Flaw Less by Shana Burton Read Free Book Online Page B

there, especially not on our anniversary.”
    Lawson was irked. “Namon is my son, Garrett. If he’s hurt, I’m going to be there for him.”
    Garrett pulled his wife closer to him. “He’s not in grave danger. He’s a boy, and boys fall down and get hurt. He doesn’t need his mother running over there and making a big fuss over him. Let him be a man.”
    â€œIs that how we’re defining manhood now?” she snapped.
    â€œI’m just saying there’s no need for you to go over there making a big deal out of it.”
    â€œGarrett, you already know that I’m still not all that comfortable with the idea of Namon spending so much time over there, especially when it’s obvious that Mark is letting him run amok and do whatever he wants to.”
    â€œBaby, it’s supposed to be our night,” Garrett reminded her. “Let Mark handle Namon, and let me handle you .”
    Lawson shook her head. “Do you honestly think I’m going to be able to focus on anything if I’m worried about my child? I’ll be back before you know it. I just want to see how serious it is and if Namon needs to be taken to the hospital.”
    Garrett groaned. “All right, Mrs. Banks, we’ll go. Just let me grab my jacket.”
    â€œNo, you stay here,” advised Lawson. “And I want you waiting for me in bed when I get back, preferably with some soft music and a bowl of whipped cream,” she added with a twinkle in her eye.
    â€œBaby, Namon is my son too. Plus I don’t like you driving alone at night, even less so when you’re this upset.”
    Lawson slung her purse over her shoulder. “Mark only lives a few miles from here. I’ll be fine, and I promise to call you as soon as I assess the situation with Namon. I’m praying that we won’t end up having to spend the night in ER.”
    â€œAre you sure you don’t want me to tag along?” Garrett offered again.
    â€œYeah, I think if we both show up, guns blazing, Mark will be on the defensive and think we’re ganging up on him again. Things have been peaceful between us lately, and I don’t want to rock the boat unless I have to.”
    Garrett yielded to his wife. “Okay, just don’t keep me waiting or make me start without you.”
    Lawson laughed and perched herself up on tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you for being so understanding. I’m just going to run over there for a minute to check on Namon, then I’m going to come back home and show you why you’re so lucky to have me!”
    Garrett watched his wife duck out of the house. He knew Lawson’s primary concern was seeing about her son, but it still irked him that she was also leaving him to see her ex-lover Mark. At that moment, he wondered just how lucky he really was.

Chapter 7
    â€œRay, my voice is the last thing on his mind, and you know it!”
    â€” Reginell Kerry
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    Reginell lingered in the bathtub for over an hour. No matter how hard she scrubbed, she could still feel hands all over her. She wasn’t one to be prudish when it came to sex, but sleeping with a man she’d just met in exchange for a favor was a new low even for her. She didn’t bother praying, fearing that she had gone beyond the perimeters of God’s mercy and grace.
    Reginell splashed water on her face to wash away the tears and drew her knees up to her body. Dinner with her family had given her a temporary reprieve from the ordeal she’d experienced at the strip club where she worked, but now that everyone had gone home, the images came flooding back.
    Lawson’s favorite scripture to hammer her with was, “Don’t give to dogs what is sacred. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs.” If by pigs , Lawson meant the patrons at the club, Reginell had neither pearls nor anything else sacred left to throw—not after what she’d done.
    The