Wrong Question, Right Answer (The Bourbon Street Boys #3) - Elle Casey Page 0,78
can’t help it; I start laughing. The look on his face is classic dude-in-pain.
He drops his stick and then waves his hand feebly at me. “Don’t worry about me. Just go on about your business. I’ll be fine.”
“You need some ice?” Thibault yells down at him.
Dev hobbles away with his hands between his legs. “Nope . . .” he groans out, disappearing into the shadows. “Just going to save the trouble and have them surgically removed this time, I think.”
I grab my scattered papers and mount the stairs with a huge smile on my face. It wasn’t pretty, but I won that challenge. I’m sure Dev’ll be lying in wait for me again, but at least this time the points were all on my side.
I get to the top of the stairs to find Thibault shaking his head at me.
“What?”
“You play dirty.”
“He’s the one who came after me. Rules say we can defend ourselves however we need to.” I walk past him, ignoring his judgment. He should know me well enough by now to realize that I always play to win; dirty or clean, whatever it takes.
“Did you get your report done?”
His words grate on my last nerve. “Yes.” I hold the papers above my head as I walk through the room and head toward the kitchen area. “Right here.”
Thibault follows behind me wordlessly. Thank goodness, because if he dares say anything else to me about my work, I don’t know what I’ll do to him. I am so not in the mood to take any more shit from anyone today. Who knows what May is going to say to me when I get in here, but if she even thinks about telling me how I should be doing my reports or spending my time, we are going to have some words. And Ozzie had better not back her up, or I’m outta here. I’ve been on this team a lot longer than she has, and everyone knows I’m a hell of a lot more qualified to do the work than she is. She and Ozzie had better respect that.
I enter the room and immediately feel like I’m interrupting something. Ozzie and May are embracing near the stove. When they see me, though, they break apart.
“Toni, you’re here!” May comes over and hugs me, not bothering to find out if I want to return the affection first, as usual. She’s acting like she hasn’t seen me in months.
When she’s done she pulls away but she keeps her hands on my arms. “You look so pretty. You’re seriously glowing.”
I roll my eyes. “Give me a break.” I sidestep and walk around her, intent on putting my report on the table so I can get out of here. I need to go home and get into the bathtub or something. Anything but hang out and intrude on their little love-fest.
“I’ve got your report right here.” I put it down on the table, pausing when I see that there are two gifts there. They’re beautifully wrapped with bows and everything. Each one has a little card attached to it, but I can’t read what either of them says.
I turn around to look at Ozzie. “Did I forget somebody’s birthday or baptism or something?” I’m suddenly worried. Is the pregnancy already messing with my memory? The book I was reading last night said that happens. ‘Pregnancy brain’ they called it, just like Lucky said.
He just shakes his head at me, his expression neutral.
May walks up to me and grabs one of the gifts, holding it out at me. “It’s for you! Open it up.”
I look down at it, confused. “For me? It’s not my birthday for another couple months.”
She giggles. “It’s not for your birthday, silly. Just open it.”
My hands lift slowly with no conscious thought coming from my brain. It’s either I take the gift or have it shaken in my face for the next five minutes. I think May is prepared to shove it up my nose if necessary.
I use my finger to push the card over and see the writing, reading it aloud when it comes into focus. “For my partner in crime. Congrats. Keep being kickass. Love, M.” I look up at May and then Ozzie. “I don’t get it.”
May huffs out a sigh of frustration. “It’s from me, of course. Just open it. You’ll see.”
I tear the paper, never one of those people who saves the stuff for another gift. Under the flowers and bows is a cardboard box.