Page 86 of Deathtoll

“I think I’m in perimenopause. I was supposed to get some blood work, but then Mr. Mauro was in that hit-and-run and all the issues with Ian McCall… I forgot.”

“How many have you missed?”

“Two.” Kate shrugged. “As of today, technically three.” Which meant nothing. She was under a ton of stress. “I think we’re in Broslin. I was only in the back of Asael’s van for a few minutes.”

“White van?”

Kate nodded.

“That’s how he got me too,” Emma told her, then gave her the whole story.

Unfortunately, that didn’t mean that she was off the pregnancy topic.

“When did your stomach troubles start?” she asked.

“A couple of months ago. But it’s been much better since I cut out the dairy and the gluten. I haven’t had any nausea in days.”

“Because you’re entering the second trimester,” Emma said with exaggerated patience.

“Murph wears protection. Where in Broslin do you think we are? One of the old factories that shut down?”

“Every time? Not one broke? Not ever?”

“Once.”

“Let me guess. Three months ago?”

“I don’t know. Maybe? About that. This is not the basement of a house. It’s much bigger. What kind of business needs half a dozen workbenches? Repair shop?”

“You’ve been moody as fuck.”

“Okay!” Kate stopped inspecting the basement and faced her sister fully. “Can we stop with that topic, please? I’m not moody!”

“So, you’ve been picking fights with people you love for fun?”

“I haven’t been picking fights.” But, honest to God, right at that moment, she could have choked someone.

“You kicked me out of your house.”

“I’m sorry, all right? This was exactly what I was trying to avoid. I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“You got mad at Murph because he proposed to you.” Emma looked like if her hands were free she would have been tearing her hair out. “Can you say hor-mo-nal? Can you just once pretend that I’m not the baby of the family who knows nothing, and listen to me? Oh my God, I hate you so much right now.”

“You can’t hate me. We’re sisters.”

“I wish we’d been twins so I could have eaten you in the womb!”

For a long moment, they stared at each other.

Then the mood in the basement took a one-eighty in a split second, and they burst out laughing. But then Kate’s emotions took another turn, and she was suddenly on the verge of crying.

“Just stop.” Emma’s obstinance was seriously driving her nuts. “I can’t do this right now. We have to…” She blinked away some idiot tears.

She freaking hated how emotional she’d been lately.

As that thought settled on her mind, the world spun with her. Stopped.

Hor-mo-nal.