Page 144 of The Spy
"The story. Is that what you tell yourself to make yourself feel better?" I asked.
"It's not a story."
"Okay, so what did you want exactly?"
"Someone who actually gave a shit. As soon as she saw her way out, she ran."
"Right. She told me a little about the place she grew up in. Did you want her to stay in that?"
"She left us!” Kira roared.
"Weren't you the one who chose to stay?"
Her brow furrowed. "I don't know what you're talking about."
I shrugged. "I mean, she offered you a chance to come with her, to change your names and have a new life."
“She should have tried harder."
I nodded. "You know what I think, Kira? I think it hurt you that she left, and you wanted to punish your sister for leaving you and Riley and doing the thing that you couldn't do. When she came back for you, you wanted to hurt her back, but it backfired on you."
“I hate her.”
"Come on, how is any of this your sister’s fault? She did what she had to do to survive, and you hate that she got out. Because you can't face that, you blame her."
She turned away from me.
"I'll tell you what though, despite all the trouble you've gotten into throughout the years, despite everything you've done, she still turns up for you. When a lesser person would have walked away and left you to rot, Tabatha still turned up for you and for Riley. She got you and Riley into good schools. Riley stayed and studied, good for him. But you, as bright as you are, you just fucked up. Way to stick it to your sister. You are the agent of your own fate, and you cannot stand it. Let us be really, really bloody clear though. I will never, ever let you hurt her again. Mark my words, I will make your life excruciatingly difficult if she feels any more pain because of you."
I had no choice, I had to shuffle out of there. It wasn't dignified, but it was all I had. I checked my watch and sighed. Chris was waiting for me outside of my room. "You mind getting me a wheelchair?"
He lifted a brow. "I told you so."
"Can you get it for me without commentary, please?"
"I'm just saying, I tried to warn you."
"Fine. Get me the chair."
Outside of the briefing room, I sighed. What I wanted to do was walk in there under my own steam. That, unfortunately, was not going to happen.
Suck it up and just go in there.
Chris pushed open the door and rolled me in there, and everyone froze.
Saff's eyes went wide. "What the fuck is he doing out of his room?"
Chris shook his head. "I tried to tell him, ma'am."
Saff winced. "Chris, damn it, call me Saff."
"Yes, ma'am."
My sister growled at him, and he took an automatic step back. Which was a good thing. Pissing off Saff was generally a bad idea on a good day.
"Leave him be,” I told my sister. “I gave him a command, and he had to follow."
Tab's gaze held mine for several beats, and then she looked away determinedly.
