“Xav tugged Yves off me and handed me the call button. “You’ll be needing this, Phee, when my irritating little squirt of a brother bothers you again. Just press and the nurses will come running. One of them looks like a pro-wrestler, so she’ll make short work of him.”

“Xav bounded out behind him. “Yeah, Phee equals You-She squared. I’ve been working on that one: like it?”

“I thought you were disgusted by the people that come to my club.” “They’re still people.” He presses the button again. “If you go outside, you will be killed. If you make noise, you will be sent outside. Don’t piss me off.” Just like that, Chester’s goes completely silent.”

“Just so I’m clear, if you make it Tab or my cut, I pick Tab. You’ll get my cut and you, personally, will not ever, brother, not ever again see me.”

“It’s shocking to me that boys are where your thoughts are focused at this time in the morning, so unlike you.” Ami laughed off my sarcasm. “No need to be so grumpy, just get some make-up on those bags and you’ll be fine.” “Sure, sure,” I agreed without enthusiasm. “Oh! I know what I wanted to tell you – you’ll never guess who Thomas is chasing after now…”Hmmm, never guess or can’t be bothered to guess – it was a hard call. I yawned again, glancing at the bed, which was inviting me to clamber back inside and pull the sheet over my head. So tempting, but not practical.”

“There’s a reason I always look nice when I go to work.” I kept a scowl on my face while she hustled me upstairs.“Because you’ll get fired if you look like a slob?”“Because, my little grouch, it makes me feel better on the inside if I like how I look on the outside.”