Read Online Frisked in Fondant: Tulle and Tulips, Book 6 by Nikki Duncan - Free Book Online Page A

Tabatha, Shayna, Kayla, Tess, Aleshia, Izzy and Brittany surrounded her. A moment later all the other employees were entering. They gasped and exclaimed shock in more ways than she was prepared to handle. Gisella’s head spun with the questions.
    “Were you in a wreck?”
    “Were you mugged?”
    “Who did this?”
    “Oh God, your neck!”
    Gisella swallowed and held her hand up to stop them. When they fell silent, her mind settled and she explained. “Some people broke into the house Friday night.”
    “Those home invasions?”
    “You were one of the victims?”
    “I thought they caught them.”
    She didn’t try to keep up with who asked what. It didn’t matter as long as they all got the same answers. “Yes I was, and yes they have.” Because of how tirelessly Kyle had worked on the case. “I was able to provide the police a sketch.”
    “I’m having Jace install a new system for you,” Misty demanded.
    “My system’s fine. I had taken some trash out. They must have gone in while the door was unlocked.”
    “What were they after?”
    “Anything small and of value, primarily my jewelry. It’s safe. The cops came. I’m fine.”
    “I’m calling Vic’s friend, Kyle,” Darci said as she pulled her cell phone out.
    “He already knows.” Gisella hoped to stop her friends from worrying or getting involved. She’d done pretty well at coping, but their anxiety fed her own. The longer this was drawn out the more she would shake and the more she would want to break down and cry or crawl home and hide.
    She’d fought the feeling since Kyle had left for the latest scene. She hadn’t heard from him since, other than a text to confirm they had the right people and to see if she’d gotten any sleep. Of course the answer was no, but she’d lied. Maybe the truth would have gotten him to come over. Then again, that was part of why she’d lied.
    “He’s primary on the case,” Gisella continued. “He took care of me.” Made me feel safe. She was not telling them the details of her time with Kyle.
    “How badly were you hurt?”
    “Why’s your neck bandaged?”
    Gisella pointed to her face, telling herself to focus only on this attack and not the one from her childhood. She had to stay in front of the darkness or it would consume her. “I was hit and then I hit a table. When I refused to tell them where I hid my jewelry—” some of it had been her mom’s, “—they took a knife to my throat. I needed some butterfly stitches.”
    “What?”
    “You could have been killed!”
    “I’m calling Kyle,” Darci said. “I want an update. This is not okay.”
    “Darci, no. Please don’t. They found them.” Gisella doubted it was enough to stop Darci, but she could hope.
    Hope was short lived. Darci waved a hand over her head as she strode toward her office. Her phone was already in her other hand. Kyle would get a call.
    Lori, with her calm and cool approach to catastrophes, sent everyone back to work with assurances they’d be updated when there was information to share.
    “Thank you,” Gisella said.
    “You…” Lori halted Gisella’s thanks with a hard yet compassionate tone. She pointed toward her office and said nothing else until they were inside with the door closed.
    Where Gisella’s space was small and sparse so the focus was on the cakes, Lori’s space was larger with an ornate desk, comfortable chairs and a dress podium with mirrors behind it.
    “Consider yourself on vacation,” Lori commanded after Gisella had claimed one of the guest chairs.
    “I have cakes to get done.”
    “And an extremely competent staff capable of filling in.” Lori sat in the chair beside her rather than sitting behind the desk. “How many stitches?”
    “Ten, but they’re only butterfly stitches. Little more than Band-Aids.”
    Lori raised a brow, but otherwise ignored the minimization. “And your head? Any signs of a concussion?”
    “A little bit of a headache, some trouble sleeping, but no cause