Then she could because the door came open and her wayward brother was walking out. “Hey, that didn’t take long. I thought you were going to your place after you handled . . .” Andre stopped in the middle of the porch, his eyes going wide. Then her brother’s expression changed to the one he always wore when he got caught. “Now, Sylvie, I have a good explanation.”

“He got shot while he was on assignment and he doesn’t want your momma to know,” Rene explained.

Sylvie gasped, truly shocked. Andre had hidden at her house and dragged her husband into something their momma was definitely going to figure out. Nope. It was payback time for him telling on her when she was fifteen and snuck out of the church lockdown. She pulled her cell phone out of her purse and hit the speed dial.

Dre shook his head and held his hands out like she was holding a gun on him and he was begging her not to pull the trigger. “Sylvie, don’t. Sis, come on.”

“Momma, Dre is hiding at my house on the square and he got shot. You should come and pick up your baby boy. He needs to be nursed back to health.”

She hung up before her mother could reply.

Dre’s head dropped. “Cold, Sylvie.” His cell immediately buzzed and he sighed. He shook his head Rene’s way. “How could you?”

Rene went right back to the move that worked on her every time. He leaned over and picked her up. “We are going to break this house in. You do not need to hear what is about to happen. Go home, Dre. Let Marcelle take care of you while I take care of my wife.”

“See, I told you Sylvie would take care of things,” Dre said. “Just so you know, I was pulling for you. Don’t let Momma sage me.”

Ooh, there was such a sageing in Dre’s future, but she was still happy that he’d been here for Rene. “Did you take care of him last night?”

Dre followed them inside as his cell continued to ring. “We had pizza and Scotch and killed each other about a thousand times. I expect you to fix this, Sylvie. I did not become friends with Rene at the age of four so he can be poor now. I’m an artist. I need wealthy relatives.” He put the phone to his ear. “Hey, Momma. It’s good to hear from you. Yeah, it was noth— Sylvie’s exag— Yes, I’ll be home in ten minutes, ma’am.” He slid it into his pocket. “Cold, you two. So cold.”

“Lock up when you leave.” Rene stopped and turned toward her brother. “And thank you, Dre. I need you to know how much I love your sister. I will take care of her always.”

Dre smiled. “You do that. And someone come save me tomorrow.”