Page 130 of The Woman Who Couldn't Scream
The rez was poor, disheartening, but to hear Lilith describe it as a cesspool made Kateri want to slap her—and made her want to cry. “The reservation is the land the government didn’t want and used to keep Natives Americans imprisoned. What did you think it would be like?”
“You people should… you should do something to improve yourselves.”
Kateri noted she was no longer part of Lilith’s family, butyou people.“We are improving. Every day we’re improving. Now, we’re building a casino.” False bravado. She didn’t approve of the casino. But if it would improve her people’s finances…
“That’s immoral. Do you know how those casinos operate?”
“I do. After my mother died, I was a dealer. I also know that job kept me alive until I was able to get into the Coast Guard Academy.”
“You’re lying. You were too young to work in a casino!”
Lilith’s ignorant indignation amused Kateri. “There are ways to get a false ID.”
“You… lied? You falsified legal documents?” Lilith broke in to houses, stole a key, held a weapon, threatened to kill—and was horrified about a little falsification. “How canyouenforce the law?”
“I understand the law as it applies to the shady side better than most people.” Kateri’s gaze flicked to the pistol.
“If you had simply asked Father—”
“For support?” Kateri’s resentment rose. “I think not. When I got away from him, I swore I would never accept his help again.”
“You did, though. He got you into the Coast Guard Academy.”
“He made me eatdirtto do it.” Kateri had to take deep breaths to continue. “He was an awful man. Why do you defend him?”
“Why do you defend your mother, a hopeless alcoholic and sometime whore?”
Kateri grew cold with rage. This ghastly, manipulative, greedy, shallow bitch dared to malign Mary Kwinault? No. Never. So Kateri said the thing guaranteed to hurt. “At least I know my mother loved me.”
Where Kateri’s rage was cold, Lilith’s flashed like fire. She lunged, slapped Kateri across the cheek.
When she came in for another blow, Kateri caught her arm, twisted it behind her, made her drop the pistol. It landed with a thunk.
Didn’t go off… yay. Maybe the safety was on.
“Really?” Kateri was furious. “After what you said, you hit me?”
“You deserve it, you filthy… you don’t even know if you’re really part of the family!”
“Did you think your father took me in without checking my DNA? Of course I’m his! Do you think I want to be related to you? To him? God, no!” Kateri flung Lilith’s arm away and spun her around.
Lilith had tears in her eyes. From the pain in her arm? Or from Kateri’s cruel taunt?
Of course Kateri felt guilt. Damn it. “Look, I’m sorry that I said that about your mother.”
“My mother taught me dignity. She taught me to make the most of my assets. She taught me good grooming.” From the sweeping, gimlet-eyed glance Lilith shot at her, Kateri knew grooming to be her greatest failure. “From my mother, from our family, you learned to survive in a civilized environment.”
“I learned deception. I learned secrecy. I learned that to express my opinions was a sin punishable by loneliness, rejection and heartache.”
“You appear to have forgotten it all.”
“Virtue Falls is a small, barely civilized corner of the world where some people, at least, allow a woman to speak her mind.” Right now, Kateri had never been so grateful to be in Virtue Falls.
“You can have your barely civilized corner of the world. Now give me that certificate!”
“To hell with you, lady!”
Lilith lunged, grabbed the envelope, wrestled with Kateri for control.
