Dark Choices - I. T. Lucas Page 0,46

six.”

When he opened his mouth to protest, she lifted a finger and put it over his lips. “I know that you are going to say that I’m perfect the way I am, and that’s very sweet of you, but I want to fit into size six for me, not for you. Things are finally going my way, and I’m happy for the first time in my life. It gives me the motivation to achieve the things I always wanted. I want to develop good exercise habits, and then I want to enroll in college and study something. I didn’t decide what yet, but I like the idea of working with children. Maybe I could open a daycare center in the village. With Kalugal’s men marrying clan females and Merlin helping everyone get pregnant, I will probably have plenty of clients by the time I get my diploma.”

31

Kalugal

“Edna, what a pleasant surprise.” Kalugal offered her his hand. “Are you joining us on the tour?”

He had to admit that Rufsur had been right about the good schtupping making Edna less uptight. Not that she was relaxed, tension still crackled around her like static electricity, but she looked like a different woman than the one he’d seen on his last visit.

Her hair was still gathered in a bun, but it was not pulled back tightly, and the few loose strands added softness to her angular face. She was also wearing well-fitting clothes and shoes that were not a throwback to 1940s fashion. Her face was still clean of makeup, but she looked good. Effortlessly feminine was the term that came to mind. Kalugal could finally see what Rufsur had seen in her. Edna might not be a great beauty, but she was a handsome woman.

The thing was, she wasn’t his lieutenant’s type.

Rufsur liked females that were easy on the eyes, easygoing, and fun to be with. He’d never been interested in smart, well-educated women, and Kalugal had always assumed that he was intimidated by them. Had he finally accepted what Kalugal had been telling him for decades? That smart ladies were the best lovers? Or was that the work of the Fates?

It seemed that they liked pairing people who, on the face of things, had nothing in common. He and Jacki were a prime example of that, and yet the Fates had been right, and Jacki was absolutely perfect for him.

“That’s why I’m here.” Edna shook his hand. “I hope that you and Jacki don’t mind.”

“Of course not,” Jacki said. “The more, the merrier.”

Edna chuckled. “I hope that Kian shares your opinion.”

So that was why she’d come. Were Edna and Kian butting heads?

Kalugal got his answer when, a few minutes later, Kian arrived with Syssi and raised a brow at the judge.

“Edna, I didn’t expect to find you here.”

“Good morning, Kian. I decided to join the tour. I figured that it would save you time by not having to explain twice why the village needs fifty more dwellings.”

Given the way he was glaring at the judge, Kian was about to say something unpleasant, but Syssi put a hand on his shoulder and smiled at Edna. “That’s a very good idea. In turn, you can explain it later to the other council members.”

“There is nothing to explain,” Kian grumbled. “And I don’t need the council to vote on every damn decision I make.” He turned around and opened the door. “Shall we?”

As they followed the leader and his wife out, Rufsur put his arm around Edna and fell in step with Kian. “Do you own this entire mountain ridge?”

Kian cast him and the judge one of his glares. “The clan owns the entire area. Over thirteen hundred acres. We bought it when the land here was still selling for peanuts. Now it’s worth many millions.”

“Good business investment. You should build a few gated communities and sell the houses. You'd make a killing.”

“Not really. To get approval for development in these mountains, I would need to bribe half of city hall with campaign donations and other contributions. It would still be profitable, but I don’t like dealing with politicians and lining their pockets. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

Kalugal understood the sentiment perfectly, and he applauded Kian’s decision not to contribute to the corruption. His cousin might not wish to fight it as actively as Kalugal planned to do, but at least he was not propagating the problem with his clan’s money.

The new parcel Kian was grading was next to the existing houses