Page 45 of Unmasking Her Shadow

“No,” she drags out. “I’m the opposite of you, Samster. My problem is that I fall too easily. I’m doing my best to hold out until someone comes along that is worthy of my crazy, obsessed ass.”

After I finish my fishbowl margarita, I answer my phone without thinking.

“Ki,” I gush.

“I’m on my way.”

“No hi, how are you?”

“Hi, love. You’ve been drinking. I’m coming to get you.”

“Mmm. That wouldn’t be a good idea. I would kiss you, and I need to choose first.”

“Choose what, Sam?”

“I have to go.”

“Looks like you need another drink, beautiful,” some random man says after stepping in front of me. I scrunch my nose, and he gives me a dirty look before continuing on. I have what I want, thank you very much.

“Who the fuck was that?” Ki snaps, reminding me I’m still on the phone.

“Mmm. Jealous are we?” Her protective tone sends shivers to all the right, but wrong at the moment, places.

“Sam,” she growls.

“Ki,” I growl back, giggling. “I’m breathing. Let me breathe,” I tell her, hanging up.

I might as well reply to Shadow’s million missed messages too.

Here I was thinking I had a stalker, and you have yet to find me.

“Gave in already, huh?” Taylor pokes fun at me when she comes back with regular-sized margaritas this time, which are pink on the bottom and purple on top. It’s so pretty I almost don’t want to drink it…almost.

I shrug. “It rang, I saw her name appear on my screen, and I got excited. My buzzed brain forgot I wasn’t supposed to answer,” I explain my poor excuse.

“Hey ladies,” a cute man our age says as he approaches us. What is it with women in bikinis that screams hit on me?

Taylor puts her hand up, signaling for him to stop. “My vagina is currently in nun training and she’s got a girlfriend…and maybe a boyfriend.”

He tilts his head back and downs his shot before jumping into the pool, splashing us.

“I don’t know about a boyfriend, but she definitely has a girlfriend,” Kioni’s voice comes from behind us, startling me. My margarita slips from my hand, and Ki is quick to catch it, only allowing a few sips to spill out. My entire body buzzes from more than just tequila when her hand touches the small of my back.

“Ki?” I whisper, and she pulls me closer, handing me back my glass and kissing my temple.

How did she find me? I was just talking to her.

“You can still breathe. Just do it where I can watch over you.”

Taylor whimpers as if she has a hidden vibrator in her swimsuit when her eyes land on Ryker. “Oh, no,” she mutters to herself and then points aggressively at him. “No, no, no! I’ve been working so hard and you are not going to ruin it,” she yells at him, and he furrows his eyebrows. “Just…no!” she hooks her elbow around mine and tugs me back towards our inflatable chairs. I glance back and Kioni is watching me with an intensity that makes me want to crawl back to her. Meanwhile, Ryker has his head cocked, and a puzzled expression written all over his face, staring at my sister.

30

Kioni

“What the fuck did you do to Sam’s sister?” I ask Ryker.

“I’ve never seen that woman in my life,” he defends himself, staring at Taylor with his arms crossed.