female?”
Chapter 10
Tina glanced over to where Viper was talking quietly with Bahadur. He glanced at her before he nodded. Tina’s eyes narrowed suspiciously when the other man grinned. She rose up when she saw the flash of light as he disappeared.
“You need to warn people before you guys just vanish,” she said crossly, walking over to the bar and picking up the bag of sugar-free jelly beans she’d bought for Tiny.
Tiny’s wife had told her that Tiny’s doctor was worried about his weight and that Tiny was trying to cut back. The problem was, Tiny had a terrible jelly bean sweet tooth. Tina decided to replace the regular jelly beans she kept for Tiny with the sugar free variety after his wife said that would be great.
“He is limiting himself to eight a day. It is his reward to himself for having a good day,” Karen said with a grin. “I love the big guy the way he is, but the doctor said he had to lose some weight.”
“Why only eight?” Tina remembered asking.
“He has cut back from a half pound bag of regular jelly beans a day to eight of the sugar free ones. Trust me, it has made a huge difference. He is addicted to the damn things,” Karen replied with a laugh.
She tried to tear the corner off and almost groaned in frustration when she realized that she would have to get a pair of scissors to open the package. She started when Viper took the package out of her hands and stared at it with a confused frown. He opened the bag and sniffed it.
“What is this?” He asked. “You are sick?”
“No,” Tina replied. “It is candy for Tiny. He likes to reward himself for a good day.”
She watched as he picked a piece of the candy out of the bag. He sniffed it again before he carefully placed it on his tongue. A look of surprise widened his eyes and he slowly chewed on it.
“It has a surprisingly good taste,” he said. “Why are they different colors? Do they taste different?”
Tina rolled her eyes and reached for the bag. He pulled it back and took out several more jelly beans before he reluctantly handed the bag to her. She emptied the contents into the clear plastic container labeled “Tiny’s Sweet Treats”. She had made sure that she posted a warning under the label ‘Do not eat more than eight pieces per day” after reading the consequences on the manufacturer’s label warned that it might cause intestinal discomfort.
“Yes, they each have different flavors. The colors represent the flavors,” she said, picking up the container and walking back to where Pearl was sitting watching them with a speculative look that raised Tina’s warning alarm. “Red is cherry, green is either sour apple or lime, orange is orange, and so forth. Is Riley and your brother really getting married?”
“Yes,” Viper said, watching as Tina carried the colorful jar over to the table. “What are you going to do with those?”
Tina rolled her eyes as she set the container next to her. “I’m going to put them in my office for Tiny so if he has a sweet tooth attack, he can get one,” she said. “Now, I don’t know about Pearl, but I’d like a few questions answered about your brother, where in the hell my sister is, and a couple of other things.”
“Will you give me another one of your sweets if I do?” Viper asked with a raised eyebrow.
Tina stared at Viper for a moment, trying to remember how many he had already eaten of the sugar-free treats. Her eyes ran up and down his long form. He might be able to eat more than the recommended serving with no problems and if it meant she and Pearl learned more about what happened to Riley, it was worth it.
“Sure,” Tina replied with a sweet smile of her own. “You can have as many as you want. I have another bag of them, but I warn you, it says you should only eat the recommended serving.”
*.*.*
Viper bit back the grin of satisfaction threatening to escape him. Carmen’s trick with the white cloth had worked, Tina had accepted his gift of
Chapter 10
Tina glanced over to where Viper was talking quietly with Bahadur. He glanced at her before he nodded. Tina’s eyes narrowed suspiciously when the other man grinned. She rose up when she saw the flash of light as he disappeared.
“You need to warn people before you guys just vanish,” she said crossly, walking over to the bar and picking up the bag of sugar-free jelly beans she’d bought for Tiny.
Tiny’s wife had told her that Tiny’s doctor was worried about his weight and that Tiny was trying to cut back. The problem was, Tiny had a terrible jelly bean sweet tooth. Tina decided to replace the regular jelly beans she kept for Tiny with the sugar free variety after his wife said that would be great.
“He is limiting himself to eight a day. It is his reward to himself for having a good day,” Karen said with a grin. “I love the big guy the way he is, but the doctor said he had to lose some weight.”
“Why only eight?” Tina remembered asking.
“He has cut back from a half pound bag of regular jelly beans a day to eight of the sugar free ones. Trust me, it has made a huge difference. He is addicted to the damn things,” Karen replied with a laugh.
She tried to tear the corner off and almost groaned in frustration when she realized that she would have to get a pair of scissors to open the package. She started when Viper took the package out of her hands and stared at it with a confused frown. He opened the bag and sniffed it.
“What is this?” He asked. “You are sick?”
“No,” Tina replied. “It is candy for Tiny. He likes to reward himself for a good day.”
She watched as he picked a piece of the candy out of the bag. He sniffed it again before he carefully placed it on his tongue. A look of surprise widened his eyes and he slowly chewed on it.
“It has a surprisingly good taste,” he said. “Why are they different colors? Do they taste different?”
Tina rolled her eyes and reached for the bag. He pulled it back and took out several more jelly beans before he reluctantly handed the bag to her. She emptied the contents into the clear plastic container labeled “Tiny’s Sweet Treats”. She had made sure that she posted a warning under the label ‘Do not eat more than eight pieces per day” after reading the consequences on the manufacturer’s label warned that it might cause intestinal discomfort.
“Yes, they each have different flavors. The colors represent the flavors,” she said, picking up the container and walking back to where Pearl was sitting watching them with a speculative look that raised Tina’s warning alarm. “Red is cherry, green is either sour apple or lime, orange is orange, and so forth. Is Riley and your brother really getting married?”
“Yes,” Viper said, watching as Tina carried the colorful jar over to the table. “What are you going to do with those?”
Tina rolled her eyes as she set the container next to her. “I’m going to put them in my office for Tiny so if he has a sweet tooth attack, he can get one,” she said. “Now, I don’t know about Pearl, but I’d like a few questions answered about your brother, where in the hell my sister is, and a couple of other things.”
“Will you give me another one of your sweets if I do?” Viper asked with a raised eyebrow.
Tina stared at Viper for a moment, trying to remember how many he had already eaten of the sugar-free treats. Her eyes ran up and down his long form. He might be able to eat more than the recommended serving with no problems and if it meant she and Pearl learned more about what happened to Riley, it was worth it.
“Sure,” Tina replied with a sweet smile of her own. “You can have as many as you want. I have another bag of them, but I warn you, it says you should only eat the recommended serving.”
*.*.*
Viper bit back the grin of satisfaction threatening to escape him. Carmen’s trick with the white cloth had worked, Tina had accepted his gift of
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