Page 46 of Prayers for the Prickly

“Some lady came in with a box of chocolates she bought earlier in the day. No one is disputing that she bought them there, they were not only in one of our boxes, but they’d been shaped in one of Ever’s signature molds. We’re disputing how the ants got in there, perfectly placed, when the mixer Ever uses to whip the fluff filling until it’s the right consistency is seriously heavy duty. There is no way that ants made it into the filling intact.”

“Seriously, it was just a whole ant in there?” I asked, also unable to see how that was possible.

“Try three whole ants, one of their antennae wasn’t even crushed. Talk about some bullshit right there. A whole lot of pictures were taken and the whole shop shut down, which is why it was still closed this morning. Everything had to be disposed of, and the cases sanitized. This is going to put Everett behind by at least a week, not to mention how much in lost revenue and sales it’s cost him.”

“As well as the stress of having to start all over from scratch,” I pointed out.

“Exactly, it’s a lot. If we can prove Olly’s mom was behind it, then we have grounds for a lawsuit,” August explained. “He lost a new client over it, too, which meant the loss of a big event and a chance to have his creations seen by a lot of people. Exterminators did an inspection and found no sign of ants anywhere, so once the sanitation process is finished, and the health inspector comes in, he can start filling his cases again.”

“I don’t even want to think about how long it takes to fill cases that size with a variety of chocolates,” I replied, because just trying to picture it was overwhelming.

“Too long,” August murmured, a sigh slipping from between his lips as he slumped against the armrest. “I wish there was some way to help my brother.”

I did, too, because I hated to see such a defeated look on my mate’s face and knew he had to be hurting for his brother, but also because I saw how hard August worked and could easily imagine Everett working just as hard on his chocolate creations. To have someone sabotage his work had to be as devastating to Everett’s creative side as well as his business one.

Then it dawned on me, who might have some insight into Dana’s behavior, and he was right downstairs.

“Hey, Olly!” I bellowed as I rushed to the railing, leaned over and shouted all the way down the spiral staircase. “Can you come up here for a minute?”

When he appeared, his eyebrows were furrowed as he shook his phone at me.

“Dude, you could have just texted at that point.”

I glanced from the one on the table to the one he held of a similar model, shrugged and didn’t even try to look ashamed of myself.

“Oops,” I shrugged and motioned for him to follow me to the table.

“Ohh, seafood,” he purred, reaching for a shrimp only to be swatted by my mate.

“Ohh, you reach for that seafood again and you’ll pull back a nub,” August told him. “There’s some pizza in the fridge, you’re welcome to it.”

“Thanks.”

“After you warm that up, maybe you can tell us what the fuck’s going on with your mom,” I blurted.

I might be smiling a little more these days, but tact would never be my strong suit. I could tell I’d startled him, from the way his shoulder’s clenched and he paused, like he’d forgotten what he was reaching for.

“I hope you’ve got time on your hands,” he said as he set the box on the counter.

“All night if that’s what it takes,” August declared, while I stared at my mate, one eyebrow raised.

What?he asked inside my head.

You might regret that in the morning.

Chapter 18

August

“So, to sum it all up, your mother is playing the damsel in distress card and guilt tripping you about all the opportunities she missed out on while raising you alone for what, barely eight years, during which she wasn’t even technically raising you alone since you spent more time at your father’s house? Not your fault but blaming your father hasn’t gotten her anywhere and people like that never stop to think about how their behaviors have contributed to their issues, so of course she’d point the finger at you. You’re the easiest target,” I said.

“I’m tired of being a target,” Olly said. “I thought it was cool to hang out with her in the evenings and listen to her tell stories of all the places she’d been. Twenty-seven states, ten before she was a teenager. Her folks lived in an RV and traveled wherever, picking up odd jobs and selling the things they made.”

“Have you ever met the rest of her family?” I asked, curious about why she’d been alone when it seemed like he came from a close-knit group of people.

“A handful, once, they were kinda cool, but she wouldn’t really let me talk to them. She kept swatting at me and telling me to go play.”

“Go figure,” Gregor muttered, only half beneath his breath, drawing a sad glare from Olly.

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