Free Deadly Dealings (Hardy Brothers Security Book 13) by Lily Harper Hart Page A

… he’s crazy.”
    Sophie fought the mad urge to laugh. Ally was the one who liked cooking for Jake and he didn’t care in the slightest if Ally ever cleaned. “I wouldn’t put up with him,” Sophie said, wrinkling her nose. “I can’t stand a man who thinks he’s God’s gift to everything in a skirt and that you should bow down and worship him.”
    “I know, right?” Ally’s eyes flashed as they met Sophie’s somber brown orbs. She was enjoying herself. “I want to break up with him, but he makes too much money and he’s so good in bed that I never have to finish myself off.”
    Sophie was about to kick Ally as a warning that she’d gone too far when an interested Winona joined in the conversation.
    “Never let that man go,” Winona said.
    Ally shifted so she was facing Winona and fixed a quizzical look on her face. “What do you mean?”
    “You have no idea how rare it is to find a man who even cares about finishing you off,” Winona said. “The last five men I’ve been with didn’t care about my needs at all.”
    “He’s really bossy, though,” Ally said, her voice taking on an air of irritability. “I like what we do in bed, but I don’t like it when he demands that I cook him dinner.”
    “How hard can it be to cook dinner?” Winona asked. “Buy one of those rotisserie chickens and the sides at the grocery store and pretend you made it. Just make sure you throw away the containers in a spot he can’t find him.”
    “That’s a good idea,” Ally said. “I … wow. You’re smart. I never would’ve thought of that. I bought soup at Panera and pretended I made that myself once. I think he knew, though.”
    Sophie decided she wanted to play the game. “That was because you left the bread in the Panera bag when you served it.”
    Ally giggled and playfully slapped Sophie’s arm. “You’re so funny.”
    Even though she was joking, Ally’s slap stung so Sophie slapped her arm back. “No, you’re funny.”
    Ally fought off the overwhelming urge to give Sophie’s hair a good, hard yank and turned her attention back to Winona. “Are you from around here?”
    “I live over in Harrison Township,” Winona replied. “I love this spa, though. What about you?”
    “I live in Clinton Township,” Ally replied, not missing a beat. “This is our first time here. We were going to that place over on Metropolitan Parkway, but their service has been a little … meh … lately.”
    “I’ve never been there,” Winona said. “I saw their advertisements, though. I was considering them. This place is closer to the mall.”
    “I love the mall, too,” Ally giggled. “This place is also closer to bars and restaurants – although I’m not even sure which ones are happening and which ones should be avoided out here these days. I feel so old.”
    “Hannigan’s Bar & Grill over on Schoenherr just opened two weeks ago and that’s the place to be right now,” Winona said. “That’s where I’m going tonight.”
    “That sounds fun,” Ally said, turning to Sophie. “Don’t you think that sounds fun?”
    “We might need reservations,” Sophie replied, stalling for time. Ally was getting the two of them in a lot deeper than she probably realized.
    “I already have reservations,” Winona said. “You can come with me if you want.”
    “That sounds great,” Ally said, refusing to let Sophie come up with an excuse. “We would love that. I haven’t had a good girls’ night out in forever.”
    “What about your boyfriend?” Winona asked, narrowing her eyes. “Won’t he be mad?”
    “Luckily he has a job to do tonight,” Ally said, the lie slipping off her tongue easily. “He’s a limo driver for this outfit out of Grosse Pointe. He has to take some businessman to a Red Wings game and then to the casino. He said it could be four or so before he even gets home.”
    “That works out well for you,” Winona said, smiling.
    “Incredibly well,” Sophie muttered, racking her brain