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“I didn’t realize you had more family in the city.”

“It’s found family. Mel’s not our real uncle. And we have a guy who’s like our big brother who took us in when we were young.”

“Perry,” Mark offered, because of course he was eavesdropping. “He’s a loveable curmudgeon. He’d dig your fashion sense.”

“Ohhh.” Sadie nodded slowly, comprehension spreading across her face. “Perry, with the weekly meetings. Youruncleandbigbrother.”

Crap, she was thinking Flight and Lunk. “It’s not who you think it is,” Joan told her.

“I get it. Found family, with people who understand you.”

Mark watched them curiously. She was gonna have some explaining to do.

“It’s really not,” Joan said. She didn’t have time to get into it and wasn’t about to do so in front of Mark. “I’ll tell you more another time.”

Sadie squeezed her hand, letting her fingers linger. “Stop by if you get home early.”

“I will,” Joan said.I want to. I wish I didn’t have to leave.

Damn Melvin.

CHAPTER10

Mark waited until they hit the sidewalk before giving Joan the third degree. “What was all that cousin stuff about? Does she know about your alter ego?”

“Something like that,” Joan said.

“I thought you didn’t want her to know you’re a Villain.”

“She doesn’t think that.” Joan avoided his gaze. “She…thinks I’m Catch,” she mumbled.

“Shewhat?”

“She thinks I’m Catch.”

Mark burst into loud laughter.

“Shut up. It was a misunderstanding, and now I don’t know how to get out of it.”

“She thinks you’re Darlene?” Mark snickered. “That’s hilarious.”

“It’s not. I need to tell her the truth, but…”

“But you don’t want her to run screaming down the street because you might set her on fire.”

“Exactly. She keeps saying how she feels safe with me, and trusts me.” Joan scrubbed at the back of her neck. “I don’t know how to come back from that. I’ve been pretty honest with her.”

“Not that honest,” Mark chortled.

“I was about to tell her when you barged in.”

He shook his head and went around to the driver’s side of his tricked-out electric-blue sports car. “Dude. How did this happen?”

“She figured out I have powers and assumed I had to be a Superhero. Which means Catch.”

“She didn’t think you could be a different Super? What about, I dunno, Amazing Woman?”

Joan made a face at him as she opened the passenger side door. “Amazing Woman retired years ago. She’s probably dead by now.”