Hit & Mrs. by Lesley Crewe

Author:Lesley Crewe
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Tags: FIC010000, FIC016000
Publisher: Nimbus
Published: 2010-08-18T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

“Will you shut that kid up?” Dumber yelled at them from the front seat. “He’s making me crazy.”

“He’s scared, that’s all.” Gracie held Keaton tighter, but he continued to wail.

“He’ll be more than scared in a minute.”

Gemma leaned forward. “My, that’s really brave, threatening a baby like that. Your mother must be so proud.”

“Keep your mouth shut, lady.”

Augusta leaned closer to Gemma. “Stop pissing them off.”

“Sorry. I guess I’m not in a real good mood, what with being taken hostage twice in less than twenty-four hours.”

Gracie said, “Twice? What happened yesterday?”

“What didn’t happen yesterday is a better question.”

Gracie’s face crumbled. “This is my fault. I got you in trouble and worse, I got my son in trouble too. I’ll never forgive myself.”

Augusta put her hand on Gracie’s arm. “We all make mistakes. Granted, this is a big one. But you’ll have your whole life to rectify it.”

“Which gives her about twenty minutes, the way this day is going,” Gemma said.

“I’m sorry.”

Gemma patted Gracie’s knee. “Never mind. You’re not alone, so that’s something to be grateful for.”

Keaton continued to let everyone know he was not happy with the situation at all. Gracie rubbed the top of his head and then kissed it. “I don’t know what’s wrong.”

“He knows we’re keeping lousy company,” Gemma said.

Augusta felt his cheeks. “I think he may be teething. His cheeks are flushed. Do his gums feel hot?”

Gracie rubbed them with the tip of her finger. “I think so.”

“Or it could be diaper rash,” Gemma suggested. “Is his bum red? Or maybe gas? Or constipation?”

“How are his stools?” Augusta asked.

Dumber turned around with his big moon face. “Shut up. You’re making me sick up here.”

“Interesting how the big lout has such a delicate stomach,” Gemma said. “It must get in the way of all his killing and maiming.”

“I’m gonna give you a knuckle sandwich in a minute.”

“I like mustard, just so you know.”

Augusta hit Gemma on the knee, but it didn’t keep her quiet for long. They jolted forward when the car slammed to a stop at a red light. “Don’t you know how to drive? My sixteen-year-old drives better than this.”

Dumb looked at her in the rear-view mirror. “I got a perfect score on my driving test.”

Dumber punched Dumb in the shoulder. “Who gives a shit?”

Gemma looked out the window. “Look at this, Augusta, our own personal tour of the city. Too bad they don’t stop at the Statue of Liberty or the Chrysler Building. I always wanted to see them. Instead we get to see the underbelly of life in New York, where the rats play.”

Dumber turned around and glared at them. “I’m not warning you again. Zip it.”

Gemma mouthed “cellphone” to Augusta, who tried not to make any noise as she rooted through her purse. She gently eased it out and hid it behind her bag, then turned it on and punched in the numbers. With Keaton’s screams of outrage covering up her voice, she leaned over and when she thought she heard “Hello,” she whispered, “we’ve been kidnapped.

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