Page 20 of Never Enough

Forget “emergency.” This is a total clusterfuck.

“Hello there, kitty cat. Heard you’re having seating issues.”

Haskell’s eyes were wide, and her smile was shaky. “Yeah, I’ve been told I have a hot ass, but this is a little ridiculous.” She was trying to joke, trying not to panic, but Nemo heard the terror all the same.

“Well, I’m just going to take a look-see and give my vote on how hot that is, shall I?” He winked at her. “Just keep breathing in and out slowly for me. No shifting your weight, and I promise, I’ll be gentle.”

Cherry rolled her eyes. “Really, Nemo? Jokes? Now?”

Nemo lay on his side, his head turned up to the bottom of the seat Haskell was sitting on, and began taking a series of photos with his phone. “You’re just jealous I’m not staring at your ‘tight ass’ that someone mentioned earlier.”

Demon had Cherry molded to his chest, his head tilteddown to look at her. “Nemo’s got this. Let’s get you down to the cars, or I am going to spank that ass so hard you won’t sit for a week. Move. Now.”

“Baby Jesus and all the fishermen, what is the matter with you?” Cherry groused at the medic.

Nemo barked out a laugh. “Looks like someone else has been spending too many girls’ book-talk nights with Sylvan. Midas is going to run out of board space for all the new creative swear words.”

“Cherry, I am not going to say it again. If you don’t do what I tell you to, you are not going to like the results,” Demon warned. “Let the bomb guy take care of this.”

“Aww, Demon, I never knew you thought I was the bomb.” Nemo couldn’t resist teasing the medic as he continued to take pictures of what he was looking at.

“Shut up, motherfecker.” Demon’s Irish accent got more pronounced the more upset he was. It sounded like the guy was going to implode.

“Midas. I’m uploading some photos to you now.”

“Copy.”

Nemo looked up at Cherry. “Cherry, go. Demon’s going to have an aneurysm if you don’t get out of here. Besides that, I can see right up your skirt from where I am, and I’m going to be here a while, so unless you want me drooling over your pretty blue panties, go.”

Demon growled, and Cherry squawked. Both backed up two steps.

There were chuckles all around on the comms that had now been activated.

Demon growled again and handed an earbud to Cherry. “You can hear everything and talk to her, but only if you go back to the cars.”

Haskell spoke up again. “Cherry, listen to them. You don’t need to be here for this.”

“But—”

“‘But’ nothing. Get the hell out of here.”

“But—”

“Go!” Nemo and Haskell told her at the same time.

Cherry huffed but took the earbud. “Haskell, the boys sound like dipshits, but they really do know what they’re doing. I won’t be far.”

She stuffed the worm-looking device in her ear while Demon put one in Haskell’s ear, and as soon as it was in, he threw Cherry over his shoulder. “Don’t get dead, Nemo,” he advised, and then he took off with the team’s handler, screaming like a banshee at him and pummeling his back with her well-manicured fists.

Nemo chuckled from under the chair. “I would not want to be him.”

Haskell gave a nervous chuckle. “Yeah, he seems a bit possessive. They been together long?”

“They’re not together. They barely talk at the office, so his temper tantrum is going to make for great betting opportunities.” He gently pushed himself out from under her chair and sat up. “Well, kitty cat, you are one hundred percent goat-fucked, as my Navy SEAL friends would say. This is the hottest ass I’ve ever seen.”

“Hashtag life goals,” Haskell mumbled under her breath.

“Hey.” Nemo got serious. “I gotcha, kitty cat. Just keep breathing slow, don’t shift, and we’ll be out of this, and I’ll be able to take your hot ass out on a date.” He winked at her, then turned his focus to the dog. “Scheherazade,vind Cherry!”

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