He snorted. “You know I’m the president of the ‘Free the Bits’ movement. Underwear is an abomination.”
I shook my head.
“I think we should all go without underwear. You especially.”
I narrowed my eyes and frowned. “Why me especially?”
“Because you’re wrapped extremely tight these days, and it’s not a pretty sight.”
“I am not wrapped tight.” His tone was aggravating. “I’m perfectly ... unwrapped.”
He laughed at my response. “Right. You’re a loose goose.”
Sometimes he said the oddest things. “I don’t even know what that means.” I went back to studying my screen. “Did you know this area used to be overrun with trolls?”
His eyebrows hopped. “Behold the queen of the rough transition. What does that have to do with anything?”
“I’ve been researching the area,” I admitted. “It has a pretty ... colorful ... history.”
“So do we.” Nellie grabbed the computer without asking and shifted it so he could see the screen. “May I ask why you’re researching the paranormal history of Mammoth Caves?”
“I like to be prepared whenever we set up in a new spot. You know that.”
He tilted his head, his expression reflecting amusement. “No offense, honey, but we’ve been here so many times I’ve lost count. This isn’t a new area for us. I have to think that you already did this research the first time we rolled through.”
He wasn’t wrong. “That was five years ago. There’s new information.”
“Ah.” His expression turned troubled. “Do you want to tell me what’s bothering you?”
“What makes you think something is bothering me?”
“Because I know you. Up until two weeks ago you were your usual sunny self. Sure, you don’t really get sunny because you’re kind of dark and twisty when you want to be, but I can’t remember ever seeing you like this. Does this have something to do with what happened in Detroit?”
Of course he would think that. They were probably all thinking that. “I’m not upset about what happened in Detroit. We did our job. We left. What’s there to be upset about?”
“I thought maybe you were upset about Cotton and Michelob.”
I stilled. I hadn’t forgotten about the homeless girls we’d crossed paths with while tromping around my old stomping grounds. How could I? We’d all become attached to them, to the point we’d wanted to take them when we left. They were minors, so that wasn’t a possibility. Instead, we promised to keep in touch — leaving a family of reapers we’d met in charge of checking on them weekly — and put them in the system, where we knew they would be safe. How did we know? We used our magic to ensure it. Raven and I went above and beyond when planting suggestions in the social worker’s mind. We had absolutely no doubt that they would be fine, because the social worker had no choice but to make sure of it if she didn’t want to lose her mind ... and potentially her life. Yeah, we went dark with the magic to protect the girls. I wasn’t sorry even a little bit.
“I’m not worried about them. I called the day before yesterday. They’re doing well. They’re still salty about not being able to travel with us yet. I stressed again that they can’t join us until they’re eighteen and we’ll keep in touch.”
“Plus the Grimlock family is going to check on them, right?”
I nodded, thinking back to the outrageous family we’d made acquaintance with during our last big battle. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure I can trust them. They’re mouthy but awesome.”
“They are mouthy ... and awesome. I really like the daughter. She would fit in around here.”
“Yeah.” I rubbed my forehead and sighed. “I’m not worried about the girls. They’ll be perfectly fine.”
“So, what are you worried about?”
That was the question. “The accident.” It was the simplest answer, and I was keen to avoid emotional minefields. “I don’t think it was an accident. The news says it happened because of a quick storm and flash flood, but that makes no sense. Kade and I heard some people talking in the grocery store. They said there was no storm.”
Nellie’s eyebrows hopped in surprise. “That’s what you’re over here stewing about?”
“Of course. What else did you think it would be?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I thought maybe you were upset about Cole.”
Son of a ... ! I was over everyone assuming I disliked Luke’s boyfriend. Of course, I didn’t trust him, but it was my job as his best friend to protect him. There was no way I would shirk my duties. “I like Cole fine.”
Nellie snorted. “If you say so. But I know you’re full of it. Everyone can see it. You’re acting like a big ... Raven.”
My mouth dropped open as outrage washed over. “I am nothing like Raven.”
“You would be so lucky,” the lamia in question called out as she passed behind us. Obviously she’d been listening. “People everywhere aspire to be like me.”
That was a complete and total load of crap. “Whatever. I’m not acting like you.”
“Of course not.” Raven kept moving. “There’s only one me.”
“Thank the Maker,” Nellie muttered.
“I heard that,” she flung back. “I’ll be back to talk about your attitude later.”
“I can’t wait.” He scowled and shook his head before turning his eyes back to me. “You’re acting like a pouty baby and I want to know why.”
I worked my jaw, frustrated. “I’m not acting like a pouty baby. I like Cole fine. I don’t know why you would think otherwise.”
“I have eyes, and from where I’m sitting, you’re acting like a jealous child who doesn’t want to share her friend. I hate to break it to you, but Cole seems like a good guy. He’s exactly the sort of guy you should want for Luke, quite frankly.”
“Oh, yeah? Why is that?”
“He’s patient, friendly and interested in what we’re doing here,” Nellie replied, unruffled by my tone. “Because he genuinely seems to care about Luke, and listens to every crazy idea he has. He tempers his responses and gives Luke exactly what he needs ... which is attention.
“On top of that, he’s part of the paranormal community,” he continued. “We both know that relationships with normals don’t usually work out for us ... Raven’s fling with that weird clown notwithstanding.”
“We’re definitely having a talk later,” Raven snapped as she moved behind us again, heading in the other direction. She was in the middle of some sort of task. “You’d better live in fear.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Nellie shot her the finger behind her back and rolled his neck. “She’s a real pill. You need to stop acting like her and start acting like Luke’s best friend. You have a relationship you’ve insisted he get on board with even though he was reticent. You can’t demand things go the other way when the shoe is on the other foot. That hardly seems fair.”
What he said was reasonable, but I was hardly in a mood to be reasonable. “I don’t want to talk about Luke. I want to talk about the trolls.”