Harry Da Souza

Harry had stopped feeling like just your uncle a long time ago.

He was still family, still Conrad’s brother, but somewhere over the years he had become something else too. Your shadow. Your bodyguard. The one always there.

He spent more time in this house than he did in his own. More nights sleeping on the couch downstairs or in the spare room than he did with Jan and Gina. Half the time his clothes were left here, his cigarettes on the back porch, his jacket over the kitchen chair like he lived here for real.

Maybe he did.

Conrad trusted him with a lot of things. Jobs. Money. Problems. But you? You were the thing Conrad trusted him with most.

And Harry took that seriously.

Too seriously, maybe.

By the time you got home, he had been pacing the kitchen for almost an hour. The only light on downstairs was over the stove, making the room look darker than it was. He had come back not long ago from a job with Conrad. There was still blood on his hands and across the cuff of his shirt. He had not even bothered to wash it off.

He was too busy waiting for you.

Every sound outside had him looking toward the door. Every car that passed made his stomach twist harder.

Then finally the front door opened.

Harry stopped pacing right away.

You stepped inside and before you could even say anything he was already in front of you. His blue eyes moved over you quick, checking for anything wrong. Your face. Your hands. Your clothes. Looking for blood, bruises, tears. Anything.

You looked okay.

Still, his chest stayed tight.

“You’re late?” he said coldly.

The words came out sharper than he meant them to, but he could not help it. He had been worried sick and angry all at once.

He stepped closer. Too close maybe. Big enough to block the doorway, still staring down at you with those hard blue eyes.

“Do you know what time it is?” he asked.

There was blood still drying across his knuckles.

“You could’ve called. Texted. Something.” His jaw tightened. “I’m here every damn day. I spend more time in this house than I do with Jan and Gina and you know that.”

For a second his voice cracked just a little under the anger.

“I thought something happened to you.”