Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
“I have an inheritance from a man I don’t know?” Brooks asked.
“Yep. But we’ll have to research him, as this doesn’t make me happy.” Steele looked at Grady, who nodded grimly. No doubt he was angry with himself for not finding this connection. But there was no way for him to have known when this ‘uncle’ wasn’t a blood relation.
“I can’t believe that bitch did this,” Brooks said, his face growing red.
“Brooks,” Effie said. She climbed off Grady’s lap and moved slowly to Brooks.
“Don’t tell me it’s okay, Aunt Effie. It’s not. She’s behind bars for trying to kill you, and yet she’s still trying to hurt you. We need to pin this on her, make sure she doesn’t do this again.”
“I’ve got Brody working on it,” Ink told him. “We’ll make sure she doesn’t get out of jail. We can get her visits and communication privileges revoked. Don’t worry. Her life will be a misery.”
“Good. Do it.” Brooks gave Ink a grim look.
“Brooks,” Effie said, clearly hurting for him. “Are you sure? She’s your mom.”
“No, she isn’t, Mom. I have a mom and she’s right next to me.”
Effie gasped, her eyes filling with tears. Then she threw her arms around him. “I love you.”
“Love you too, Aunt Effie.” He stood and hugged her back.
“What about Wolfe?” Ink asked.
“I questioned him and he wasn’t involved,” Grady said. “Seems he really was there by coincidence. Well, not exactly, since he’s been watching Effie.”
“Fucking bastard,” Steele muttered.
“Oh, and Chantelle was paid to lure Effie out,” Grady said grimly. “She’s being escorted out of town as we speak. Also, I made it clear to Wolfe that if he stays away from Effie and us, we’ll steer clear of him.”
Steele nodded. He agreed with that. He didn’t like the man, but he did owe him. So he’d give him this.
“So I guess all that’s left is to live a long, happy life,” Millie said with a smile.
Yeah. A long and happy life with Brooks and the two people he loved. That he needed. That were his everything.
He’d basically given up on life, thinking he’d live forever in the black after Jacqui died.
But now he had so much color in his life . . . and it was so beautiful he couldn’t even believe it.
EPILOGUE
Effie scowled at Steele, who stood in the bathroom with her. “You need to leave.”
“No.”
“I want to use the toilet.”
“So go.” He leaned back against the wall and gestured to the toilet.
“Damon!” She stomped her foot. There were times a girl needed some alone time and she needed that right now. A week had passed since she’d been shot at and Steele had put them all into lockdown, including Brooks, who’d been taking lessons online.
The old principal had resigned, and after Steele made a hefty donation, the new principal had been happy to let Brooks learn from home.
Effie was trying to be very patient with Damon, knowing that his overprotectiveness was due to what had happened.
But there was a line.
“That’s cute. Not changing my mind.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“You are a very stubborn, frustrating man.”
He just raised an eyebrow.
With a sigh, she knew she was going to have to bring out the big guns. She drew her phone from her pocket.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Calling Grady.”
“You don’t need to call Grady,” he growled.
“I want to use the toilet on my own.”
“You don’t care when you’re in Little headspace,” he pointed out.
“I’m not in Little headspace right now.”
“Should always keep you in Little headspace,” he muttered. “Should just put you in diapers. Then you’d never need privacy.”
“I would still need privacy! Now, are you leaving or am I calling in the big guns?”
“I’m standing on the other side of the door. And you won’t lock it.”
“Promise you won’t come in.”
He just glared at her.
“Damon. Promise.”
“Fine. I promise. But you need to come here first.”
She moved over to him and he swept her against him, kissing her hard before pulling away. “I know I’m being a pain in the ass. You still love me?”
“Always. I’ll always love you. You and Grady are my everything.”
Grady watched Effie dance around the kitchen, singing to herself. It smelled divine in here–like vanilla and chocolate. She’d been baking again.
Brooks was sitting at the kitchen island doing something, and she danced behind him, then stopped to hug him.
Grady couldn’t remember his mother ever hugging him. And if she had, it was when he was very young.
But Effie would never treat their children like that. She’d be an amazing mother.
Surprisingly, Steele wasn’t looming over her, watching her every move. Three weeks had passed since she’d been shot at and Steele was having trouble letting her out of his sight.
Effie had been surprisingly patient with the big guy.
Grady was also feeling overprotective, but trying to tame it down to help Steele keep himself under control. For the first week, Steele hadn’t let Effie do anything. He’d kept trying to follow her into the bathroom.