Mayhem & Mistletoe, стр. 41

“I mean ... she’s Avery Shaw,” she continued. “She’s larger than life. I’ve heard all these stories — and I expected her to do something to save herself — but then the moment was upon me. Avery was going to die. I had to be willing to risk myself to save her.”

That was a lot of crap and I had to bite my tongue to keep from exploding. I was in control of that situation from start to finish. I didn’t need her.

“And you just happen to carry a Taser?” another voice asked, causing me to jerk up my head. Marvin worked nights. What was he doing here so early in the morning? He didn’t even get up before ten o’clock most days. If it was a weekend and he’d managed to pick up a woman, he slept until noon.

“My parents were sticklers for self-defense,” Sabrina replied. “They wanted to make sure that I was capable of taking care of myself. I don’t want to toot my own horn or anything ....”

“Go ahead and toot away,” Marvin encouraged, a faraway look in his eyes. “Toot it like crazy.”

Sabrina barreled forward. “My parents always told me that pretty girls were more likely to get grabbed in parking lots after dark. I’m sure it wasn’t just parking lots, but they always said parking lots.

“I grew up with this irrational fear of being alone in a parking lot, so I bought a Taser to protect myself,” she continued. “I’ve had it since I was seventeen. I carry it everywhere. Some people say I get worked up for no reason, but I proved them wrong last night.”

“Yes, you’re a total hero,” Marvin agreed. “I bet you looked like a blond Wonder Woman when you sprang into action. Was Avery impressed?”

“She was grateful,” Sabrina replied. “I don’t think very much impresses her. I’m still working on that.”

“Why would you even care?” Duncan countered, drawing my eyes to the other side of reporters’ row. His desk was located at the far end of the room. He wasn’t even supposed to walk down the aisle because it often resulted in the two of us sniping at one another. Obviously the rules had somehow evaporated overnight.

“Why would I care about what?” Sabrina asked blankly.

“About impressing Avery Shaw. She’s a menace.”

“She’s the best reporter here,” Sabrina countered.

“No, that’s what she tells people.” Duncan was never going to be a fan of mine, but how he could argue I wasn’t The Monitor’s best reporter was beyond me. “She’s not a professional. She doesn’t have a good relationship with the politicians. I’m ten times the reporter she is.”

That was enough to snap Marvin out of his reverie. “Please. You’re not even a reporter. You’re a desk jockey. You work on the copy desk.”

“That’s an important job,” Duncan fired back. “I don’t take weak writing assignments. I’m too talented for that. I only wait for the big stories. Avery takes everything.”

“I thought that was the job of a reporter,” Sabrina challenged meekly.

“It is.” Suddenly, Marvin’s flirtatious energy had been replaced by annoyance. “Don’t listen to him. He’s likes to hear himself talk. He’s not a valuable member of the team.”

“Excuse me?” Duncan’s eyebrows practically rose to his receding hairline. “I am the most valuable member of this team. I’m smart ... driven ... and I have a high IQ. I can cut through the bull faster than everyone else here combined.”

Well, that was all I needed to hear. I stepped forward, essentially announcing my presence, and pushed through some of the bodies crowding my desk. “Yes, all anyone can smell when they’re around you is the bull ... crap.”

Duncan didn’t seem alarmed at being caught talking about me. It was hardly a surprise. We talked badly about each other constantly. That wasn’t about to change. “Look who graced us with her presence.”

Sabrina, who had been sitting in my desk chair, quickly hopped to her feet. “How are you feeling? I’m so glad to see you. Did you have nightmares? I was just telling everyone about saving you from that monster.”

“I heard.” It took everything I had not to lose my temper. She had stepped in at the right moment and served up a terrific distraction. The fact that she was telling everyone she’d saved me was a hard slap in the face, though. And it wasn’t true. No matter what anyone said, I had that situation under control.

“So, are you feeling better?” Sabrina’s gaze was expectant. “I bet you bounced right back because you’re Avery Shaw. You’re tough. You’re back on the job despite the PTSD you’re likely feeling. Where are we going today?”

That was a very good question. Instead of responding, I lifted a finger and stepped around her. “I’ll be right back.” I headed for Fish’s desk. He looked to be shrinking as I approached.

“Don’t even bother complaining,” he started. “She’s going with you. I kept her out of your hair yesterday.”

“You kept her out of my hair?” That was the most ludicrous thing I’d ever heard. “I dumped her on Jake and then demanded you keep her busy. She still found a way to follow me to Detroit.” Speaking of that, I’d yet to fully question her on how she’d managed that. That was a conversation that was yet to come. “I can’t deal with her.”

“You’ll have to. She’s decided you’re the best reporter in the world despite the fact that you probably didn’t thank her for saving your life.”

“Hey, I saved my own life.”

Fish shook his head. “That’s not the way I heard it.”

“Well, you heard wrong. I’m totally capable of taking care of myself. She threw herself into the mix because she likes attention.”

“Sounds like someone else I know.”

The dig wasn’t lost on me. “I am nothing like her. I mind my own business.”

He snorted. “Right.”

I studied him for a moment. There were multiple ways I could go with this. Ultimately, I decided being bossy was the best avenue. “I will be really mean to her