Page 234 of Smooth Sailing

“Girl, please tell me you drink vodka,” Elvira amended as she rounded the bar and headed toward the bottles of liquor.

“Fireball?” Diana suggested.

Elvira shot straight, turning her gaze to Diana, the light of approval in it dazzling the entire room.

Di bellied up to the bar and asked Elvira, “Which brother do you belong to?”

“He’s another kind of brother,” Elvira replied while pulling the Fireball from where they kept it, out of their ice bin. “His name is Malik. He’s a cop. I’m not an old lady, but I’ve been adopted.”

Diana shot Hugger a happy smile then said to Elvira, “Cool!”

Tyra and Millie approached. Hugger did too, in order to do the introductions to the rest of them, and in the next hour, as word got ’round Di was there, everyone showed so they could size her up.

He was the only “mountain of snow” on Chaos, but still, Di had the chops, so she melted them all within seconds of meeting them.

Yeah, he should never have been uneasy.

He should have known with all that was Di, she’d have them eating out of her hands.

Because Di was Di.

And by the end of the night, she was also Chaos.

Two days later…

Hugger was ass to a stool in the Compound when they came in.

Tyra, Lanie, Tab, Rosalie, Carrie, Millie, Keely, Rebel and Elvira.

The women dispersed to the men who belonged to them, except Elvira, who, as noted previously, was an honorary but treasured member of the old lady crew.

Elvira made her way behind the bar.

So that meant Diana came to him.

“’Bout time, woman,” he said after she cozied right up to his side and gave him a quick kiss.

“We won’t miss our slot,” she replied.

“How much damage you do?” he asked.

Her eyeballs studied her hairline.

Right.

“Di,” he prompted.

She blew out a breath. “So I bought five pairs of shoes. Haven’t you heard? I’ve recently become a trust fund baby.”

Christ, she was cute.

“That it?” he asked.

“And maybe some makeup.”

“You got any more room in your drawers for that shit?”

“I can use your drawers.”

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