Unlikely Allies Read Online Free Page B

for zoning out. She looked down at her own half-eaten meal and decided she couldn’t stomach another bite.
    “She ate five of them and all her fruit too,” Kat remarked, nudging Maggie in the shoulder on her way to the sink. “You feeling okay?”
    Unhooking Cece and helping her off the chair, she gathered the rest of the dishes as her eager daughter took off for the living room. She allowed her an hour of TV after breakfast on the weekends, and Cece took full advantage of every minute.
    “I’ve got a lot on my mind.” She tried to shrug off her sister’s inquiry and inspecting stare by turning on the faucet and washing dishes.
    “What’s going on, Mags?” Kat set her hip against the counter and picked up a towel to dry.
    Maggie should have known Kat wouldn’t drop the subject. Her private investigator mind never let up. Their father and Kat had the same tenacious attitude when working on cases and both earned reputations as rebels growing up. Other than that, the similarities between Maggie’s sister and father ended. Kat’s features were almost identical to their mother’s: both five foot nine, slim with darker complexion and hair, a reflection of their mom’s Greek and Russian heritage. If Kat didn’t dye her hair a white-blond, it would be hard to tell them apart. The Irish side, red hair and freckles, which Maggie embodied, came from their dad. Genetics amazed her, how it mixed up characteristics and features among siblings, sprinkling a little here and there, compliments of each parent.
    “Nothing. Give it a rest, will ya?” Maggie scrubbed the plate harder, even though she already removed all the stains.
    “You didn’t get another letter did you?” Kat prompted, and yanked the cleaned dish out of Maggie’s hands.
    The gushing water seemed interesting enough. Better than Kat’s inquisition. Maggie dropped her chin into her chest and stared at the stream, avoiding Kat’s penetrating eyes. Her sister could always tell when she was lying, a gift their dad used often.
    Kat clamped down on the handle, shutting off the tap. “Mags, look at me.”
    Dang it. She faced her, knowing if she didn’t, this conversation would never come to an end.
    “He wrote you again?” Kat didn’t wait for her to respond. “Let me see it.”
    Maggie sighed and picked up the next plate, her reflection marred by clumps of jelly and contorted by the daylight glinting off it. Their discussion would probably end up in an argument. She loved her sister and appreciated that Kat had taken them in, but she came to New York to escape the constant barrage of questions and curious stares in their hometown. Hoping to start new, she’d moved halfway across the country to get away from the constant scrutiny. Since Maggie and Kat were only eleven months apart in age, they’d been inseparable growing up. When Kat left Texas, taking a job out of state a year ago, it crushed her. By that time, Maggie’s divorce had been finalized, and she and Cece took over her and Kat’s childhood bedroom. Her ex had been sentenced to three to six years in the county prison, and her life and emotions were a mess. She thought being with her mom and dad, her safety net, would provide some stability. Instead, even though her parents were supportive and never complained, something inside her felt unsettled and antsy. The fact her ex wouldn’t stop tormenting her, which she refused to tell her parents about since they worried a lot already, made the environment more suffocating. If she complained to her dad and revealed what Jake kept doing, her ex would get angrier and end up in more trouble. She already felt guilty enough. Each day as the pressure increased, she thought if she went away, perhaps Jake’s anger would fade. Unable to escape her sister’s interrogations and in a weak moment, she told Kat about Jake’s threatening letters and phone calls. Tired of the gossips and more than ready for an escape, she asked Kat several months ago if they