Page 28 of Wolf Cursed
“You sound like Oscar.” I frowned.
“Sis, you’re digging yourself a hole,” Isaac put in.
Idrissa looked over at me. “Those are the terms.”
Frustration welled up. “Are you going to tell mewhyI can’t talk to anyone?”
“We just did,” she said with a shrug. “For your own good.”
My eyes narrowed. “That’s not an answer.”
“Fine.” She batted her lashes. “Because we want to horde you all to ourselves. We’re people hoarders.”
“Hot girl hoarders if you want to be specific,” Isaac added.
“Yes, exactly.” Idrissa’s expression remained completely serious.
“You two are insane.” I shook my head as the light changed and Idrissa took off fast enough that my body pressed into the seat from the momentum.
“Look, there are a lot of people in this town who don’t like outsiders,” Idrissa said as she drove.
Businesses and shops flew by on either side, and I wondered how she planned to give me a tour while speeding past all there was to see in this tiny town.
“So I’ve been told,” I said wryly.
“Relax, there are no pedophiles,” Isaac piped up.
It should have made me feel better, but I couldn’t help noticing how he’d failed to mention the serial killer part.
“The good news is,” Idrissa said, cutting a knowing look at Isaac in the rearview, “if Oscar said you can stay, that means you’re here for as long as you want. And that means you need to know a few things about how it works in Ridley Falls.”
“How it works,” I repeated.
She nodded.
“For my own good,” I said again.
“Exactly. Now you’re getting it.”
I shook my head.
I couldn’t help but think Operation Temporary had just taken a turn into left field. Staying, learning how things worked here, hanging with the twins—all of it felt a lot like permanence rather than temporary. And I couldn’t deny that it felt a hell of a lot better than living on the run did.
Dad might have told me to come here for safety, but he couldn’t have meant for me to stay forever. Nowhere was safe, according to him. Not from whatever monsters supposedly hunted us.
Curiosity, I told myself.
That’s all this was. I’d figure out what they were hiding. Maybe save some money in the process. And then I would get the hell out.
“Okay,” I said finally, “Deal.”
At my agreement, Isaac cheered.
“Where should we start?” he mused.
“I’m thinking we start at the hub,” Idrissa said. “Work our way out.”
“The…. Oh.” Isaac whistled. “Damn, sis. You’re starting off with a bang.”
