Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
God, these women made life fun. When had she laughed so much? When was the last time she rode the wave of life’s simple pleasures?
So long ago, she didn’t remember specifics.
Each of the Handlers’ women seemed to genuinely enjoy her company. They weren’t fake and wouldn’t put on airs if they didn’t like her. The warm feeling of authentic friendship was one she hadn’t experienced in ages, maybe ever. Growing up, she’d always had to wonder if friends only wanted to be around her because of her influential family. The ones she decided might want to be her friend often ended up on the wrong side of her father’s business schemes and scams. These days, Kelsie kept to herself in her quest to keep off her family’s radar and protect innocents. That meant becoming a homebody even when the loneliness became unbearable. But today, she didn’t need to worry about any of that.
And it felt damn wonderful.
“Sugar and fat, huh? I think I can manage that. Lead the way.”
Liv squealed, and the trio headed to the bakery with arms linked.
Fifteen minutes later, they walked out of the shop with an obscene number of cookies in nearly every flavor imaginable. She might have sampled enough to stay full for the rest of the day, but her heart and stomach were stuffed with happiness.
Laughing over Brenna’s tale of a horrifying diaper mishap with her ol’ man’s son, they strode toward Brooke’s SUV to stow their goodies. Kelsie held her gaze on Brenna as she stepped off the curb and smacked into a firm body.
“Oh, my God, I’m so sorry!” she said as she bobbled her box of cookies.
“Don’t drop them!” Liv, who’d been empty-handed, rushed over to relieve her of the box. “Phew. That would have been a true tragedy.”
Now safe from disaster, Kelsie turned toward the poor person she’d smacked into. “I am so sor—”
She gasped.
“Surprise! Long time no see, Kels.”
Her jaw dropped, and she blinked, but no sound came out.
“Kelsie?” Brenna stepped closer. “You okay? You know this guy?”
“Do I need to call Spec?” Liv had set the box down and already had her phone to her ear.
The last thing Kelsie wanted was for any of the Handlers to show up, especially Spec. It would be the shit show to end all shit shows.
“N-no,” she squawked. “It’s okay, Liv. This is…” Her stomach swooped, not in the excited way it did when she saw Ty, but in the horrified way it did when something terrible was about to happen. “I know him. He’s… he’s my brother.”
Both women’s eyes widened to almost the same enormous size and shape. If she wasn’t about to vomit, she might have laughed.
Lorenzo tilted his head, his customary smarmy smile in place. “You haven’t told your friends about me, sis?”
Hell, no, she hadn’t, and she wasn’t about to right now.
Brenna must have sensed the please-leave vibes Kelsie was giving off. She grabbed Liv’s arm and tried to pull her away. “We’ll give you two a moment of privacy to talk, okay, Kels?”
“Hell no, we won’t.” Liv scowled first at Brenna, then directed the full force of her distrust at Lorenzo.
“Liv, it’s okay. I only need a few seconds, then we can put these in the car and meet up with the others.”
Frowning, Liv let Brenna tow her a few feet away. “Fine,” she called out. “A few minutes. But this is as far as we’re going, and I’ve got my hand on Spec’s number. Say the word, and I’ll call him.”
Spec, not Ty, of course, because he’d left. Not that Liv would have called him even if he’d been in town.
You’re pathetic.
Shrugging off the annoying thought, she faced the even more annoying problem in front of her. “What are you doing here?” she asked Lorenzo, who stood before her in one of his many Bespoke suits. Had she ever seen him in anything else? Not since long before he turned eighteen. Lorenzo was a striking man. She wouldn’t exactly describe him as handsome, though his long trail of broken hearts would suggest otherwise. Her favorite word to describe her brother was slick.
Slick dresser, slick talker, slicked-back blond hair, a slick calculation in his eyes—blue eyes the same shade as hers. He used that slickness to get what he wanted when he wanted it. It was how he’d evaded the law his entire life despite shady business practices and violent accusations.
“Can’t a guy just miss his sister?” He grinned, and she swore she heard a ding and saw a sparkle like in a toothpaste commercial. Was he really going to try to charm her now?
Kelsie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest as though she could protect herself from whatever unpleasantness he brought. “Cut the shit. You’re wasting your breath if you think you can manipulate me like one of your bimbos.”