Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 102903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
“Oh, don’t go all soft on me, Tony,” she says with a little laugh. “We got a case to solve. We don’t have time for your song and dance.”
I laugh at that. Lovie does too.
And it only takes Sherry a moment or two to go back to eating her soup like the whole conversation didn’t even happen.
“You want me to tell Hannah that you stopped by?” Lovie asks, her voice edging with curiosity while her eyes carefully assess my face.
“Actually, I think it’d be good if we keep this little visit to ourselves.”
“Okay.” Lovie nods, but her eyes stare at me curiously. “You know, it’d be nice if you gave me a little idea what’s happened with the two of you . . .”
“I think that’s Hannah’s story to tell.”
A smile appears on Lovie’s lips. “You’re a good man, Dom. And I’m sure whatever’s happened between you and my Hannah Banana will work itself out.”
Fuck. I can only hope. Though, as more days pass with zero communication from Hannah, I’m starting to fear the worst.
“You know, if you hang around for another two hours or so, Hannah should be getting home. Her shifts at Progress Mutual end at three.”
Her words make my brain skid to a stop.
“Progress Mutual?” I question, lifting my eyes from my soup in confusion. “She took a second job?”
“Oh no, honey.” Lovie waves her hand in the air. “She quit the other one,” she says, clearly avoiding what the other job entailed for Sherry’s ears. Most of the time, Hannah’s mom is naive to what’s really going on around her, but from what Hannah’s told me, every once in a while, she has a lucid moment.
Clearly, Sherry finding out that her daughter was working a phone sex hotline so she could keep Sherry comfortable in her own home wouldn’t make her feel good.
Lovie’s words roll around inside my head until they make sense. Hannah quit Call Me Anytime?
Relief floods my chest, sharp and immediate. Not because I’m some macho asshole who couldn’t handle my girlfriend working a phone sex hotline. I have no problem with sex work in principle—it’s the danger that comes with it. I’ve been a cop too long not to know how many sick bastards prey on women in vulnerable positions. I’ve seen what happens when things go horribly wrong, and two girls murdered while working at CMA is more than enough to make me glad Hannah’s out.
The truth is, part of that relief comes from knowing how much she hated the job. But mostly? It’s knowing she’s safe. Shane’s latest update on the CMA case wasn’t exactly hopeful. No wiretap, no solid leads, nothing but a couple of officers relistening to Hannah’s calls and hoping for a break. The case is running on fumes, and the thought of her still being tied up in all that mess? It’s unthinkable.
I’m over the moon that she’s out of it, away from the danger. That she’s safe.
But another part of me feels bad. And real goddamn sad.
Am I the reason she quit CMA?
Of all the things I wanted to do when I paid off the reverse mortgage on her mom’s house, causing her additional stress wasn’t one of them.
Way to go, Dom. Way to fucking go.
42
Hannah
8:30 p.m.
I cut the engine of my Civic and hop out, grabbing my purse and phone as I do. Once I unlock the front door, the sounds of NCIS fill my ears from upstairs, and I follow the sounds all the way up the steps until I reach the main floor.
Lovie stands at the island, her bag already packed up to head back home. The next two days, she’ll be with her husband.
And my mom is perched on her favorite spot on the living room sofa, fully entrenched in her show.
“Thank you so much for staying a few extra hours tonight,” I tell Lovie as I drop my purse down onto the kitchen island. My new boss, William, offered up a few extra hours of overtime today, and since needing extra cash flow is the story of my life, I jumped on it once Lovie confirmed she could stay late.
“It was no problem at all, Hannah Banana,” Lovie says with a warm smile. “There’s a big container of potato soup in the fridge. I just made it this afternoon.”
“I swear, if you weren’t already married to Norm, I’d propose to you.”
She laughs. “Sherry’s been in a pretty good mood today. Don’t think you’ll have too much trouble getting her to bed tonight.”
“That’s great news because I’m hoping to call it an early night.”
“Be good, Hannah Banana,” Lovie says and gives me one of her big bear hugs. “I’ll see you in a few days.”
“Bye, Lovie.”
“Bye, Sherry Berry!” Lovie calls toward my mom, who barely offers a wave over her shoulder, the show too riveting to pull away from.