The Art of Discipline: Dani’s Discovery (The Mockingbird Chronicles) by Alexandra James, Stardawn Cabot Read Free Book Online Page B

recognized a distraught Will on the other side. “What’s wrong?”
    “Dani never showed up this morning, and there’s no answer at her apartment. I thought maybe you could check and make sure she’s okay.”
    Nodding, Emma grabbed the spare key and headed down the hall. Getting no answer to her knocks, she let herself in and searched each room before returning to Will. “She’s not here. Her car keys and purse are also missing, so my guess is she’s out someplace.”
    Closing and locking the door behind her, Emma cursed under her breath. How could Dani do this to her, to Will? Walking with Will back to her apartment, she paused. “You get back to work, and I’ll get dressed and see if I can find her.
    Will agreed and quietly made his way back to the stockroom.
    Entering her apartment, Emma closed the door and gave Atticus a pet before picking up the phone. Cursing again when the call went to voicemail on the second ring, she slammed down the receiver before picking it up again to dial the number for Anna and Stevie. Quickly filling Stevie in, she requested that they both come in early. She was going to be out and needed them to cover.
    Heading to her office, Emma sat in her chair and looked thoughtfully at the photo of Sean and Atticus. It had been taken when Atticus was just a kitten. Sean had a look of utter contentment as the kitten licked him. Making up her mind, she put the picture down and opened her top left hand drawer. “I hope you knew what you were talking about, Uncle Sean,” she whispered before removing the mahogany hairbrush and depositing it in her purse. Grabbing her keys, she then headed back to her car.
     
    * * *
     
    Fitting her key into the lock, Dani smirked. She’d been gone all day, drank more diet sodas than she could remember, and had found a wonderful sweet shop on the other side of town. She knew Emma would be angry, but at the moment, she didn’t care. Shifting the bags of Chinese to make opening the door easier, she almost dropped them upon the sight that met her eyes. Emma was not only sitting on her sofa, but there was a rather familiar looking hairbrush gracing the coffee table in front of her.
    “Have fun today, Danielle?” Emma asked quietly.
    Nodding slightly, Dani shifted up her bags, before slowly making her way to the kitchen. Putting them on the kitchen table, she debated whether she should run to her room or out the fire escape and all the way back to Chicago. But the choice was suddenly taken from her when she felt a small hand grab her ear with the grip of a strongman. Leaning down as she was pulled along, Dani whimpered in pain until she found herself deposited on a kitchen chair that Emma had moved into the living room.
    Emma stood in front of her, arms crossed, and tapping her foot. She allowed Dani to rub her ear for a moment before speaking. “I’m just curious, Danielle, did you misunderstand me last night?”
    “About what?”
    “Don’t play games with me, young lady,” Emma snapped. “You knew damned well that you were to help Will out this morning in the stockroom.”
    Glaring up into the flashing green eyes, Dani shrugged. “I already had plans. I told you, it was my day off.”
    “And I told you that I expected you in that stockroom first thing this morning to help Will.”
    “I had plans that did not include the stockroom. I am not a child that you can just order around.”
    Emma grumbled and looked to the ceiling before turning her attention back to Dani. “You keep telling me you aren’t a child, Danielle, but you sure have been acting like one.”
    “I have not, and I’m sure Will did just fine on his own today.”
    “Whether or not Will did okay is not the point, and you know it. You ran off, left your responsibility, and then act as if it’s not a big deal to disobey your boss and skip work.”
    “My boss?” Dani stood up and glared down at Emma. “We are co-owners of Ryan’s Books, or have you forgotten that?”
    “No, I