“She wants you to know that she would have never left you if she could have prevented it. That you’re her heart. And that she wants you to sell or rent out the restaurant if it doesn’t bring you joy. She cares about you, not about the restaurant,” I convey to Tally.
Tally sniffles. “I want to keep it.”
“Then keep it, Tallulah, but don’t do it just because of me. I’m happy. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. And I know that the baby and Tim do just that. The boy is good for you, and I trust him to keep you and our shrimp safe,” Shannon reassures her.
“She wants you to do what makes you happy, no matter what that looks like. That’s everything she ever wanted. And she knows that Tim will keep you and the baby happy and safe. She trusts the boy.” I smile at Tim, who now has tears in his own eyes.
“Thank you, Shan. I will do everything I can to not disappoint you. You know I love her more than life,” Tim murmurs into Tally’s hair, and Shannon smiles at them.
“He’s a good one,” she murmurs softly.
“He really is,” I respond just as softly, my eyes brimming with tears too. It’s a wonder I still have any tears left after today.
“So, you’ll be around for the birth?” Tally asks hopefully, looking into the room.
“I wouldn’t miss a second of it, like I promised.” Shannon smiles sadly.
Once again, I feel deep sympathy for the spirit that had to leave this world, unable to fulfill her plans and promises. But Shannon found a way to keep hers.
“She will be there,” I tell Tally, reaching out to take her hand, intertwining our fingers.
FIFTY-ONE
“This is a terrible idea,”I mutter to myself.
The night looms dark and foreboding as I stand before the grand mansion of Mayor Thomson. The chilling wind rustles the trees, and I inhale deeply, my heart pounding with a mixture of fear and resolve.
Why the hell did I let Stanley drag me into this mess?
I’m fully aware of how dangerous this situation could be.
Exhibit A is Stanley himself. He was killed because he knew too much. He was the bookkeeper for the mayor and confronted him when he noticed that Thomson was involved in some shady shit.
The mayor didn’t like that—surprise, surprise—and made sure Stanley couldn’t tell anyone else.
The problem is Stanley had already told his wife, who is now alone with their eight-year-old daughter. The mayor has people watching Stanley’s family, and his wife is terrified of the large man monitoring their house. Stanley believes it’s only a matter of time before the mayor decides that keeping an eye on them isn’t worth the effort, and he thinks there will be a tragic reunion with his wife and possibly his daughter if I don’t do anything to prevent that.
Stanley knows from a few late-night bookkeeping sessions at the mayor’s house that the security at the front often lets food delivery people through without much scrutiny. And it looks like he was right.
I’m not even wearing a uniform, dressed in black, with a black cap, my hair pulled into a ponytail threaded through the back of the cap, and two pizza cartons in hand. They are warm and smell good. The fact that I’m hungry and my stomach is growling doesn’t help my nerves.
The mansion’s imposing door creaks open slowly, revealing the politician. His eyes narrow as they land on me. “I didn’t order anything,” he mutters, his voice dripping with disdain.
I square my shoulders.Now or never.
“I know what you’ve done, and I have proof.”
Stanley had the proof tucked away in a hidden compartment in his desk at home, which his wife willingly helped me access after I allowed Stanley to communicate with her through me.
Mayor Thomson searches my face, but he doesn’t react as explosively as I had imagined. Instead, he nods reluctantly and steps aside, allowing me to enter his home.
I can’t believe I’m fucking doing this.
“Now tell me, girl, what have I done?” he asks once we’re inside, crossing his arms over his chest. “You have to be a bit more specific.”
No wonder, with all the shady stuff this guy has been up to.
A chill runs down my neck, and I see Stanley standing beside the mayor with a determined expression on his face.
