out," Perry said. "The police need to process the house to determine if Joey Miller got the old," he drew a line across his neck, "inside."
Mario said, "Let it be known that I didn't want to move to that house in the first place. It was Perry's idea."
" We know," Maria, Riley, Perry and I said in unison.
I was grateful that Gracie had slept straight through their arrival—Mario usually sent her into a tizzy. Probably because she didn 't like nipping competition.
" Where will you stay?" I asked. "A hotel?"
" Kind of," Perry said. "It's more like a halfway house." He blinked at me.
" Something in your eye?" I asked.
" We're staying here," Mario said bluntly, his gorgeous black eyes daring me to say no to him.
" What?" They were joking, right? There was no more room at this inn.
" We're. Staying. Here." Mario folded his arms.
Maria put her hands on her hips and said, "Do you want me to kick his ass, Nina? Don't let this big belly fool you, Mario Gibbens. I can still take you down."
She could. And would. Which probably wouldn 't be best for her blood pressure or the baby.
" It's not that big," Mario said.
Maria smiled at him, pleased with his statement, then shifted her gaze to me. "They can surely stay one night. Two, max."
" Where?" I asked. "You're sharing my bed, and Riley's home for the weekend."
" I can bunk on the couch," Riley said. "The guys can have my room."
Perry blinked at me again. "Please, Nina?"
" Fine," I said. "But try and stay out of Gracie's way."
Mario lifted his feet onto the chair. "She's here?"
I pointed under the couch.
"Maybe we should get a hotel," Mario said. "Do you remember what she did to my Gucci loafers?"
We all grimaced. His loafers hadn't stood a chance.
Mario was an interesting juxtaposition of a man. He loved the finer things in life like designer clothes and ni ce restaurants, but he was also cheaper than Brickhouse, and that was saying something.
Riley headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
He rolled his eyes. At sixteen, he 'd perfected the eye roll. "Out."
" Out where?"
" To a friend's."
" Which friend?" I asked.
He sighed. He 'd mastered that, too. He'd obviously taken lessons from Maria.
" Well," I added, "you can either tell me, or you can stay here and take care of Maria for the rest of the night."
" Hey!" she said, struggling to stand up. "I don't need a babysitter." She tossed a look at Perry. "Can you give me a little help here?"
Riley had hit a growth spurt over the winter and was closing fast on Kevin 's height at a little more than six feet tall. He looked a lot like his dad, with his dark hair, full mouth, and strong chin. His eyes, however, had come straight from his mom, who'd died when he was still a little boy.
He clenched his teeth and said, "I'm going to Layla's."
Maria, Perry, Mario and I said in perfec t sing-song unison, " Lay-la's ?"
With cheeks flushing a bright red, he choked out, "I'll be back at midnight." He slammed the door behind him.
" Layla?" Maria asked me as she absently rubbed her belly.
" First I've heard of her," I said, watching as Riley's headlights swept across the windows. I wondered if Kevin knew about her.
" She's a junior, five-ten, plays volleyball, has short blond hair and eyes as deep blue as a midnight sky," Perry said on a dramatic sigh.
We all stared at him.
"What?" he asked. "He talks. I listen."
" When does he talk? When do you listen?" I questioned.
" When I cut his hair," Perry said as if it was the most reasonable answer in the world.
I supposed it was. Perry was a master at weaseling information from his clients.
"We need to meet her..." Maria said as she wandered into the kitchen.
I didn 't like the dreamy look in her eyes. She'd been cooped up a long time on bed rest. She was itching to throw a party. But I didn't think Riley would be so keen on the idea.
Mario said, "We have a bigger issue than Riley's new girlfriend."
" Joey's murder?" I asked.
His cheeks pinked up. "I
Mario said, "Let it be known that I didn't want to move to that house in the first place. It was Perry's idea."
" We know," Maria, Riley, Perry and I said in unison.
I was grateful that Gracie had slept straight through their arrival—Mario usually sent her into a tizzy. Probably because she didn 't like nipping competition.
" Where will you stay?" I asked. "A hotel?"
" Kind of," Perry said. "It's more like a halfway house." He blinked at me.
" Something in your eye?" I asked.
" We're staying here," Mario said bluntly, his gorgeous black eyes daring me to say no to him.
" What?" They were joking, right? There was no more room at this inn.
" We're. Staying. Here." Mario folded his arms.
Maria put her hands on her hips and said, "Do you want me to kick his ass, Nina? Don't let this big belly fool you, Mario Gibbens. I can still take you down."
She could. And would. Which probably wouldn 't be best for her blood pressure or the baby.
" It's not that big," Mario said.
Maria smiled at him, pleased with his statement, then shifted her gaze to me. "They can surely stay one night. Two, max."
" Where?" I asked. "You're sharing my bed, and Riley's home for the weekend."
" I can bunk on the couch," Riley said. "The guys can have my room."
Perry blinked at me again. "Please, Nina?"
" Fine," I said. "But try and stay out of Gracie's way."
Mario lifted his feet onto the chair. "She's here?"
I pointed under the couch.
"Maybe we should get a hotel," Mario said. "Do you remember what she did to my Gucci loafers?"
We all grimaced. His loafers hadn't stood a chance.
Mario was an interesting juxtaposition of a man. He loved the finer things in life like designer clothes and ni ce restaurants, but he was also cheaper than Brickhouse, and that was saying something.
Riley headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
He rolled his eyes. At sixteen, he 'd perfected the eye roll. "Out."
" Out where?"
" To a friend's."
" Which friend?" I asked.
He sighed. He 'd mastered that, too. He'd obviously taken lessons from Maria.
" Well," I added, "you can either tell me, or you can stay here and take care of Maria for the rest of the night."
" Hey!" she said, struggling to stand up. "I don't need a babysitter." She tossed a look at Perry. "Can you give me a little help here?"
Riley had hit a growth spurt over the winter and was closing fast on Kevin 's height at a little more than six feet tall. He looked a lot like his dad, with his dark hair, full mouth, and strong chin. His eyes, however, had come straight from his mom, who'd died when he was still a little boy.
He clenched his teeth and said, "I'm going to Layla's."
Maria, Perry, Mario and I said in perfec t sing-song unison, " Lay-la's ?"
With cheeks flushing a bright red, he choked out, "I'll be back at midnight." He slammed the door behind him.
" Layla?" Maria asked me as she absently rubbed her belly.
" First I've heard of her," I said, watching as Riley's headlights swept across the windows. I wondered if Kevin knew about her.
" She's a junior, five-ten, plays volleyball, has short blond hair and eyes as deep blue as a midnight sky," Perry said on a dramatic sigh.
We all stared at him.
"What?" he asked. "He talks. I listen."
" When does he talk? When do you listen?" I questioned.
" When I cut his hair," Perry said as if it was the most reasonable answer in the world.
I supposed it was. Perry was a master at weaseling information from his clients.
"We need to meet her..." Maria said as she wandered into the kitchen.
I didn 't like the dreamy look in her eyes. She'd been cooped up a long time on bed rest. She was itching to throw a party. But I didn't think Riley would be so keen on the idea.
Mario said, "We have a bigger issue than Riley's new girlfriend."
" Joey's murder?" I asked.
His cheeks pinked up. "I
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