Read Online Deadly Dealings (Hardy Brothers Security Book 13) by Lily Harper Hart - Free Book Online
Authors: Lily Harper Hart
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of Ally’s shirt and tugging her around to the other side of the table and planting her in the chair next to Jake. “She’s your responsibility. Make sure she behaves.”
Jake wrinkled his nose. “Yes, because she always listens to me.”
“Mandy shouldn’t be alone,” Ally tried again.
“Mandy doesn’t want to eat in front of anyone in case she gets sick,” James said. “Leave her be.”
“I don’t care if she gets sick,” Ally said. “I … I think she needs me.”
James wanted to yell at his sister, but he understood the sentiment. “Mandy is going to need you when she’s feeling a little better,” he said, tugging on his patience. “Right now Mandy needs a little space.”
“Just because you’ve been crowding her, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to see me,” Ally argued, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I have been crowding her,” James conceded. “I’ve been hovering and … watching … everything she does. I don’t need you to do it, too.”
“Who said … ?”
“Ally!” James yanked on his hair and pressed his eyes shut as he tried to rein in his temper. “Do not go up there.”
Instead of the anger he was expecting, Ally’s face reflected sadness. “Fine.”
“Great,” James said, slamming his plate down at the head of the table, glancing to his right – to the spot Mandy usually occupied during family dinners – and sighing. “It will better in a couple of days.”
Jake rubbed Ally’s back as she focused on her own plate, the youngest Hardy sibling occasionally shooting murderous glances in James’ direction.
“I think we should talk about the case,” Finn said, hoping to steer the conversation to a safer topic.
“What did you find out?” James asked, grateful for the reprieve.
Jake and Finn filled him in on their afternoon, fielding the occasional questions from the assembled family members. James listened to every word, but his gaze was constantly darting to the top of the stairs. He couldn’t see Mandy, but he knew she was up there. Was she sick? Was she sleeping? Was she lonely? Did she need him?
“We need to find out more about this Jasper Gunderson guy,” Grady said. “I’ll start a search on him.”
“We need to keep an ear to the ground to see if we can glom onto any other stories from haunted houses, too,” Sophie said. “I talked to Peter today … .”
“We talked to Peter today,” Ally corrected.
“We,” Sophie conceded, rolling her eyes. “He wants in on this and he’s going to go full out to see what he can find.”
“You went with Sophie to Peter’s house today?” Jake asked, focusing on Ally. “You didn’t tell me that.”
Ally realized her mistake too late to take it back. Instead, she opted for full-on belligerence. “So?”
“So maybe you should’ve told me where you were going to be,” Jake suggested.
“Maybe you’re my boyfriend and not my keeper,” Ally shot back.
James couldn’t help but smile at the small argument. It reminded him of a similar one he had with Mandy months before. “Peter’s house is safe,” he said. “I wasn’t thrilled the first time Mandy went there either, but it’s safe. Peter would die before letting anything happen to any of them.”
“Thank you,” Ally said.
“You should still tell Jake where you’re going so he doesn’t worry,” James chided.
Ally made a face. “I need to go to the bathroom.”
“We’re talking about this when you get back,” Jake warned, his face serious.
“I can’t wait.”
“WHAT are you doing up here?” Ally asked, lifting Mandy’s legs from the coffee table and skirting around her so she could get comfortable on the other side of the huge sectional.
“Reading,” Mandy replied, saving her place in the book and tossing it on the coffee table. She knew Ally wasn’t going to leave her to her pitiable thoughts and book. “What are you doing up here? James said he was going to bar you from entry.”
“James can
Jake wrinkled his nose. “Yes, because she always listens to me.”
“Mandy shouldn’t be alone,” Ally tried again.
“Mandy doesn’t want to eat in front of anyone in case she gets sick,” James said. “Leave her be.”
“I don’t care if she gets sick,” Ally said. “I … I think she needs me.”
James wanted to yell at his sister, but he understood the sentiment. “Mandy is going to need you when she’s feeling a little better,” he said, tugging on his patience. “Right now Mandy needs a little space.”
“Just because you’ve been crowding her, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to see me,” Ally argued, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I have been crowding her,” James conceded. “I’ve been hovering and … watching … everything she does. I don’t need you to do it, too.”
“Who said … ?”
“Ally!” James yanked on his hair and pressed his eyes shut as he tried to rein in his temper. “Do not go up there.”
Instead of the anger he was expecting, Ally’s face reflected sadness. “Fine.”
“Great,” James said, slamming his plate down at the head of the table, glancing to his right – to the spot Mandy usually occupied during family dinners – and sighing. “It will better in a couple of days.”
Jake rubbed Ally’s back as she focused on her own plate, the youngest Hardy sibling occasionally shooting murderous glances in James’ direction.
“I think we should talk about the case,” Finn said, hoping to steer the conversation to a safer topic.
“What did you find out?” James asked, grateful for the reprieve.
Jake and Finn filled him in on their afternoon, fielding the occasional questions from the assembled family members. James listened to every word, but his gaze was constantly darting to the top of the stairs. He couldn’t see Mandy, but he knew she was up there. Was she sick? Was she sleeping? Was she lonely? Did she need him?
“We need to find out more about this Jasper Gunderson guy,” Grady said. “I’ll start a search on him.”
“We need to keep an ear to the ground to see if we can glom onto any other stories from haunted houses, too,” Sophie said. “I talked to Peter today … .”
“We talked to Peter today,” Ally corrected.
“We,” Sophie conceded, rolling her eyes. “He wants in on this and he’s going to go full out to see what he can find.”
“You went with Sophie to Peter’s house today?” Jake asked, focusing on Ally. “You didn’t tell me that.”
Ally realized her mistake too late to take it back. Instead, she opted for full-on belligerence. “So?”
“So maybe you should’ve told me where you were going to be,” Jake suggested.
“Maybe you’re my boyfriend and not my keeper,” Ally shot back.
James couldn’t help but smile at the small argument. It reminded him of a similar one he had with Mandy months before. “Peter’s house is safe,” he said. “I wasn’t thrilled the first time Mandy went there either, but it’s safe. Peter would die before letting anything happen to any of them.”
“Thank you,” Ally said.
“You should still tell Jake where you’re going so he doesn’t worry,” James chided.
Ally made a face. “I need to go to the bathroom.”
“We’re talking about this when you get back,” Jake warned, his face serious.
“I can’t wait.”
“WHAT are you doing up here?” Ally asked, lifting Mandy’s legs from the coffee table and skirting around her so she could get comfortable on the other side of the huge sectional.
“Reading,” Mandy replied, saving her place in the book and tossing it on the coffee table. She knew Ally wasn’t going to leave her to her pitiable thoughts and book. “What are you doing up here? James said he was going to bar you from entry.”
“James can
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