Page 17 of The Monsters Within

“She never told him?”

“She didn’t. It’s a long story, and she doesn’t come out the greatest, but she had some trouble. Turned out her best friend was unhinged, so Mimic was one of the first brothers on guard duty. Well, Sam got a phone call from her friend, and while she was honest about the call, she lied about the details.

“Mimic called her out on it. And when King made him apologize to her, he told her everything. He explained why her lying hurt him so much. But she wouldn’t tell any of us. Not even Jack knew about you.”

“He thinks our mom lied,” I said, settling back against Cash.

“About what?”

“He thinks she didn’t want us. Thorne believes Mom left with that man because she wanted to be with him, and he didn’t want us. But he didn’t know about us. No one did.”

“Okay, we are going to unpack that later, and you are going to tell me everything about that man. But first, tell me what happened with Sam. What did she say?”

“Charlie said I would be her sister, too. Did you know Thorne calls her his sister? He replaced me.”

“He didn’t replace you, baby. No one could ever replace you.” He kissed the top of my head. But he was lying. Val would replace me as soon as Amber went home. “What else?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” I struggled to get up, but he held me in place. He was so freaking strong.

“Absolutely not. Talk to me. What did Sam say?”

I rolled my lips between my teeth. I didn’t want to say it. If I said it, it would make it real. It was one thing to hear it. But if I told him she said it, then it really happened.

“Kytten,” he warned.

“She said that I got to choose if I wanted to be in their family.” I rushed the words out. Still not believing she said them. Why would they want me? They already had Thorne and Charlie. Now they were having two more girls. One of them would have my name.

No, she was just saying it so Thorne would think she wanted me. She was probably afraid I would take him away from her.

“Do you want to be in their family?”

I couldn’t answer him. I couldn’t say the words. Not because the monsters were holding them back. But because I was. Because if I had to answer. If he wanted to know the truth. I did want to be in their family.

More than I had ever wanted anything in my life.

Chapter Five

Kytten

“Can we talk about what happened last night?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. I didn’t want to talk to her, but Cash wouldn’t let up.

“What would you like to talk about?”

I turned away from Dr. Jefferson and sought out Cash. He was sitting in the same chair by the door. The monsters were affecting his life, too. He had things to do, but he sat in that chair watching me. Protecting me.

I frowned as I wondered how long he would put up with my shit.

“Tell me what you’re feeling right now, Kytten.”

“He won’t stay,” I whispered, then slammed my hand over my mouth as soon as I realized what I’d said.

Dr. Jefferson turned and looked over her shoulder. When Cash stood, she shook her head at him. He didn’t sit. He watched me.

“I need to go home.”

“To Las Vegas?” she asked.