All Through the Night: A Troubleshooter Christmas Read Online Free Page A

her huge, otherworldly-colored eyes.
    She was beautiful, as well, when she dressed up for dinner or a party—his favorite was that red dress with the short skirt. Shee-yit.
    But Alyssa, wearing only underwear that she’d clearly bought for his pleasure…
    By all rights, Sam should have been struck blind.
    But that smile was loaded, and there was no doubt about it, it was his turn to talk, and perhaps say something brilliant this time. “I can name that tune in ten minutes.”
    She laughed—which created a phenomenon in Sam’s chest that he thought of as a pulmonary triple lutz. “Yeah, but can you do it in five?”
    He reached for her, and she slipped into his arms.
    Short answer? Yes.

    Jules wouldn’t stop apologizing.
    In fact, the very last thing he mumbled before falling asleep, after the gastrointestinal explosions had stopped, after Robin had gotten him cleaned up, into a borrowed and much too large pair of Sam’s sweatpants and a T-shirt, and tucked into bed, was “I’m so sorry.”
    Robin sat with him for a while, just stroking his hair and watching him in the light from the bathroom.
    Alyssa was curled up in the other bed. Robin thought she was asleep until his stomach growled loudly.
    She chuckled. “Amazing that you could actually be hungry after that,” she said, speaking quietly so as not to disturb Jules. “I may never eat again.”
    Robin laughed softly, too. “Thank you so much for letting us come here.”
    â€œPlease,” Alyssa said. “If you’re going to be spending time with Jules, you need to understand that there is
nothing
Sam and I would not do for him. Are we clear on that?”
    â€œThank you,” Robin started, but she cut him off.
    â€œNo,” she said. “The correct response is
yes, ma’am, I understand.
”
    â€œOkay,” he said. “Now you’re scaring me a little.”
    She laughed, but she was still looking at him pointedly, so he said, “Yes, ma’am, I understand.” But then he added, “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do, either. I know you probably don’t believe that yet. You have reason to mistrust me—”
    Alyssa interrupted him again. “Once when Jules and I were overseas, he got this really awful stomach virus. It was…bad. I wanted to help him, but he wouldn’t let me near him. He can be so stubborn and…I was impressed tonight at the way you just shouted him down. You wouldn’t take his shit.” She laughed. “Okay. Bad choice of words.”
    Robin laughed, too. “Yeah, well…”
    Just stop,
Robin had told Jules at an unfortunately higher volume than he would have liked when Jules had tried to push him away.
I’m not going anywhere, so just fucking get used to it.
    Of course, maybe bellowing
Why? Because I love you, okay?
at the top of his lungs, in front of Jules’s skeptical best friend, had helped lower her skepticism a little.
    â€œSam went out to get some sandwiches a few hours ago,” Alyssa told him as his stomach rumbled again. “He thought you might be hungry after the…fireworks ended. He’s still out on the balcony, because he’s…well…”
    â€œHe’s Sam,” Robin finished for her. “I know.” Jules had told him all about Sam’s tendency to lose his lunch in response to brutal injury or death. It was kind of funny, actually—the big, tough Navy SEAL, on his knees…Of course, during the violence, he was always in the thick of things—kicking ass and saving the day. But after it was over? Vomit time.
    He was also, Jules had said, prone to the dread chain reaction. If someone else entered the vomitron, Sam would climb right in, too. Which was why he’d scrambled outside when Robin had carried Jules in.
    â€œIf you want,” Alyssa said, “I’ll keep an eye on Jules while you go out there and get