Read Online The Art of Discipline: Dani’s Discovery (The Mockingbird Chronicles) by Alexandra James, Stardawn Cabot - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alexandra James, Stardawn Cabot
Ads: Link
and a smile. “Hey, Danielle, what’s up?”
“Ah, I was just wondering. It’s pretty slow. Would it be okay if I went upstairs for a while?”
Emma furrowed her brow in concern. “You okay? Sick?”
Dani shifted from one foot to the other. She didn’t want to lie, but the excuse was almost too convenient. “I’m a little tired. Might want to lie down for a bit.”
Emma stood and crossed the room, putting the back of her hand on Dani’s cheek. “You’re not warm, but go ahead. I’ll come check on you in a little bit.”
“You don’t need to do that. I’m sure I’ll be fine. Just wanna rest for a while.”
Emma nodded, giving her the permission she needed, to which Dani smiled in thanks, before heading up to her apartment. Once safely inside, though, her smile widened. “Nice,” she praised herself as she quickly walked across to the kitchen and opened a fresh can of diet soda.
It seemed as soon as Dani left the store, it suddenly got busy. Emma was forced out of her office to help run the register, while Anna and Stevie helped various customers. It was almost three hours later before things slowed again mid-afternoon, and Emma hadn’t even had lunch yet. Deciding a break was in order, she left the store, with the intention of checking on Dani and grabbing something to eat.
Heading to Dani’s first, she knocked on the door gently without getting an answer. Figuring Dani was sleeping, she slipped her key into the door and let herself in. The main room was deserted, so Emma headed to the bedroom. Finding that room also empty, she just was about to go check to see if Dani’s keys and purse were gone when she heard a loud yell.
“Sparrow, damn it, look behind you!” Dani’s voice suddenly rang out. “Gunner57, no, to the left… your other left,” Dani continued.
Thoroughly confused, Emma followed the noise only to discover Dani in her uncle’s study, fully engrossed in some sort of multi-player online game. Dani had her back to the door, with her laptop propped up on one of the built-in shelves. No doubt so she could stand and still access it. She was wearing headphones with a mouthpiece and was yelling various commands at the screen.
The real surprise, though, was the state of the room itself. Emma counted three empty soda cans, a half-consumed bag of chocolate chip cookies, two different bags of chips, one which had been knocked to the ground and kicked halfway across it, as well as a bowl of popcorn, some of which was also decorating the floor. Shaking her head at the parts of the mess she could actually identify, Emma took a deep breath. “Danielle Elizabeth Ryan!”
Dani’s back stiffened at the sound of her full name, and she slowly pulled the headphones off as she turned to face Emma’s flaming green eyes.
“Shut that off, this instant,” Emma commanded.
Dani swallowed hard as she moved to close the laptop. “Emma,” she started to explain, but Emma shook her head, forbidding Dani to say another word.
“You don’t look very sick to me.”
“I never said I was sick,” Dani replied, “just that—”
“You led me to believe that you weren’t feeling well. It’s the same thing, Danielle.”
“Do you need me to come back down to the store? Did it pick up?” Dani asked.
Emma shook her head. “You’re done with work today. It’s obvious you don’t want to be there anyway.” Emma paused, staring down Dani for a moment before she held out a hand. “Give me the laptop.”
“What? I need it. You can’t just take it. My work.”
“You didn’t look like you were working to me.”
“I was just taking a break,” Dani tried to defend herself.
“Give it to me, Danielle. If I leave without it, I’ll come back with the hairbrush.”
“Oh, come on,” Dani protested, but she handed over the laptop anyway. “When can I have it back?” she asked in almost a whine.
“I haven’t decided yet,” Emma snapped. “Tell you what I have decided though. You have
“Ah, I was just wondering. It’s pretty slow. Would it be okay if I went upstairs for a while?”
Emma furrowed her brow in concern. “You okay? Sick?”
Dani shifted from one foot to the other. She didn’t want to lie, but the excuse was almost too convenient. “I’m a little tired. Might want to lie down for a bit.”
Emma stood and crossed the room, putting the back of her hand on Dani’s cheek. “You’re not warm, but go ahead. I’ll come check on you in a little bit.”
“You don’t need to do that. I’m sure I’ll be fine. Just wanna rest for a while.”
Emma nodded, giving her the permission she needed, to which Dani smiled in thanks, before heading up to her apartment. Once safely inside, though, her smile widened. “Nice,” she praised herself as she quickly walked across to the kitchen and opened a fresh can of diet soda.
It seemed as soon as Dani left the store, it suddenly got busy. Emma was forced out of her office to help run the register, while Anna and Stevie helped various customers. It was almost three hours later before things slowed again mid-afternoon, and Emma hadn’t even had lunch yet. Deciding a break was in order, she left the store, with the intention of checking on Dani and grabbing something to eat.
Heading to Dani’s first, she knocked on the door gently without getting an answer. Figuring Dani was sleeping, she slipped her key into the door and let herself in. The main room was deserted, so Emma headed to the bedroom. Finding that room also empty, she just was about to go check to see if Dani’s keys and purse were gone when she heard a loud yell.
“Sparrow, damn it, look behind you!” Dani’s voice suddenly rang out. “Gunner57, no, to the left… your other left,” Dani continued.
Thoroughly confused, Emma followed the noise only to discover Dani in her uncle’s study, fully engrossed in some sort of multi-player online game. Dani had her back to the door, with her laptop propped up on one of the built-in shelves. No doubt so she could stand and still access it. She was wearing headphones with a mouthpiece and was yelling various commands at the screen.
The real surprise, though, was the state of the room itself. Emma counted three empty soda cans, a half-consumed bag of chocolate chip cookies, two different bags of chips, one which had been knocked to the ground and kicked halfway across it, as well as a bowl of popcorn, some of which was also decorating the floor. Shaking her head at the parts of the mess she could actually identify, Emma took a deep breath. “Danielle Elizabeth Ryan!”
Dani’s back stiffened at the sound of her full name, and she slowly pulled the headphones off as she turned to face Emma’s flaming green eyes.
“Shut that off, this instant,” Emma commanded.
Dani swallowed hard as she moved to close the laptop. “Emma,” she started to explain, but Emma shook her head, forbidding Dani to say another word.
“You don’t look very sick to me.”
“I never said I was sick,” Dani replied, “just that—”
“You led me to believe that you weren’t feeling well. It’s the same thing, Danielle.”
“Do you need me to come back down to the store? Did it pick up?” Dani asked.
Emma shook her head. “You’re done with work today. It’s obvious you don’t want to be there anyway.” Emma paused, staring down Dani for a moment before she held out a hand. “Give me the laptop.”
“What? I need it. You can’t just take it. My work.”
“You didn’t look like you were working to me.”
“I was just taking a break,” Dani tried to defend herself.
“Give it to me, Danielle. If I leave without it, I’ll come back with the hairbrush.”
“Oh, come on,” Dani protested, but she handed over the laptop anyway. “When can I have it back?” she asked in almost a whine.
“I haven’t decided yet,” Emma snapped. “Tell you what I have decided though. You have
Similar Books
