Page 26 of The Grinch Who Stole Orcmas

But there’s no time to dwell on it now. We’ve got a Christmas miracle to pull off.

“Alright, everyone!” Grum’s voice booms across the room. “We’ve made great progress, but we’re not done yet. I want to see every present wrapped, every surface sparkling, and every singlestray piece of tinsel in the trash can by the time we leave tonight. Got it?”

A chorus of “Yes, bosses” rings out. Even Brokka looks impressed at Grum’s supportive, take-charge attitude.

“Well, well,” the chief mutters to me as he passes. “Looks like your Christmas spirit is contagious, Joy. Never thought I’d see the day Grum embraced the holiday like this.”

Beaming with pride, I nod. “He’s full of surprises. And…” I lean in and whisper, “the kindest heart.”

Brokka gives me a conspiratorial wink. “Yep, it was just buried under that grumpy, sullen exterior.”

I wonder if Grum heard us, because he immediately glances over, catching my eye. The intensity of his gaze sends a jolt through me, and for a moment, we’re back in that elevator, the rest of the world fading away. Dear Lord, I’ve got to get that male up to my apartment. Between his gorgeous good looks and the way he “accidentally” touches me every time he walks by, I’m ready to climb him like a tree.

“Joy!” Vakra’s voice breaks the spell. “We need your expert opinion. Multicolored lights or white for the entrance tree?”

Tearing my eyes away from Grum, I hurry over to help. “Let’s do both! We’ll create a twinkling wonderland.”

The next few hours fly by in a blur of ribbons, wrapping paper, and laughter. By the time we finish, the community center hastransformed into a winter wonderland that would put the North Pole to shame.

We’ve even decorated two trees in blue and white twinkle lights with six-pointed stars on top for any Jewish families that attend Santa’s Workshop. And there’s a Happy Kwanza sign on the wall next to a row of Buddhist prayer flags. I don’t want to exclude anyone.

Exhausted and proud, we gather in the center of the room to admire our handiwork.

“We did it,” Tyler breathes, eyes wide with wonder.

Grum steps up beside me, his arm brushing against mine. Though the contact is far from sexual, I’m such a ball of needy hormones that my nipples harden as filthy pictures fill my thoughts.

“Not bad for a bunch of misfits,” he rumbles as he surveys the room, but there’s no mistaking the pride in his voice.

“Tomorrow’s going to be amazing,” I sigh happily, leaning into him slightly.

He tenses for a moment, then relaxes, his hand finding the small of my back. “Yeah,” he agrees softly. “It is.”

As the others disperse, chattering excitedly about tomorrow’s event, Kam clears his throat. “Hey, uh, core team meeting in five? There’s a… thing we need to discuss.”

The atmosphere shifts instantly, the undercurrent of tension bubbling to the surface. Grum’s hand tightens on my back, and I feel his body coil with anxiety.

“Right,” Emma nods, her usually cheerful face now serious. “The thing.”

As we move to a nearby little room with the coffee machine, my thoughts race. What could be so important that it can’t wait until after tomorrow’s celebration?

Chapter 15: The Plan

Grum

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road,” I growl, collapsing into the world’s most uncomfortable chair in the break room. It’s close to midnight and I’m exhausted. But by the look on Emma’s face, there’s no time for rest. Not yet.

Emma’s fingers fly over her tablet as she speaks. “I’ve been digging deeper into Sykes’s finances, and holy crap, guys. We’re talking offshore accounts and misappropriated donations, both money and goods. It’s not just millions—we’re looking at tens of millions of dollars here.”

A low whistle escapes Kam’s lips. “Tensof millions? When you said the word ‘millions’ before, I thought you were exaggerating.”

“It gets worse,” Emma continues, her face grim in the harsh fluorescent light. “I’m not sure Sykes is even the top dog in this operation. There are hints of someone higher up, pulling the strings.”

Joy slips her hand into mine under the table, and I give it a reassuring squeeze. Usually, her touch grounds me, but so much anger is searing through my veins that her nearness does little to calm me. All that money, stolen frommypeople… people who desperately need it.

“So, what’s our next move?” Thornn rumbles, his massive arms crossed over his chest.

Emma leans in, her voice low. “I have a hypothesis. You all saw Sykes at the gala. He doesn’t look like the heavy-lifting type. Yet the GPS on his car—” She interrupts herself when a few of us gasp at the idea she’s tracking his car. “Yeah, I hacked into everything about this piece of shit. The GPS on his car shows he spends a lot of time at the warehouse. So, if he isn’t toting boxes… that’s got to be where he has a secret office. He’s too smart to keep telltale evidence at his home or work. I’m telling you guys, all my spidey senses say he’s got all the evidence we need in that warehouse.”

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