Page 49 of No More Spies

“It slipped out,” Tris complained.

Why were they still in the conference room? Her mom wasstanding in front of it like she was guarding it or something. Kala was prettysure she should get in there and stop whatever the hell was happening.

Her mom put a hand up. “Unless you want to sit down and talkabout what happened tonight, you should go to the locker room.”

She put her hands on her hips and stared her mom down. Shewasn’t a child anymore. She hadn’t been for a very long time. “You don’t thinkI have a stake in whatever the hell Dad’s doing in there?”

“I think your father loves you and wants the best for you.”Her mother was unmoving. Charlotte Taggart was a force of nature, representingstrength and love and devotion. She was everything that was good in Kala’sworld.

She turned and walked away because she couldn’t punch hermother the way she had Tris.

She was antsy and emotional. Could she find someone whowanted to spar at this time of night?

She strode down the hall, conscious of how everyone in herway suddenly decided they needed to be somewhere else.

The evil Domme was pissed, and everyone was scrambling forcover. There were days when she would find it amusing. Today was not the day.

Up ahead she saw Kenzie and Tasha still arguing with Louabout how to handle her.

She didn’t want to be handled.

Maybe the decision whether or not to stay with the teamwould be easier than she thought it would. She should go to the locker room andget ready for the ride back, but she just couldn’t. She couldn’t. She couldn’tget into TJ’s truck and pretend like nothing happened. She couldn’t stay hereand watch as Cooper walked out of the conference room, shaking hands with herfather, likely commiserating over how hard she was to deal with.

So she turned and walked out of the club. She could walk. Orcall a ride. It didn’t matter.

“Hey, you okay?” Lena Gallagher stood outside the entrance,her cell phone in hand. “I thought y’all would be going a little longer. I waswaiting to see if I could catch a ride with Drake. We’re at the same hotel.”

“I’m fine,” she lied. “It’s getting late, and the parentsget crabby when they miss bedtime.”

She looked behind Kala as though trying to catch sight ofsomeone. “Any idea if Drake came out?”

She shook her head. “I lost track of him. Sorry. I’m goingto head home.”

“I know you hate me, but give a sister a ride?” Lena asked,sounding less shrinkish than usual.

“I was going to walk,” she admitted. “I didn’t bring mycar.”

“Do you live close? This seems like a kind of deserted partof town and it’s late,” Lena said, glancing down the street as though lookingfor danger. “I know you’re a badass operative, but still… Also, is this clubwhat I think it is?”

Kala stared at the darkness and remembered another nightwhen things with Cooper McKay went hideously wrong and she’d walked away alone.Huisman was out there. Was she really this dumb? Was her pride worth livingthrough that nightmare again?

Or was that precisely the point?

Did she make the same mistake again and again because deepdown she knew she deserved whatever happened to her?

That was the moment TJ stuck his head out the door. Hehadn’t changed from his leathers, merely thrown a T-shirt over them. He pointedher way. “Kala Taggart, I swear to god if you try to walk home, I will fuckingfind you and drag you back, and I will tell everyone I found you crying like agirl who lost her favorite teddy bear. I have secrets, sister. I will tellevery one of them if you leave this club without me or Cooper.”

Fucking TJ. She sighed. She’d just come to the revelationherself, so she couldn’t exactly argue. She could, but it would becounterproductive, and going home with TJ and Lou would be better than anyoneelse. “I’ll be here when you’re ready.”

He sighed as though he’d expected more of a fight. “Were youserious about not being hungry? Because there’s a Waffle House on the way. Imean, if you want.”

He was a walking never-full gut. But she did like waffles,and Lou wouldn’t push her. Lou would talk about everything else that happenedin the club and what she was going to do in Sweden. Listening to Lou would besoothing. If they stayed out long enough, Kenzie might fall asleep, and thenshe could avoid her twin’s questions. “I could eat.”

TJ’s expression suddenly turned sunny. “Cool. Give me tenand we’ll pick you up here.”

He walked away but not before she saw Lou standing behindhim. Sneaky bestie.

God, she would miss Lou if she left. The thought of nothaving her around nearly brought tears to her eyes, but she had to think aboutit.