“Like what?We’re secretly the killers, and we made up that whole story about the wolves?”
Tean froze, hand halfway through his hair.
Jem let his head fall back, and it thunked against the wall.“Are you fucking kidding me?How does this keep getting worse?”
They fell silent after that.Tean wanted to close his eyes.If he closed his eyes, he thought he’d fall asleep right here on the floor, his head on Jem’s shoulder.Maybe he’d wake up, and they’d be home, in bed, with Scipio.
Instead, he got to his feet and held out a hand.Jem let Tean help him up.
“So,” Jem said, “we don’t know what she wants.”
Tean shook his head.
“And we don’t know her angle.”
Tean gave another shake.
“And eithershefucked up her car, or someone else did.”
“That pretty much sums it up,” Tean said.
“Well, fuck me.We’re pretty great detectives, aren’t we?”
A little laugh escaped Tean, but it died quickly.He was still holding Jem’s hand, and he tightened his fingers now.“Jem, I think we have to—to consider the possibility, at least, that she was telling the truth about being followed, and that Kai and the others are here.”
Jem shook his head, but all he said was “What a fucking nightmare.”
Tean nodded.
“What do we do?”Jem asked.“Stop running around?God, Tean, if they’re up here, this is a seriously fucking bad spot to be in.Maybe we should lock ourselves in our room and wait the storm out.”
“Whether they’re here or not, thereisa killer here.Someone murdered Gerald.And once the storm is over, that person will leave, and that’ll be the end of it.”
Jem made a face.“So, we talk to Tafton, like we planned.”
“I think we have to.”
“Fuck.”But Jem shook himself, bounced a few times like a boxer limbering up, and said, “All right.Here we go.”He shot Tean a sidelong glance.“Maybe you should lie down for a few minutes?”
“No.”
“I can talk to Tafton.”
“I know you can.But I’m fine, Jem.I just—” Tean’s voice twisted in spite of his best attempts to stop it.“I’ve been having a harder time regulating my emotions, lately.That…happens sometimes.”He made himself add, “When people are in therapy.”
“Well, yeah, because you can’t keep bottling them up like a crazy person.”
Tean stared at him.
Jem was grinning.
“Jem!”
“What?You can’t.It’s not healthy.You gotta be like me, babe.Let it all flow out.”
“That sounds like the advertisement for a store-brand laxative.”
“An emotional laxative.”
