Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 127715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
“Can we talk outside?” Shane asked him.
Sherise rolled her eyes at Lillian.
Lillian smiled.
Ronetta topped up her wine.
“Sure,” Harry said.
Since he was closer, Harry led the way.
Though, Shane walked all the way to the garden gate with Harry following before he stopped.
“I’m sure you get what I wanna talk about,” Shane announced.
“Yeah,” Harry said. “And there are three different law enforcement agencies—”
“No, man,” Shane cut him off irritably. “You’re living with Lillian and you two have been dating for only a week?”
Ah.
“No, I’m not living with Lillian. I’m staying with her. At her request,” Harry corrected.
“And you two have been dating for only a week?” Shane reiterated.
“She loves you. So I’m going to try to be respectful when I say, Lillian’s a grown woman, this is her choice, this is what we decided as a couple, and this is what’s happening. I appreciate your concern, and I can assure you, I’m very aware our relationship is new. It might not make sense to you with how you’re seeing it, but we’re juggling getting to know each other with what’s going on with Lillian, and I’m taking it as slow as I can considering the circumstances.”
“Not slow enough, since you describe the two of you as a couple.”
“Well, we are, and I’ll let Lillian explain that to you if she wants.”
“She has family right next door.”
“She wants me right by her side.”
Shane’s handsome features pinched. “And that sure works for you.”
“Listen, Shane, this isn’t really your business—”
That made Shane’s eyes flash. “The fuck?”
Definitely Lillian’s big older brother.
“But I’m going to tell you anyway,” Harry kept on like Shane hadn’t interrupted, “because if I had a sister, I’d be like you. I’m here. My dogs are here. I’m where she needs me. But we haven’t made love yet because I’m also very aware of her emotions right now, and I’m seeing to those.”
Shane’s chin jerked into his neck at Harry’s frank disclosure, but Harry wasn’t done.
“Now you tell me, you have the shitty timing of meeting one of the best women you’ve known a week before she finds out her parents were murdered, she found some balm in you being around, what would you do?”
Shane glowered at him for several very long beats.
He stopped doing that to glance at the house.
Then he dropped his head, lifted a hand, rubbed the back of his neck before he straightened and looked at Harry.
“I’m being a dick,” he said softly. “But Sonny was like a dad to me. Avery was pure sunshine, and my second mom. And I gotta tell you, I’m pissed as fuck what happened to them.”
“I get you.”
“Be honest, how’s Lilly Bean doing with this?”
“She’s strong, but she talks, she cries, she has times I can see it come over her. But she’s hanging in there.”
“Don’t let Mom fool you,” he warned. “She’s gonna be the backbone of all this, but she’s suffering too.”
“I’ll keep an eye.”
“Now, back to what you were saying, you all have any clue who would do this?”
“What has Lillian shared?”
“I just got home maybe twenty minutes ago. I didn’t want to ask.”
Harry nodded and ran it down.
“Fuck. After all this time, you got more than I expected you would,” Shane remarked.
“We don’t have a shooter, but we got a lot of people looking for him, whoever the fuck he is, and I swear to you, if there’s any chance in hell of finding that guy, we’re gonna find him. And we’re gonna nail him.”
Shane studied Harry a moment before he said, “I believe you.” He shot another glance at the house and finished, “We should probably go inside.”
Harry looked over his shoulder to see Ronetta, hands on hips, looking annoyed, standing in the window with Sherise, who, when she got Harry’s attention, lifted her hand and did a finger wave. Lillian was there too, but she was bent over like she was petting one of the dogs.
They walked in, and the instant Shane closed the door, Sherise declared, “So, Mom, just in case you want to give me more guff about not giving you grandchildren, hark!” she cried, using her hands to indicate Shane like she was advertising a bottle of shampoo. “Feast your eyes on my big brother, who scares all my suitors away by having various versions of a talk outside.” She clasped her hands in front of her and aimed fake moon eyes at Harry. “Please don’t leave, Harry, no matter what badass bullshit Shane just treated you to.”
“Language,” Ronetta snapped.
“Mom, I’m thirty-eight years old,” Sherise snapped back.
“You’re never too old to respect your mother,” Ronetta returned.
Shane was grinning hugely as he picked up a wineglass and took a sip.
Then he made a face. “Who bought this?”
“Not everyone can afford fifty-dollar bottles of wine, Shane,” Sherise stated.
“I give a discount to family, Sherise,” Shane returned. “How much did this cost?” he asked Lillian.