Killer Instinct (The Naturals, #2)

by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

“I take it you’re Michael,” she said. “The emotion reader with the attitude problem who’s continually doing stupid things for girls.” “That’s hardly a fair assessment,” Michael replied. “I do plenty of stupid things that aren’t for girls, too.”

I look at him, and I see someone who’s so angry and so terrified of that anger that there’s not room for anything else. Or anyone else.” I realized, suddenly: “That’s your problem with Dean.” “That he’s incapable of romancing a female?” Michael smirked. “As far as I’m concerned, that’s his best quality.”

“If you can’t keep them from hitting you,” Michael said, “you make them hit you. At least that way, you’re ready. At least that way, it’s not a surprise.”

“Okay, I’m calling it,” Michael announced when the quiet got to be too much. “I’m turning on the radio. There will be singing. I would not be opposed to car-dancing. But the next person whose facial expression approaches ‘brood’ is getting punched in the nose. Unless it’s Cassie. If it’s Cassie, I punch Dean in the nose.”

I’d joined the Naturals program in hopes that I might be able to save some other little girl from coming back to a blood-drenched room. That was what we were doing. We were saving people. And still, I couldn’t throw away the lipstick, I couldn’t shut the door on my past.