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“That doesn’t mean shit,” he answers walking away, “Dee could’ve put anyone down. She was a goddamn liar.”
His words punch me in the gut as he climbs in his truck peeling out so fast, rocks fly from under his tires.
He better be wrong. I didn’t realize how badly I wanted Duke to be my brother until the thought that he might not be enters my head.
“Mac?”
My hands clutch the doorframe, eyes blinking up at him.
“Jesus, Dev. You look like shit.”
I turn, leading him inside. He flicks on the lights and I wince.
I went on a bender.
His eyes sweep the room taking in the half-eaten boxes of takeout next to the two empty bottles of wine I downed with it on my small coffee table. Crumpled tissues litter the floor next to the couch. I climb back in, burrowing back under the blanket I’ve been under all weekend.
“What the fuck happened?”
“You honestly don’t know? Rog didn’t tell you?”
He shakes his head. “Did you forget already? I’ve been coming here every Sunday at four.”
“Shit. I did I-I’m sorry. Let me just get this cleaned up and the books out,” I start frantically picking up trash.
“Whoa, easy there, girl. What in the hell is going on,” he asks placing a hand on my arm.
“It’s better if you don’t know,” I break free from his hold, dumping everything in the kitchen trash.
“Did you know he met up with Duke at the California border a few days ago?”
My head snaps up.
“He left me and Federico in charge.”
“I feel like a zombie. All I’ve done this past week is sleep and go to work. I can barely eat—"
“Talk to me Dev. We’re friends.”
“Are we? You better think about that answer. If you had to choose between me and Creed: Who would win?”
“Whoa… is that what you asked Meat?”
“No. Ironically Creed has everything and nothing to do with what’s going on,” I snort.
“Where’s Luce, anyway?” He asks looking around.
“We have a three-day weekend for Columbus Day. She went back to Chicago to ship the rest of her things here. She didn’t want to go but I made her. It’s our last break until the holidays.”
“Is she still with Smith?”
“I-I don’t know if they were actually even together. Why?”
“No reason… “
“Mac?”
“Fine. But if I’m snitchin’ so are you.” He sits down on my couch, propping his boots up on the coffee table that I just cleared. I hand him a beer. “She caught more than Smith’s eye at the lake party. Let’s just say if she’s moving here… she has more options.”