Page 54

Story: Duncan

“If you find her. Let me know.”

Sal stopped short before he got to the door.

“Boss,” Mac warned. “Let it go.”

Sal’s shoulders rose with his inhale and dropped with his exhale. He tilted his head from side-to-side cracking his neck. My shoulders bunched with more tension. Ready to strike if he didn’t heed Mac’s warning. Thankfully, Sal let it go and walked forward.

I was the last one out the door when I heard a grumbled, “Pussy.”

“That was a waste of fuckin’ time.” I followed Sal down the steps and hurried to catch up to him. Mac held Oscar and Liam back a bit, letting us have a few minutes.

“Why do you have to be an asshole?”

Sal stopped. Turning, he bumped against me. “Excuse me?”

“This is why I don’t tell you shit until it’s done.”

“What the fuck are you keeping from me?”

“This is not the time or the goddamn place,” I hissed.

Mac walked up with Liam and Oscar, knowing Sal and I would rein it in. “Can we go home now?”

Sal eyed me for a moment, then turned. Knocking into a woman.

“I’m so sorry.”

The moment I heard the voice, I knew it was her. I looked at the woman in my boss’ arms and growled.

“Duncan.” My name slipped out as a whisper from her lips. As though it held reverence.

“Excuse me.” I pressed on down the street, ignoring the beautiful woman that had been front and center in my dreams since the first time she fell into my arms.

It took everything in me not to turn and look back. I couldn’t forget about her. No matter how much I tried. So, I just kept walking. It wasn’t long before the others caught up with me.

“She’s a beautiful woman. I understand why you stayed.”

“Shut the fuck up, Sal.”

He only laughed at my directive. He chose not to bring her up again, and I was glad. I didn’t want to punch my boss in the face. Not in front of Liam and Oscar.

It could wait until we got home.

I sat in the back seat of the SUV, stewing in anger for the three-hour drive. Why did she have to be there today? I had gone into the city for one purpose. I had to look in Snoopy’s eyes when he told me he didn’t know where my sister was.

Every goddamn lead we found was a dead end. It was a goddamn wild-goose chase.

“I’m done,” I declared in Sal’s office back in Boston.

“What do you mean, done?” Sal asked.

“I’m done chasing down leads. She doesn’t want to be found.”

“You’re giving up?” Mac asked quietly.

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t say those words out loud. The ones that implied my sister wasn’t worth my time.

“She’s out there somewhere. I’ll call Buchanon. See if he knows anything,” Sal said, his eyes focused on the city below us. There were five offices on the top floor of this building. We each had one. Leaving the fifth office, the one that was Tyran’s, empty.