like it. Say goodbye to Dale.”
“You think you’ve got it all figured out, don’t you?”
“I do have it all figured out. When you’re on the outside, you’ve got a lot of time to observe the nuances of the game. I’ll do what’s best for me, and if I think I’ll have a better shot with your pathetic group of human anomalies, then I’ll let you know.”
“That’d be awesome, thanks,” I replied sarcastically. “Just keep in mind when you’re choosing sides who the power players are. We could barely lift our heads as we shuffled into your camp. We’re not exactly intimidating. You look tough. Which group do you think you’ll have a better chance of beating, our group of underachieving mutts, or your tribe of champion purebreds?”
Lena threw a wicked smile my way. “You’re not as dumb as you look.”
I didn’t give her the satisfaction of a reply. I got what she was doing – putting me down to knock me off balance. She was good at reading people, but so was I. Only we had different approaches on how to use that information. She employed her razor tongue; I preferred humor.
Lena looked at me with more interest. “You realize I could kick your ass with ease?”
I laughed. “I have no doubt.”
“And I could make easy work of the accident victim, Boobs McGee, and the girl with Bambi eyes. Lord, how did those three ever make it this far?”
“They have their strengths,” I replied, barely controlling my annoyance. I really didn’t like her crapping on my family. Lena saw my momentary lapse of control and smiled, no doubt filing it away somewhere to use it against me later.
“Anyway, think about it,” I said.
“I already have.”
As I was walking away she called out, “Hey, how attached are you to the Jolly Green Giant?”
“Pretty attached.”
She shook her head, clearly disappointed in my answer. “That’s what I thought. So predictable.”
TV Confessional
“I got more action from the crab.”
—Kyle
26
Kenzie: A Storm Is Coming
Kyle came back shakinghis head.
“Nothing?” I asked.
“I’m lucky she didn’t grab me by the balls and swing me around.”
I winced. “That bad, huh?”
“Well, she’s definitely not the type of woman who’s going to be swayed by a little flirting.”
“So she’s a ‘no,’ then?”
“Not necessarily. The two of us just aren’t going to be having sex anytime soon.”
I laughed. That was a good thing if you asked me.
“But there is some good news. She’s on the outs, like you thought. Oh, and her name is Lena, by the way. Don’t forget, or she might punch you in your Bambi eyes.”
