Free Deadly Illusions (Hardy Brothers Security Book 3) by Lily Harper Hart

at a guffawing Finn, who didn’t have time to duck.
    “I forgot how good you were in a snowball fight,” Finn lamented, rubbing the side of his head.
    “You guys taught me,” Mandy reminded him. “At your house it was either learn or get learnt.”
    “I remember.”
    Mandy scooped up some more snow. “Either admit defeat or get it again.”
    Finn held up his hands in mock surrender. “Never.” He launched himself at her, tackling her into a nearby snowdrift where he could shovel piles of white fluff on her to his heart’s content.
     
    JAMES saw Finn’s bodily assault on Mandy, but he was too far away to come to her aid.
    “He’s got your girl, man,” Grady said, resting against a building so he could catch his breath. “What are you going to do?”
    “She can take care of herself,” James said. “He’ll be the one crying when she’s done.”
    “You’re not going to save her?” Grady asked, raising an eyebrow.
    “Did you forget who taught her how to throw a snowball?”
    Grady smiled at the memory. “Yeah, that was fun. She and Ally started it and you and I finished it.”
    Grady jerked his head up when he heard a familiar scream. He couldn’t hide his smile when he realized that Sophie – her notebook still clutched in her hand – had also been dragged into the fight.
    Finn’s small army was hitting her from every direction.
    “Are you going to go and help her?”
    Grady shrugged ruefully. “She’s not as tough when it comes to these sort of things as Mandy. She’s softer.”
    “You just want to be her hero,” James grunted. “You’re so predictable.”
    “You don’t want to be Mandy’s hero?”
    “She’s already promised to play a game with me later,” James said. “I’ll be her hero then.”
    “You’re sick.”
    “You don’t even know what game I’m talking about.”
    “Whatever it is, it’s sick and dirty,” Grady said. “Tell me about it later. I might want to try it myself.”
    Grady ducked, a snowball barely missing him, and then he tucked his head down as he raced toward Sophie. He pulled up short when he realized that she was the one on the attack now, chasing two small, giggling girls with huge mounds of snow.
    “Oh, it’s too late to run and hide now,” she said. “I’m coming to get you.”
    James turned back to the task at hand. Mandy had managed to shift her weight and use her booted foot as leverage, tossing Finn to the side like he was a rag doll. See, she was fine.
    James stiffened when he felt a body move in next to him. He turned, expecting to see one of Finn’s tiny minions about to douse him with a mountain of white fluff. Instead, he discovered one of the Aspen models.
    “Hi.”
    “Um, hi,” James said. “Are you joining our team or something?”
    “What kind of team are we talking about?” The woman extended her hand. “I’m Gwen by the way.”
    James realized what was happening. Who tries picking up a guy in the middle of a snowball fight?
    James ignored her proffered greeting. “I’m James.” He purposely focused his attention back on the fight, hoping she would take the hint.
    “So, do you want to knock this kid stuff off and buy me a drink? I can think of better ways to spend an afternoon,” Gwen said.
    “It’s a nice offer,” James hedged. “I’m spoken for, though.”
    “And where is your girlfriend?” Gwen asked pointedly. “I certainly don’t see her.”
    James extended his gloved finger. “Over there, rolling around in the snow with my brother.”
    “You must be awfully secure,” Gwen said. “Or are you just disinterested?”
    James scowled at the pointed jab. He may be the one mired in a snowball fight, but she was the one who needed to realize that this wasn’t high school anymore. “I’m a little busy here. You can either join in or … go away. I don’t care which.”
    The look on Gwen’s face was priceless. “Are you playing hard to get?”
    “No,” James said, shaking his head. “I’m just