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Pearl smiles and Rose grabs the jar and proceeds to tip out the contents all over her ice cream.
“And he tells terrible jokes,” I say, frowning at Rose’s bowl.
“So, so bad,” Rose confirms.
I look at Esther. She’s also frowning at Rose’s bowl. And Zinnea. And Anya and Pearl. And Rose is oblivious, stirring her spoon through the ice cream, mixing the pickles in with it, humming happily before getting a big spoonful and opening wide, taking it all and closing her eyes in bliss. It’s fucking bliss.
“What the hell, Rose?”
Her eyes pop open and she swallows, looking down at her bowl. “I know!” she cries. “It’s so gross.” She grits her teeth, gripping the spoon in her fist. “I can’t stop it,” she grates, angry with herself and this new disgusting craving. “Yesterday, I sprinkled sugar on my Mexican food.” She drops her spoon and puts her head in her hands.
I see my phone at James’s place and collect it, laughing at her as I stand and walk to her end. “I still love you,” I say, rubbing her shoulder. “I’m going to see if they’ve killed Nolan yet.”
Her hands fall. “I want every detail,” she says.
Naturally, I think, leaving the kitchen. “Thanks for dinner.”
“You should be in here helping us clean up, not in the office with the men,” Esther calls, making me roll my eyes.
“I’m sure the men agree,” I say, heading across the house to Danny’s office and pushing my way in without knocking. The first person I see is Goldie, reminding me that they’re not all men. Very good.
I close the door behind me, ignoring Danny’s exasperated look, and regard Nolan on the couch, looking a bit shaken up as I stand to the side, out of the way, quiet and watchful. I’m giving no one any reason to see me out, and when I catch James’s eye, I see he’s caught my move, his eyebrows high. I look away.
“So if you weren’t at Brad’s like you said,” James asks, “where the fuck were you?”
“My last installment,” he says. “I was paying off my last installment with the loan shark.”
A loan shark? Not good news. I look at James. He’s scowling. “You told us you paid off the final installmentjust last week.”
“I lied. I didn’t want you to think I wasn’t good for the money. And Brad would have paid it for me. I’m not comfortable with that.” Nolan looks around the office. “Where is he, anyway? He said he had business to discuss.”
“We don’t know,” Danny says quietly, lowering to his chair.
“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Nolan stands, his eyes wide and worried.
“He’s probably gone to the club.”
“He’s not here?”
“No.” Danny’s lips twist. “He stormed out. Don’t know whether you noticed, but for some strange reason, he’s quite attached to you.” I smile on the inside when I see Nolan’s worry lift a fraction to make way for happiness. “He was quite cut up when we thought you’d gone up with his apartment,” Danny goes on, getting up and wandering over to Nolan, getting up in his face. “So what lesson have you learned today, boy?”
“Not to lie.”
“Be straight with us, you hear me?” He pokes him in the shoulder. The Brit is capable of so much more but, even if Danny’s not saying it, he’s quite attached to Nolan too. We all are. “Now sit down.”
“He’s injured.” Nolan looks between us. “Doc said he should be resting.”
“I told you to sit the fuck down,” Danny barks, frustrated.
Nolan moves a few paces and squeezes between Ringo and Otto, forcing them to shift and yank their jackets out from under Nolan’s ass.
“Now.” Danny sits back at his desk. “Someone call Brad and tell him his pet’s alive and well.”
“He’s not taken his phone,” Otto replies.
“What?” James is across the room in the second, looking at Otto’s screen, which I expect shows Brad’s phone’s location. Here. “Why the fuck would he do that?”
Danny goes straight to his cell. “Is Brad there?” he asks. Then he curses, giving us all the answer. “Where the fuck has he gone?”
