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His meaning dawns on me. “No, I don’t mind us telling them about the tapes.”
“Okay. What’s with the frown?” He asks when he sees my scrunched up expression.
“It’s just something about this Antonio guy. He seemed pretty tied up about the whole Don business. “You say the guy works for Alex? As what?”
Ryan shrugs. “I told you, he’s a jack of all trades.” His tone is vague and nonchalant. Which tells me all I need to know. God, I love the way he tells me things.
I chuckle and give him a sly look “Oh I see, he’s like Alex’s handyman.” More like bogeyman.
Ryan looks back at me his eyes twinkling with humor. “Exactly. I knew you’d get it.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Stella
Brooke and I sit together on the chaise waiting for Bonnie and Ethan to get here. Xavier and Ryan are talking in the kitchen. I suspect they’re giving us space to hang out but I’m too nervous and excited to do much catching up.
Ever since Carmen called to say she got the CDs and is on her way, my anxiety has ratcheted up, right along with my anticipation of meeting Bonnie’s baby.
“Why is it taking forever for those two to get here?” I scroll down my phone wanting to call Bonnie again but Brooke lays a gentle hand to halt me then puts her arm around me.
“She’ll be here soon, you know they live an hour away.” And as if on cue, the elevator bell chimes.
Ryan leaves Xavier in the kitchen and strides toward the entrance. “That must be Ethan. I need to punch that sucker in the face.”
Brooke, soothes, “Come on Ryan, we agreed to let bygones be bygones.”
Xavier quips, “After sufficient punches have been thrown. It’s only fair. Ethan fucked up big time.”
“Ethan was fucked either way.” Brooke returns and I can’t help the smile forming on my lips.
Looks like once the F-word comes out, there’s no going back.
Once the elevator doors slide open to where Ryan is already waiting for Ethan. Ryan rears back when he sees them. “Oh look, he’s using the wife and the baby as a human shield. Smooth, bastard.”
Ethan shoots back. “Language asshole! There’s a baby in here.”
“Look at this fucker I’m about to deck into kingdom come. Just wait till you put Lucas down,” Ryan counters, a half-threat in his voice filled with reluctant amusement. He envelops Bonnie in a welcoming hug. “Well done, Bonnie. Congratulations.”
“Thank you, Ryan.” She accepts his hug but then begins to confess. “Now, I know Stella covered for me, but I need to come clean. The whole DNA idea was mine. I’m sorry—”
“Actually, she didn’t cover for you,” Ryan cuts in with a smirk. “Instead she told me how you made her fetch my hair practically at gunpoint.”
Bonnie shoots me a narrow-eyed glare. “Thanks a lot.”
I just blow her a kiss. Brooke and I rush over for a glimpse of the sleeping baby strapped to Ethan’s front carrier.
“Anyway,” Bonnie continues, her voice softening, “Ryan, I’m really sorry I did that. My best friend was devastated, and we were both just... in shock, you know?”
“And Bonnie was in labor,” I add.
“Exactly! I wasn’t thinking straight,” Bonnie gives us her best ‘puppy dog eyes’ impression.
“Yep, we forgive Bonnie,” Xavier declares, “she was having a baby. But Ethan, man, not cool.”
Ethan raises his hands in surrender, “Guys, come on. If I thought for a second Ryan was capable of something like that, he’d have much more to worry about than a sneaky DNA test. But, yeah, I admit I messed up. I could’ve handled it way better. I’m sorry, man.”
“Did everyone get that?” Xavier shouts from the kitchen, unable to resist the opportunity to tease Ethan. “The great Zeus admits he was wrong.”
