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My VP shrugged. “No clue, boss. Ain’t got nuttin’.”

“Maybe it’s all those beignets?” Braveheart offered.

“What?” I asked confused.

“Yeah, you see, Devlyn was gobbling up a whole bag of them. Wouldn’t even share with Donut and after he asked nicely, too.”

“I did, boss.” Donut nodded. “I asked real nice.”

“Maybe it’s a sugar rush?” Thore offered.

“Still ain’t right. She didn’t share. I only wanted one,” Donut grumbled, crossing his arms as he glared at my woman.

“Like you could only eat one beignet,” Worm scoffed.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to piece together this bizarre puzzle. “So, let me get this straight,” I said, glancing between them. “Devlyn’s in an uncharacteristic sugar-induced truce with Jolly, and all of you are too busy sulking over beignets to figure out why?”

Juju snorted. “Pretty much.”

Braveheart sipped his drink thoughtfully. “You ever think, boss, that maybe Devlyn’s just, I dunno... evolving?”

“Evolving?” I echoed skeptically.

“Yeah,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Like... emotionally. Or whatever. Maybe the sugar opened up some kind of cosmic pathway to enlightenment.”

“Or maybe she’s just plotting,” Juju offered with a shrug. “Could be the calm before the storm.”

“You know,” Worm chimed in, “I once read this theory about baked goods and emotional vulnerability. It’s called the ‘donut effect.’”

Donut perked up. “Finally, some respect for pastries.”

“That’s not a real thing,” I shot back, shaking my head. “And can we focus here? There’s clearly something going on, and it’s not just powdered sugar and emotional awakenings.”

“Maybe they’re bonding over some secret we don’t know about?” Thore offered, scratching his beard.

“Or they are comparing notes,” Donut whispered, as I turned toward him. “You know, ’cause you fucked them both.”

“Oh fuck,” I groaned, rubbing my hands down my face.

“You better get over there.” Juju glared. “Before Jolly spills the truth about Mardi Gras.”

“For the last time,” I sneered. “It was a simple misunderstanding. That’s all.”

Juju chuckled. “Then why did you two get an annulment?”

“Because,” I began, pointing a finger at Juju, “someone misinterpreted a harmless costume party.”

“Then next time, don’t come dressed as a groom.”

“It was last minute, and it was all I had!”

“And Jolly?”

“Who knows with her? Woman ain’t all there, and you know it.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

The second I parked my truck, Devlyn jumped out and marched her cute little ass up to my auntie Glorianna’s house and didn’t even bother knocking on the door. She just walked in as if she’d been doing it her whole damn life.

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