Page 76 of Till Death Do Us Part

“Eww. Don’t tell me that about my sister.” I shook my head. “So you are actually together?”

“It’s a temporary arrangement that’s convenient for both of us.”

She was speaking in the same sort of clipped tone that Elaine would use when she was hiding something—when she was pretending Mom hadn’t just been yelling at her over paying late for a payment she never owed her anyway, smiling and pretending everything was okay.

“You do have feelings for her,” I said quietly, and Vera rolled her eyes.

“Figures we’d get a handy tech on the team and then find out she’s an annoying romantic. When is this going to be done?”

“It’s working on it. Stop changing the subject.”

“I’m not a sweet, loving housewife, Caitlyn. I’m a professional killer. I don’t do love and relationships. I don’t build a life, I end a life.”

Something scratched at the door. Vera groaned, rolling her eyes.

“This damn cat…” She turned back to the door, opening it, and in came Clara, mewing and headbutting Vera’s bandage-wrapped ankle immediately. She muttered something as she bent down and picked up the kitten, scratching her behind the ears.

I smirked at her. “Uh-huh. Cold-blooded killer, heartless dealer of death, and petter of kittens.”

Vera screwed up her face. “I didn’t ask her to keep clinging to me.”

“I don’t think asking does much with a kitten anyway.”

“I don’t care what you or Clara think. Love isn’t my specialty. Once this is done, we’ll have an amicable separation, and your sister can lead a normal life and find someone who isn’t a professional killer.”

“It’s okay to admit you like her. She’s a really special person.”

She grunted. “I wouldn’t have saved her life if I hated her.”

“So you admit it.”

“No, I’m saying—”

“But you can’t be together with Elaine if you’re not also supporting your local library,” I said. “She’s very passionate about them! When did you last donate to support yours?”

She blinked slowly at me. “Caitlyn Whitner, the last time I was in a public library was to attack someone in the bathrooms and hold his head underwater in the toilet until he told us who he’d sold our classified information to.”

I folded my arms. “That sounds like the library provided you a valuable service. Did you thank the librarian?”

“I did not.”

The door creaked open, and Petra poked her head in, relaxing when she saw Vera. “Ah, there’s my best friend in the whole wide world,” she said. “And the asshole holding her.”

Vera held out the cat for Petra. “Take this thing away from me. I am not a cat mom.”

Petra took the cat, kissing her on the top of the head. Clara yowled pitifully, reaching her paws out for Vera still. Petra sighed, handing the cat back. “Think she wants you to hold her.”

“Son of a…” With a frustrated groan, Vera took the cat back, looking away as she held her close to her chest, Clara immediately purring.

“Sup, Cait,” Petra said, leaning over the back of my chair. “The Wolf’s key actually work?”

“Surprisingly. It’s processing the data right now.”

“Caitlyn I can see doubting me,” Vera said. “But you know full well I’m capable, Petra.”

“Eh. If you weren’t holding a little bundle of sunshine and joy right now, I’d have come in the door swinging brass knuckles, and you’d be flat on the floor.”

I sighed. “You’re both like little kids.”