Big Bad Beast
Page 12

Nothing with caffeine or sugar! she crowed. Or Ill never get to sleep tonight! Woo-hoo! When they only stared at her, Blaynes shoulders slumped and she calmly stated, Diet Coke please. Ric turned to Dee-Ann, who seemed to still be seething. Dee?
Water.
Sparkling or flat?
The confused expression on her face was priceless when she snapped, Tap.
Flat it is. As if hed ever give her regular, everyday tap water. He nearly shuddered at the thought.
Ric gave the runner their drink orders and suggested he bring more bread now rather than later because Lock was gnawing his hand off in hunger. He caught hold of the door and opened it, the runner shooting out and leaving Bo The Marauder Novikov standing there. Novikov was a godsend to Rics hockey team and Blaynes mate, but he was such an irritating asshole that Ric couldnt help slamming the door in the polar bearlions face.
A roar shook the door and walls, and Blayne jumped out of her seat and across the room to snatch the door open. Do notshe orderedrip those hinges off! She took Novikovs hand. Just come in and be nice. She glared at Ric. You too, Ulrich.
Me? Ric placed his hand against his chest. What did I do? Fresh from his dailyand brutaltraining, Novikov tossed the bag with his hockey equipment to the floor. He glanced around and asked, Is there food for me?
Are you paying this time? Ric asked, which got him a slap on the arm from Blayne. Ow! The runner returned with their drinks and Ric had Novikov give him his order since Ric didnt deem him worthy of his brilliant expertise in guessingalways correctlywhat his friends were in need of at the moment.
The seven-foot-one hybrid dropped his nearly four-hundred-pound weight into one of the restaurants best chairs with no regard for the furniture and looked around the table, his blue eyes stopping on Dee-Ann. Whats she doing here? he asked Blayne.
I invited her, Ric told him, sitting in the seat across from Lock and kitty-corner from Dee.
Although I dont remember seeing your name on the e-mail I sent out.
Both of you stop it, Blayne snapped. And Dees here because I want her to be here, she told Novikov.
She tagged you like a wildebeest.
Would you let that go already?
Here. Lock reached over to the sideboard, grabbed one of the big baskets of bread, and slammed it in front of Novikov. Shove this in your hole and keep quiet.
Snarling a little, the rude bastard continued to glare at Dee-Ann, andRic was ready to climb across the table and tear the hybrids face off with his teeth. But Blayne had a good handle on her mate, pulling a notepad out of his back pocket and proceeding to write on it.
What are you doing to my list? he demanded as if shed stolen his wallet.
Just making a few . . . changes. She held up the list. I drew hearts and flowers on it!
Give me that! Novikov yanked it back from her and so began another lecture on the proper use of lists.
How Blayne tolerated it, Ric had no idea. To each their own, he guessed.
Ric picked up his fork, ready to dig into his medallions of gazelle and deer in wine sauce. But finding only an empty plate where his food used to be, he decided that hed been right. Dee-Ann had been hungry.
What? Dee asked around his gazelle when he raised a brow in her direction. You were busy talkin.
Dee ate the most amazing angels food cake with white icing and listened to the chatter going on around her.
It seemed wedding plans were not going well for Lock and his mate because their mothers had different views on pretty much everything. Blayne was worried her wedding would top five hundred guests easy, and Ric was arguing with Novikov about . . . well, about pretty much everything, but mostly about who to add to their team and who to drop. Since she had no interest in weddings, Dee listened mostly to the hockey discussion. Especially since Reece Lee Reed was on the team now.
Dee had grown up with the Reed boys. Although shed always been closest to Rory, the eldest, she was tight with all of them. Ricky Lee Reed was currently in Tokyo, working in the Japanese division of her cousin Bobby Rays security business. Yet all the Reed boys were as close to her as her cousins Sissy Mae and Bobby Ray. Then again, her cousins had never faced the wrath of Eggie Smith when caught trying to sneak her drunk ass back into her parents house. So, like Lock MacRyrie, the Reeds had earned her loyalty.
After a few minutes, the conversation turned to Cella Malone, and MacRyrie said to Dee, By the way . . . Malone moved back to the city. Shes on the team now. Dee gazed at the bear while Ric chuckled beside her. I know, she said.
Oh. The grizzlys head tipped to the side and he asked, Did you know you have a bunch of bruises on your face?
Im aware.
He thought a moment and added, Its not because of Malone, is it?
Do I really need to answer that?
He shook his head, dug into his platter-sized slice of berry-nut cake. Im thinking, no, you dont.
Do you know Marcella Malone? Teacup asked.