Page 35 of The Scrooge Effect

“And what about your attitude with Harper? How the hell are you gonna fix that?”

“I don’t know!” I snapped. “Fuck, one thing at a time.”

“It’s not one thing at a time. It’s all wrapped up in that shit with your father, and if you don’t figure out how to deal with it, you’re gonna end up alone. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, I fucking hear you!” I shouted.

Lock shook his head at me, putting his foot down on the gas. “Let’s just get this fucking job done and get home.”

8

EDU

“You look fucking stupid,” Brock laughed as I tugged the Santa whiskers in place.

“So do you.”

“Yeah, but I think this suit becomes me,” he said, turning as he stared in the mirror. “Red really is my color.”

“And I can’t pull off red?”

“Nope.”

One of the men tied to the chairs shouted at us behind his gag. I spun and held out my arms for him.

“What do you think? Can I pull off red?”

He shrugged, mumbling something behind his gag.

Stalking over, I ripped it out of his mouth.

“It’s a good color on you. Really brings out your eyes.”

“See, that’s what I thought!”

“But there’s no way you’ll pass for me.”

“Like anyone will notice,” I snorted, turning to look at myself in the mirror. There was no way I was ever going to like Christmas after this, but these pants did an excellent job of hiding my weapons.

“And what are you going to do at the check-in?” the guy retorted.

“Wear my beard. Hello,” I laughed.

It was like he hadn’t even thought of that, and now I felt even better about this mission because these guys seemed like a bunch of idiots.

Brock thrust the door open, storming in. “Hey, are you guys ready? We have to be there in a half hour.”

I bent over, pulling on my boots and lacing them up. “Yeah, almost finished.”

He turned to the guys in the chairs. “You’ll be okay here, right? Need something to eat? Maybe a granola bar?”

“Brock, they’re our prisoners.”

“That doesn’t mean they can’t eat. Besides, I’m wearing a Santa suit. It doesn’t feel right to be mean.”

“They were going to pass out drugs in these suits!”

“I know, but…” He turned back to them. “You guys didn’t really want to do it, right?”