Nice Buns (Cheap Thrills 7)

Seeing Jacinda’s name, I answered the call. “What’s u—”

“Have you seen the notifications?” she shrieked. “I can’t believe it.”

“What notifications? I turned comment and DM request notifications off months ago because they were keeping me awake, remember?”

“The video has over five million views on TikTok, and it’s gone viral on Twitter because the YouTube version’s been shared so many times. Don’t even get me started on Instagram and Facebook,” she squealed. “I just wish it was for a makeup or product testing video instead of us running after and away from your fucking chickens.”

I was staring blindly at the rug as she spoke, but the last bit made me lift my head and look around me. “I didn’t upload a video?”

“You had to have done it. It came from the cameras in your garden.”

Turning slowly to glare at Alex, I ground out, “It came from the security cameras?”

“Yup. Those are the only ones that could have caught it all.”

Seeing as how the pussy couldn’t look at me, I turned the force of my glare onto my son, who I could see was faking being asleep now.

“Cody has access to that footage for security purposes.”

The couch began to vibrate again, but this time it was more of a shake caused by the bellows of laughter coming out of the big shithead sitting beside me.

“I’ll call you back, honey. I just need to commit a crime first.”

Not waiting for an answer, I ended the call and then let rip.

Chapter Twelve

Evie

“So, you let them live?” my customer asked in disbelief. “I know your son’s injured and healing, but I’d still have kicked both of their asses.”

“I wouldn’t kick Alex Bell’s ass,” Sayla’s customer sighed. “I’d touch it. He’s just the hottest man in uniform I’ve ever seen.”

Ignoring the conversation, I put the last curler in her hair. “Okay, we’ll just put you under the drier, and then I’ll finish you off.”

I’d come in today because we were fully booked, and Sayla and Jacinda couldn’t take on my clients on top of their own. Alex was staying with Cody to help him out, and if it was anything like yesterday, most of P.V.P.D. would be dropping in. Heck, Roque had brought some of P.T.P.D. with him, too, so it was like cop city in my home just now. I didn’t even know I knew that many of them.

“I saw so many men in uniform coming out of your place while I was dropping off something to Ross yesterday,” Calia Teller, my neighbor’s mom, said with a big smile. “I’m glad they haven’t changed their uniform again. The ones they’ve got now make them look hotter than other versions I’ve seen.”

I had to agree. There was something about the uniforms they had now that gave them that extra sexy factor.

“I think Carter Lane is gorgeous,” a lady called Sofia from Palmerstown sighed. “I gave him my number the other day, and he didn’t smile, but the stern look almost made me melt. I felt naughty, you know?”

“He’s taken,” Jacinda informed her as she put highlights in the lady’s hair.

“Is he? I heard he was single. I’ve never seen him with a woman outside of that ginger woman who works with him.”

The way she dismissed Naomi and downplayed the beauty of her hair pissed me off, but I kept quiet as I checked the highlights on another customer, knowing Jacinda would deal with it. “Looking good there, Mrs. Laidlaw. I’ll get Paisley to wash it off for you now.”

Making eye contact with the girl who did jobs like these for us and was training at Delicious Divas, I pointed at Mrs. Laidlaw and winked at her. Paisley was great at her job, and once she had her certificate, we’d definitely be offering her a spot at the salon.

“Honey,” I heard Jacinda say in a tone like she was talking to a child, “he’s taken. She’s also not ginger, she’s a divine shade of red and pink, and her hair shines like a ruby when the light catches it right.”

Shooting her a look that said, “What the fuck are you talking about?” I glanced around the salon to see that other customers were glaring at Sofia.

I only just managed not to laugh when Jacinda mouthed back, “Bitch needs to stop talking.”

“Well, I think you’re mistaken,” the lady sniffed, shrugging a shoulder.

“And I told you that you were mistaken when you chose to have thicker mahogany chunks mixed in with gold and white-blonde highlights last time, but did you listen to me? No. Should you have? Yes. On that, I was right, and on the subject of Carter Lane and the divine redhead he’s always with, you’re wrong again,” Jacinda told her sweetly with a smile and a wink.

“Now, that’s your color in. You sit back and think about making some wise choices and listening to advice. I’ll check on you in thirty minutes.”