“Great,” she sighed. “We’ve got a house full of masked strangers and a greedy prescription drug cartel on the loose.”
Mrs. Penny adjusted her unwieldy boobs in her nightgown. “Eh, loosen up. I’ve got the security covered.”
“Oh, really?” Nick didn’t sound confident.
“I got a trap all set for the Dog Doody Bandit, and those greased-up whippersnappers carrying me around? They all belong to a mixed martial arts gym. I hired them for the night and paid them out of petty cash. By the way, between the posters and the hot security, we’re out of petty cash.”
“Oh, there’s definitely going to be a murder tonight.” Nick took a threatening step toward Mrs. Penny.
But she merely brought her fingers to her mouth and whistled.
Her personal security appeared immediately and formed a shield in front of their temporary employer.
“You don’t think I’d punch my way through four MMA fighters, Penny?” Nick said, peering over the wall of muscle.
“Oh, I think you’d try. But I don’t think you’d make it through the third one.” With that, Mrs. Penny flopped back down onto her bed. She pointed at Riley. “Your costume’s upstairs. Better get changed. Take me to the cupcakes, boys.”
Riley and Nick watched as Mrs. Penny and her minions disappeared into the living room past the cupcake tower.
“Do you still want me to kick everyone out?” Riley asked Nick.
He shook his head. “I need to think. Maybe this can work to our advantage. But I’d actually feel better if you were in disguise. That way no one can kidnap you for once.”
“Well, it’s your birthday party,” she joked. “Besides, maybe no one will try anything since we have a house full of witnesses.”
“Yeah. Maybe. Go change. I’ll get Weber and Josie, and we’ll start ripping masks off.”
She started for the stairs.
“Hey, Thorn?”
She turned back to Nick.
“Wear something sexy.”
She grinned at him. Even mid-crisis, Nick Santiago had sex on the brain.
“What do you think, Riley?” Tommy was coming down the stairs decked out in a suit of armor. He held a sword in one hand and a shiny helmet in the other.
“Wow, Tommy. You’re a literal knight in shining armor.”
“Think Sesame will like it?” he asked hopefully.
“She’ll love it,” she predicted.
He beamed at her, pulled on the helmet, then rattled his way back to the party.
Riley continued on up, giving a side-eye to the amorous unicorn and soccer player she found making out at the top of the stairs. She headed into the bedroom and stopped short when she spotted the costume on the bed.
“Seriously?”
* * *
Twenty minutes later,Riley headed back downstairs in costume. The wig was heavy and a little itchy, and the denim jumpsuit was a tight squeeze. She had no idea what she was going to do when she had to pee. But she didn’t mind having a guitar to carry. It could be used as a weapon if necessary.
While she’d been gone, someone had turned the lights on low. Between the sexy music and the shadowy dance floor, the foyer had been transformed into a nightclub. Everywhere she looked, couples were grinding on each other and making out.
Someone grabbed her from behind, and she’d just raised the guitar to hit them when Nick nuzzled her neck.
