Free Deborah Brown - Madison Westin 07 - Kidnapped in Paradise by Deborah Brown

me laugh. “I’ll think on it.”
    I knew the kind of jobs that she got on her own, and there was always an element that could be construed as illegal. She wouldn’t be happy when I informed her I ’ d only agree to be backup on straight-up legal jobs.
    Fab lay back and closed her eyes.
    “ If Creole kicks Brick’ s ass, that would solve the problem of whether I ever work for him again.” I smiled at the idea. “You ’ re his favorite anyway. He’ll get over himself and call you.”
    “Are we going to have problems with Carmine Ricci?” she asked.
    “The snot-nosed son?” I laughed. “I wonder if his mommy ’ s ever said that to his face. She definitely has the nerve. I told Brick I’ d be happy to meet with Mr. Ricci. I reminded him I still had the option of pressing charges against Carlotta, since my witnesses were some of Miami ’s finest. ”
    “In our new business, you’ll handle all customer service problems.”
    “That ’ s probably a good idea.” I flashed back to the only time she handled a client complaint. After five minutes, she'd threatened to shoot the guy.
    “I told Didier about our misadventure before your blabbering boyfriend could say a word. We got into an argument about safety issues, and it was a good thing I didn’t mention the GPS. We never stay mad at each other, which I like. We argue, I promise stuff, and then we have great sex.”
    “Creole got a work call, so all I got was a great kiss.”

 
    Chapter 13
     
    I slipped onto a stool at Jake ’ s and banged my hand on the counter. “Bartender, margarita over here,” I said loudly.
    Two of Phil's regulars glared at me. Both were old men who drank from lunchtime to dinner, then stumbled home and showed up the next day. Rumor had it they both had wives.
    “You drunk?” Phil laughed.       
    Mother roped me into helping her throw a surprise birthday party for Spoon. The deck was closed for the event, and she decided on a buffet, which made it easy for the kitchen. Then she ditched me, informing me she had to keep the birthday boy busy. She said that all I had to do was hang the bags of decorations she'd dropped off.  She must have purchased a hundred balloons, but nothing to blow them up with. I called the party store and cut the entire order in half, including ones that didn’t require any of my hot air, figuring everyone would be drowning in balloons. I also bribed the delivery boy to hang the banners. 
    Brad and Julie walked in holding the margarita birthday cake that Mother made them pick up from The Bakery Café. Another pink box held the cupcakes I'd ordered so that everyone could take one home. Brad and Julie both looked like they'd just walked off the beach. Julie had on a black crisscross cotton dress and sandals and Brad in shorts and flip flops.
    I was about to ask where Liam was when he walked in holding hands with a teenage girl with long blonde hair and big blue eyes. He said something to her and she laughed.
    I felt sad for a moment. He was growing up and, soon, wouldn’t want Mother and me fawning over him. We ’ d only known him for a couple of years, which made me wish we ’ d been around from the beginning. Maybe when Brad and Julie got married, they ’ d have a baby.
    It pleased me that Liam brought his friend right over to me. I wanted to like this girl.
    Liam kissed my cheek.
    “This is my girlfriend, Lindsey,” he introduced. “My almost-Aunt Madison.”
    “Nice to meet you,” I said. Lindsey smiled back and made eye contact. Before Lindsey could say anything, Fab appeared at my side and stared at the young couple holding hands.
    “Who are you?” Fab asked.
    “ Ignore her, ” I said to Lindsey. “She can be abrupt.”
    Liam made the introduction.
    Fab looked her over. “We ’ ll take you out and grill you over lunch. I ’ ve got a connection for designer shoes for cheap.”
    Lindsey squealed, clearly not intimidated by her first meeting with yet another unofficial aunt. “I