Free Deadly Secrets, Loving Lies by Cynthia Cooke

over. She shouldn’t let Kyle get to her like that. Not again. And certainly not now. There was too much at stake, and she shouldn’t involve him in it. If she let him in, let him close, even just a little, then he’d start asking questions. Questions he had every right to ask. But questions she couldn’t answer. And then where would she be? She couldn’t continue to lie to him. To keep him in the dark. It made her feel like crap to do that.
    But there were some secrets she just couldn’t share. Not with anyone.
    She stood beside him with her face to the wind, trying to gather her wits. And not for the first time, wishing with every fiber of her being that she wasn’t gifted—or cursed as Cat had put it—with her empathic ability. That she could somehow put it all behind her and have a normal life, as Cat had managed…at least until now. But Genie had a feeling Cat’s paradise of lies was about to come to an abrupt and difficult end. Thanks to Sean Emerich and his vicious schemes.
    The island where she and her sisters had grown up drew closer as the chilly sea air kissed her cheeks, reminding her of happier, easier times. It had been a long time since she’d taken this ride, since she’d felt the cold Pacific breeze on her skin. Why had it been so long? Why hadn’t she come back for a visit, to catch up? To try and make peace? She’d been so happy here once. They’d all been—Cat, Becca, and herself—running wild and free. They’d explored every inch of the island, and it had been wonderful.
    Then suddenly, it hadn’t been. When her mother died, everything had changed, and all for the worse. If only her mother hadn’t left the island that day. If only she’d stayed home with Genie and her sisters. They’d needed her so much. She still missed her terribly.
    Tears burned Genie’s eyes. It had been so long since the accident, she couldn’t quite remember her mother’s face. Just her long blond hair curling around her shoulders, and the sing-song Irish lilt of her cheerful voice.
    What would her life have been like if her mother had lived? If the girls had stayed together as a close family? If her father had put them first, before his job, and retired from the CTA way back then?
    Just thinking about the top-secret agency started a burn of anger deep in her gut. Perhaps Becca had been right. Perhaps the CTA was responsible for everything that had gone wrong in their lives. Genie had never understood what her sister had meant by the cryptic text she’d sent on that horrible day. Because once Genie got to the warehouse, she’d never found her. Never gotten the chance to talk to her sister before the explosion.
    Sean Emerich had made sure of that. If Becca was dead, he was responsible. There was no doubt in her mind. And now he wanted her and Cat for some nefarious purpose. To kill them, too?
    “Nice place,” Kyle said, startling her when he appeared beside her as the ferry approached the dock. She took a quick step away from him, afraid he’d try to kiss her again. More afraid of how she’d respond to him if he did…
    “I have a lot of good memories here,” she said noncommittally.
    “Of your sisters?” The accusation of omission sat heavy in his words, whether he’d intended it to or not. There was more than anger buried within him…there was also pain. Pain she had caused him. The stark emotions rolled off him in waves so thick she didn’t even need to be touching him to feel them.
    “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my sisters,” she murmured as the gangplank was lowered to the dock. She didn’t wait for his reaction, but hurried off the ferry and onto the dock. He followed behind her as she strode past a small tool shack and a building selling fishing supplies and fuel, and then halted in the shadow of a large sign.
    She looked around carefully as they walked, searching the small crowd of passengers and locals for anyone who looked out of the ordinary. For anyone who had his