“Do you know Snookie Rivers?” I asked him.

“Who?” he asked back, coming to a stop by me.

“Snookie Rivers. I asked my landlord who lives in that apartment where you saw a dude looking out and he said his name is Snookie Rivers.”

Ren shook his head. “Never heard of him.”

I looked back at the phone, murmuring, “Me either.”

“Sounds like a drag name,” he commented.

I grinned and looked at my man.

My man looked down the length of me.

When I got his eyes back, they were burning. “You goin’ for a run?”

“After I talk to Hank.”

“Right,” he muttered, his mind, I could tell, on happy things.

My mind was on those same things when I dropped to my knees and started rooting through the boxes.

Ren crouched beside me.

“Anything good?” he asked.

No. There wasn’t anything good. Kitchen utensils. A lamp base without the shade. A picture frame, slightly scorched. But the picture was of the Rock Chicks at one of Stella’s gigs, standing with her and her band, The Blue Moon Gypsies, on the stage. All of us were doing devil’s horns (even the band, except her saxophonist, Hugo; he was checking out Ava’s ass). Every Rock Chick had one of those pictures so I could get another copy. Still, nice to have it.

And, in box two, although it needed soot cleaned off it, my Lelo Lily vibrator.

Righteous!

“What’s that?” Ren asked, and I looked at him to see him studying it.

“Pure goodness,” I answered.

“What?”

I tested it by hitting the on button.

It vibrated.

Perfect working condition (once the soot was cleaned off).

Ren’s eyes came to me and they were again burning.

A knock came at the door.

Ren stood from his crouch and headed to the door. I dropped my Lelo back in the box and straightened to see Ren letting Hank in.

“Yo,” I called to my brother.

“Ally,” Hank replied.

Ren looked between me and Hank, came to me and slid a hand along the back of my waist, leaning in.

“Goin’ to the store, you need anything?” he asked.

He was giving us time for whatever this was.

My man.

So cool.

“No, but do you want to wait and I’ll go with you?” I asked back.

“No. I want to have it done and be back when you get in from your run.”

I wanted that, too.

Big time.

“All right,” I said.

He gave me a touch on the lips and turned to Hank. “Hank.”

A chin lift, then, “Ren.”

Ren looked in my eyes again with a small smile before he sauntered out the front door.

“You want coffee?” I asked my brother.

“Hit Fortnum’s before hitting here. I’m juiced up,” he answered.

“And you didn’t bring me one?” I asked.

“Sorry, Ally. Didn’t think about it. Gotta have a word with you about a coupla things, then I gotta get back to Roxie.”

Hmm.

I was curious, so I decided not to give him shit about dissing me on the coffee.

I moved to a couch and sat with my leg tucked under me. I dipped my head to the other side and Hank moved there, settling in.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“We got a lock on who wrote that book,” he answered.

Oh shit.

“Honey, it’s Jane,” he finished.

I took in a breath and admitted, “I know.”

He did a slow blink. “You know?”

“I figured it out a few days ago. I’ve been trying to decide what to do with it.”

“You figured it out,” he stated.

“Uh… yeah,” I confirmed.

My brother stared at me.

Then he shook his head while looking away with a small smile playing at his lips.

That was weird so I called, “Hank?”

He looked back at me. “Mace phoned this morning.”

Here we go.

I was going to find out if I passed the Mace Test.

“And?” I prompted.

“And he said you were great last night, Ally.”

I passed.

So I smiled.

“I’ve asked Lee to train you,” Hank continued.

I stopped smiling and stared.

Then I asked, “What?”

“You need experience with a skilled investigator. The best in town is Lee. You need a license so you can charge enough to take care of you. He can help you get that. So I’ve asked him to train you.”

Oh my God!

I had Hank’s vote!

“And?” I said again.

“He’s thinking on it.”

Crap.

“Which means no,” I stated.

“It doesn’t mean no. It just doesn’t mean yes.”

Mm-hmm.

Whatever.

“I’m gonna tell him you figured it out about Jane,” Hank said. “And I’m gonna tell him you sat on that in order to figure out what to do, rather than reacted and f**ked shit up. Even Lee didn’t know what to do. And you caught on before Brody. And as for me, through anything, I’ll have your back.”

I was beginning to get pissed-off.

Not about Hank having my back, I loved that. It felt great. He was an awesome brother and that was just one of the many ways he proved it.

I was pissed-off about Lee.

“I don’t actually have to have his blessing, Hank. This would be indicated by the fact I’m already taking cases.”

“He can teach you a lot,” Hank noted.

“So can Darius, who already has, Vance, who also already has, Hector, Bobby, Ike and Mace,” I returned.

“That’s correct,” he conceded.

“So you don’t have to convince him. You don’t have to do anything.” I reached out, grabbed his hand, gave it a squeeze and let it go. “And having your support is all I need from you.” My voice dropped quiet when I finished, “It means everything, honey.”

Suddenly, he reached out and caught me at the back of my neck. Pulling me forward, he leaned into me and rested our foreheads together. And his voice was quiet when he spoke too.

“My little sister, livin’ with a guy and bein’ a badass.”

Uh-oh.

My eyes were getting hot.

I lifted my hand to wrap my fingers around his forearm. “Hank—”

“You’ll never be a big brother, honey, so you’ll never understand how this feels. Lettin’ go. Givin’ care of the girl you love and looked after a long f**kin’ time to another guy. Seein’ her make her way in a world like that.”