Read Online Beast Behaving Badly by Shelly Laurenston - Free Book Online Page B

Dee-Ann. It’s that simple.”
    Perfect full lips briefly pursed, before Dee said, “As you like.” It was her nice Southern way of saying, “I’ll do it, but fuck you,” but if it got Ric what he wanted, he’d overlook the tone.
    He faced his home theater again and used the remote to turn it on. “You want breakfast?” he offered, ready to ease her anger with food. But when he looked over his shoulder at where she’d been standing, she was already gone.
    Â 
    Â 
    â€œOn three. One, two . . . three.”
    Gwen and Blayne pulled, yanking the warped door open. The dank smell of mold and damaged plumbing hit them, and the pair turned their heads. “Okay,” Gwen said when she could speak without gagging, “maybe we should have listened to my mother about joining the family business.”
    Blayne laughed. “The smell’s not that bad, princess.”
    â€œYou are such a canine about scents.”
    â€œI’ll take that as a compliment.”
    Gwen motioned to the hallway behind them with a tip of her head. “Anyone around?”
    Blayne looked, then sniffed. “Nope.”
    Without a witnessing audience, Gwen walked into the pitch-black room without using the flashlight she had with her. Why waste the batteries when she could see just fine without it?
    Gwen found the water-damaged wall that was right beneath where the barbershop and hair salon had their sinks. “Found it.”
    Blayne nodded. “Yep. That looks kind of long term, huh?”
    â€œPretty much.” Gwen dropped her tool bags onto the floor and reached into one to pull out her sledgehammer. Blayne did the same, the friends standing beside each other. Gwen started, swinging the sledgehammer over her head and into the wall. As she pulled back, Blayne swung. They kept this up until they’d destroyed a good portion of the wall, revealing very old pipes that were dripping from several spots and pouring from others.
    â€œOkay,” Gwen said, studying the damage. “Now torturing Mitch aside, what’s the real deal with Novikov?”
    Blayne gave a little laugh. “I kind of railroaded the guy.”
    â€œYou, Blayne?” Gwen said with mock shock. “Never!”
    â€œWell he was standing there, being all judgmental about derby—and me!—and I figured why couldn’t he help me out since he’d put me into this situation?”
    â€œAnd how did he do that?”
    â€œBy being everything that I am against when it comes to sports and—”
    â€œPlease stop. I can’t hear that speech again.”
    â€œHey, look!”
    â€œBlayne, wait—”
    Too late. Blayne reached into the crevice and pulled out something breathing.
    â€œA possum!”
    â€œIt looks like a giant rat.”
    â€œIt’s not a rat. It’s a possum. It’s so obvious you’ve never been to the South.”
    â€œWhat’s down there but chitlins and giant rats they’ve renamed possum?”
    Grinning, Blayne scratched the disgusting looking thing under the neck. “Isn’t he cute?”
    â€œNot even a little. And are you really going to be okay with Novikov? I mean, for once, Mitch does have a point. The Marauder’s reputation is for shit.”
    Blayne snorted. “I can handle him.”
    Gwen had no idea why Blayne felt so confident about that, but Gwen knew there was no point in arguing with her about it, either. Blayne could be unbelievably stubborn when she dug her feet in. And, hell, if the hockey player could give Blayne even a few useful tips, Gwen wouldn’t complain. The wolfdog had tons of potential, but the team could no longer ignore the fact that unless Blayne was pushed into a corner—something that made her homicidal—she was too damn nice.
    And of all the things Gwen had heard about Bo Novikov over the years, she’d never heard the word “nice” used.
    â€œAre you going