A Very Christopher Christmas (A Death Dwellers MC Novella) Read Free Page B

who’d been enraptured by the performance applauded with manners.  
    “Fifteen-minute recess,” Kendall told him.  
    “What?” A recess meant… ”This shit isn’t over?”  
    Kendall lumbered to her feet and thrust her belly in his face. Without thinking, he flattened his hand over the sparkling blue material of her gown. She leaned into his touch, for a brief moment, until she looked over his shoulder.  
    Charlotte was probably behind Johnnie, so Kendall went back to propriety. A small diamond tiara kept her red hair in place and showcased her sapphire and diamond earrings. She’d spent a fortune on tonight’s outfit, determined to keep up with the other women in attendance.  
    To Johnnie, it was all so pretentious. Give him club functions any day. That wasn’t to say he didn’t enjoy symphonies, plays, and dinner parties—he even enjoyed these private recitals Charlotte and Brooks held—but on a limited basis.  
    “There’s a football game on tonight,” Johnnie began, feeling a little pathetic at his plaintive tone. “The guys are at Christopher’s house. If we leave now, I can catch the last quarter.”  
    “Did I hear you say you’re leaving now?” Leann Higgins interrupted. She was Kendall’s paralegal, a pretty, perky little blonde related to Charlotte. “You two have to stay. I’m up next.”  
    Fucking great. The last thing he needed was to have to pretend to like a piece so he wouldn’t insult Charlotte’s niece, and, in turn, freak Kendall out.  
    “What will you perform?”  
    “Opera. Ava Maria. I’m keeping it simple.”  
    “I really want to see the game, Leann,” he said with a polite smile, to soften his refusal.  
    “You’ve got to hear me.” She gave him a dramatic blink and he laughed, unable to stop himself. “Please.”  
    “Hello, Leann,” Kendall said coolly before Johnnie responded to the girl’s theatrics.  
    Leann’s bright smile faltered.  
    “Brandy, sir,” a server said, holding a tray out to Johnnie.  
    Brandy. Elderberry liqueur. Whiskey. All alcohol on Kendall’s list of drinks that she preferred Johnnie to drink. Everything but a fucking beer. The tray of brandy-filled snifters held out to him left him little choice but to accept. The alternative was going without.  
    Gritting his teeth and snatching the snifter from the silver tray, Johnny downed the amber liquid in one gulp. The waiter drew himself up, as snooty as the people he served. In no mood to deal with fuckheads, Johnnie narrowed his eyes. The Glock holstered beneath his jacket was a quick solution to appease his boredom, frustration, and annoyance.  
    Kendall held another glass of brandy out to Johnnie. “Here,” she said graciously. “Just because I love you.”  
    “Ahh, that’s so sweet,” Leann offered as the waiter stomped off.  
    “We love each other so much.” Kendall drew herself up and gave her assistant a tight smile. “There’s no one more important to me than Johnnie and he feels the same about me.”  
    “I know.” Leann either missed the warning in Kendall’s tone or ignored it. “I want a man like yours one day. Witty, handsome, and tall.”  
    Kendall’s look could freeze hell. “There’s no one better for him than I am.”  
    To soothe her jealousy, Johnnie placed a hand at the small of her back. “Kendall is my everything,” he said sincerely, wanting to abate her insecurities. He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead when all he wanted to do was hug her tightly and remove all the emotion in her eyes. “Why don’t we leave so I can show you how much I love you?” He winked at her, enjoying her blush.  
    “You’re so bad, Johnnie,” Leann said with a giggle.  
    Tasting his brandy, Johnnie grinned at the little blonde. She was always fun to be around.  
    “How are two of my favorite girls?” Charlotte Redding glided up to their little group, her black gown as elegant as she was. She offered Johnnie a sour look, disliking him