The Rake (Boston Belles #4) by L.J. Shen

“Hey, John, would you tell Belle I’m outside?”

He looks up from the flowers, smiles, and nods. Dumping the hose on the grass, he walks into the house and comes back with my wife. Their arms are laced together, and he opens the passenger seat for her and kisses her on the temple before taking a step back.

“Drive safely,” he instructs, peeking at Nicola in the back seat, smiling. “She is growing so fast.”

“Don’t they all,” Belle murmurs.

“I love you, Belly-Belle.”

“Love you, Daddy.”

Belle and I drive to Logan International Airport. The entire journey, my stomach is in knots.

“It’s going to be fine,” Belle assures me, rubbing at my thigh.

“I know. It’s just been a while.”

“She’s still your family,” my wife points out.

I know that too.

When we reach the airport and unbuckle Nicola from her car seat and put her in the carrier strapped onto Belle, my wife automatically heads toward the stairway from the parking lot to the main floor.

“No.” I grab her hand, squeezing. “Let’s take the elevator.”

She whips her head around, frowning. “You sure?”

“Positive, darling.”

We wait at the appropriate gate, and even though I’ve put my family’s woes behind me, I’m still on pins and needles. The dumbwaiter had been sealed up shortly after I took control over the estate. It helped soothe some of my anxiety over my claustrophobia, but not all of it.

When Cecilia gave me a call and asked if she could come and see Baby Nicola, I said yes. She wasn’t, after all, my mother nor my father. She never tried to kill me. When I asked Belle if I should offer to pay for Cecilia’s flight and accommodations, she said, “Absolutely not. Let her show you that she’s changed.”

And she has. Cecilia paid for everything for this trip with the money she makes working at a library near the university she goes to. She’s a changed woman.

When I see my sister coming out of the terminal’s gate, I rush toward her, my heart feeling lighter. She looks the same—perhaps she lost a couple pounds—but her smile is different. Genuine. Carefree.

We meet halfway, share a bone-crushing hug, and she cries into my shoulder. I let her. I know she feels it too. Orphaned. After all, when it was all done and dealt with, Ursula turned her back on her too and went to live in London with a friend.

“Thank you for giving me another chance,” Cecilia murmurs into my shoulder.

“Thank you for wanting one.”

I feel my wife’s hand on my back, supporting me, hugging me from behind, making sure I’m never out of balance.

“Come on,” Belle says softly. “Let’s go make some new family memories.”

So we do.





The End





The problem about a sweet goodbye is that you’re never quite ready for it. The Boston Belles series has been good to me, in a sense that the relationships between the characters did not need any real prompting. They threaded together and immediately got along the minute I put them in the same room. It was a relief, but also a worry, because how do you say goodbye to people who feel so much like your family?



These characters might be fictional, but the people who helped bring them to life are very much alive. They’re talented, hardworking, and deserve a round of applause.



First and foremost, I would like to thank Tijuana Turner, my PA, alpha-reader, alpha-momager, and everything in-between. And to the women around us who support me unconditionally and with fierce, burning love: Ratula Roy, Vanessa Villegas, Yamina Kirky, Marta Bor, and Sarah Plocher.



To my graphic designer, Letitia Hasser, who always absolutely nails it, and to Stacey Blake, my formatter, who sprinkles magic dust on everything she touches—thank you.



To my editors: Cate Hogan, Mara White, Max Dobson, and Sarah Plocher. I couldn’t have done this without you (and I do mean all of you. It takes a village and a half).



To my agent, Kimberly Brower, for being much more than an agent. I hope you know how much appreciated you are.



I would like to thank the bloggers and the readers who supported this series and especially believed in me. You’re the best and I cannot imagine my life without you.



Finally, if you could spare a few seconds to leave a brief, honest review, I would appreciate it so much.



Take care and stay tuned. This is the end, but also a beginning of a brand-new series …



L.J. Shen, xoxo





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Sinners of Saint:

Defy (#0.1)

Vicious (#1)

Ruckus (#2)

Scandalous (#3)

Bane (#4)



All Saints High:

Pretty Reckless (#1)

Broken Knight (#2)

Angry God (#3)



Boston Belles:

The Hunter (#1)

The Villain (#2)

The Monster (#3)

The Rake (#4)



Standalones:

Tyed

Sparrow

Blood to Dust

Midnight Blue

Dirty Headlines

In the Unlikely Event

The Kiss Thief

Playing with Fire