Page 79 of Twister
Speaking of… “Hey, Kajir. Remember that kitten you found the other day?”
His face fell before he asked warily, “Yeah…? What about her?”
Daniel hummed happily as he nuzzled me, kissing my ear before he pulled away far enough to look up at Kajir and say, “We adopted her after we found out you couldn’t keep her. Rose named her Lucy. You can visit her and Bucky anytime you want.” I felt his head move next to mine when he paused before adding, “Once we’ve found a place to stay while we rebuild, that is.”
Kajir’s eyes lit up. “Fucking really?”
I grinned at the prickly gentle giant. “Fucking really.”
He narrowed his eyes at Daniel. “I thought you guys were staying with that fucking ex of yours. At least, that’s what I overheard that strange fucking guy say earlier.”
“What guy?”
“I don’t fucking know.” Kajir turned around to glare at the people crawling over the rubble. “He was here before. Said hewas investigating the twister trajectory or some fucking thing and was going to wait around to fucking talk to you. Sounded too fucking scientific for me.” He shook his head. “He’s not here now, though. Must have fucking pissed off. Useless out-of-fucking-towners.”
I felt Daniel shrug. “I’m sure he’ll find us sooner or later, especially if he knows Jackson.”
“So, youarefucking staying with your ex?” Kajir asked, one eyebrow raised. “Thought you two fucking hated each other.”
Shuffling a little until he could lean back against his truck and pull me in between his legs, Daniel shook his head. “Times change. People change. Grow.”
Crossing his thick arms, Kajir rumbled in agreement before he leaned his hulking form against the truck next to Daniel so he could join us in watching the town helpers. “That they fucking do.”
At his quieter than normal words, I glanced at him, then traced his eyeline to find that he was watching Gabe carefully. Well,thatwas interesting. “Kajir?”
“What?”
“Um….”
“Oh, don’t fucking start with that again. Spit it out, for fuck’s sake.”
I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from laughing, and as soon as I felt like I had myself under control, I asked, “Is there something between you and Gabe?”
He startled and turned his large head to glare at me. “Fuckno.”
I raised both eyebrows so high, they felt like they were reaching my hairline, letting him know exactly how little I believed that.
Daniel chuckled and buried his face into my shoulder to stifle the sound.
Kajir still heard it, though, if the dirty look he shifted from me to Daniel was any indication. His lips pressed together before he huffed and rolled his eyes, relaxing again up against the truck to watch Gabe toss aside what looked like one of the chairs from Daniel’s dining table set. “As much as that little fucker amuses me, he’s not meant to be fucking mine.”
I frowned and turned around to look at Daniel, who shrugged, apparently as surprised as I was by Kajir’s statement. It sounded like therehadbeen something between Kajir and Gabe at one point, but with how gossip seemed to travel in this small town, I would’ve assumed Daniel would have heard about anything that had connected the pair romantically. If there had been something between them, they’d evidently kept it very quiet.
“Not like you fucking two,” Kajir continued absently. “Blessed by the fucking gods, you are.” He turned his head to look pointedly at Daniel. “I heard what happened yesterday. Your twin told Gabe when he stopped for gas, and you know how much that fucker gossips. It was all over town by the end of the fucking hour.” He shifted his focus to stare at me, casting his steely dark eyes over my face. Then he quickly traced them up and down my body, ignoring Daniel’s growls. “You’re fucking lucky to be alive, Marshall. Did you know that?” He flicked his eyes to Daniel, then back to me, tilting his head in Daniel’s direction as he studied me. “He’s the only fucking reason you’re still breathing right now.”
Well, duh. Daniel was the one who kept his head and thought to call Jackson when Rose had told him she couldn’t get through to 911. Without Jackson’s help, it would have been anyone’s guess how long it would have taken us to get the right help. I squeezed Daniel’s arms that were still wrapped around my middle. “I know.”
Kajir narrowed his eyes and continued to stare at me before he let out a faint rumble and shook his head ever so slightly. “Hm.I guess.” He shrugged noncommittally and returned his focus on the townsfolk helping. “So, was that a fucking yes on the living with your fucking ex, Daniel? That’s a fucking choice.”
Daniel chuckled. “Yeah, well, when your options are that or finding a tent, you go with the four walls and a bed.”
“Hm.” Kajir rumbled again. “I can offer a third fucking option.”
“Yeah?” Daniel asked, mildly curious.
Kajir pushed himself off the truck and shuffled a little, toeing at the gravel in front of him. “Remember where we found the kitten? Lucy, you said her name was, right?”
I felt Daniel tilt his head to the side. “Right…?”
