Baby Bundt Cake Confusion (Murder in the Mix Book 31) by Unknown (reading eggs books .txt) 📗

grin myself because I appreciate the fact he remembered me at all. A few months back, I was trying to help stop Dom and Enzo from squealing on my friend Bowie. As it turns out, she’s still on the run from the Morettis. But the important part is, she’s still breathing. “Hey, Slater,” I say, giving him a slight wave.

“Hey.” He inches his head back, looking more than a little confused. “You know these guys?”

“Oh yeah,” I say as my hands glide over my belly. “The three of us go way back. In fact, we’re here for the party. Friends of the bride-to-be.” Here’s hoping she’s too schnockered to know her armpit from her mother.

Dom cranes his neck past me. “You brought Carlotta.” He smacks his buddy on the arm. “Check her out. She’s cutting up the dance floor.”

A laugh rips from Enzo. “We gotta get out there and let her school us a little. Looks like she brought a friend. One for each of us.” He hooks his hand over Dom’s and they take off for the dance floor.

Who knew Carlotta was such a magnet for the mob?

And why is she such a magnet for the mob?

Nonetheless, both Carlotta and Meg can hold their own against a couple of bad boys, so I’m not worried about them.

“Who’s your friend?” I nod to Manny in hopes Slater will do the honors.

“Mannino Moretti.” Manny holds out a hand my way and I quickly shake it. “Any friend of the boys is a friend of mine.”

Noah and Everett crop up on either side of me, and Everett is the first to shake Manny’s hand as well.

“Everett Baxter. This is my wife.”

“Baxter.” Manny nods. “Name sounds familiar.”

Noah does a brief introduction as well. “I’m her sidepiece.” His dimples dip in when he says it and Manny starts in on a laugh before stopping cold.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Manny looks stumped as if he had no idea this side-piece business worked for women as well.

I shrug over at him as I pat my belly. “Let’s just say my indecision has had a few consequences and we’re not sure where the genetic dice have landed just yet.”

Manny’s eyes look as if they’re about to cross. “I think I hear my fiancée calling. Nice meeting you all.” A soft-spoken expletive leaves his lips as he takes off with a stunned look on his face.

The three of us don’t waste any time taking a seat at the bar. Noah ends up on the other side of Slater while I sit to his right with Everett beside me. And sure as the moon is round, a spray of tiny sparkling stars appears as Lil’ Mama makes her debut for the night.

Her silky, long, straight hair glows an ethereal shade of blue in this murky light, and she belts out a few sharp barks as she lands on the counter in front of Slater.

“This is the cad, isn’t it?” Lil’ Mama barks. “He’s the one that broke my Jazzy’s heart. He deserves to have a drink tossed in his face. Mrs. Albright said that was perfectly acceptable behavior when a man stepped out of bounds. And men were always stepping out of bounds with Mrs. Albright. I think she liked to make a sport of it. I bet Jazzy tossed a drink or two his way. But in the event she wasn’t able to, why don’t you do the honors, Lottie?”

I shake my head at the surly specter. There’s no reason for me to throw a drink in Slater’s face.

“My boys.” Slater offers Noah and Everett a quick high-five before nodding my way. “How are you feeling, Lottie?”

My stomach seizes as he asks the question and it feels as if a belt is tightening around my waist at supersonic speeds.

“I’m just dandy.” More like a dandy liar.

“That’s great.” He knocks back the rest of the brown liquid in his shot glass. “I can’t wait to get a woman or two knocked up. I’ve been wanting to start a family myself.”

“Did you say a woman or two?” I tip my ear his way, the better to hear him, just as a bartender lands a couple of beers in front of Noah and Everett and another shot glass to Slater. And oddly, this is the first time in nine months that I feel oddly invisible.

“Yup.” Slater pulls his lips to the side. “I want an entire brood, so having a few at a time makes sense.”

“See there?” Lil’ Mama yips. “He’s a scallywag. Take that drink from one of your men and splash it in his face.”

My lips invert because Lord knows I’m tempted.

Noah nods. “This will be Everett’s second, my first.”

Slater’s lips part as if he’s struggling to understand the concept. Most people do struggle with this.

“I’m sure Jasmine wanted kids.” I offer him a consolatory nod, and he shrugs.

“I doubt it.” He gives a sideways glance to the crowd. “She was too busy starving herself to fit into her size zero jeans. The way she looked, who she was seen with, was important to her. It’s refreshing to see a robust woman like yourself who doesn’t give a lick what she looks like.”

“The beer, Lottie. The beer,” Lil’ Mama cheers me on and my fingers itch to take her up on her sage advice.

“Lemon, don’t listen to him,” Everett snarls at his old friend. “An Italian sculptor couldn’t have put you together better if he tried.”

“That’s right, Lot,” Noah chimes. “And I love the way your body has expanded to welcome our child. And I appreciate there’s a lot more of you to hold at night, too.”

“You’re gunning for a beating,” Everett rumbles, and I shoot a loose smile to Slater.

“So is that why you and Jasmine went your separate ways?” I ask, not minding one bit if I come across as nosy to the man who has no manners.

Slater shakes his head while motioning the bartender to bring him another drink.

“Let’s just say Jazzy and I grew apart.”

Noah