CHAPTER 30

“What the hell is going on here?” Karla demanded. “Sophia bolted like a bat out of hell the minute the doorbell rang.”

“Long story,” Sandra muttered. “Derrick is bringing in James Brown as a partner, and Sophia didn’t take the news well at all. That’s him at the door. He’s coming over to meet everyone. We invited Sophia earlier so Derrick could tell her in private, and she freaked. Like really freaked. She said some pretty harsh things. To me.”

Karla’s eyes widened. “Really?”

Sandra nodded. “Derrick was pissed. Extremely pissed. He basically threatened to fire her if she didn’t apologize and he told her if she ever came at me like that again he’d fire her on the spot.”

“Wow,” Karla breathed. “Not that I don’t agree with him protecting you, but wow.”

“Yeah. My thoughts exactly.”

Karla grabbed the tray as Sophia reentered the kitchen, as though she’d come over to help.

“Grab the wine, Sophia,” Karla said cheerfully. “We’ll go serve up Sandra’s yum-yums to the menfolk.”

Her pretend obliv