Page 3 of Bloody Kingdom

I thought I had escaped the disaster that was my father when I moved away five years ago, but it appears that even in death, he’s fucking with my life.

Thanks a lot,Dad.

I inherited a lot from my dad, like my blonde hair and blue eyes, but I also inherited his mountain of gambling debt. Of course, he didn’t owe money to a bank. No, Ronald Page borrowed money from fellow criminals. When he died, his two hundred-thousand-dollar debt was transferred to me. And Barrett Gallo always collects. The gun he waved in my face when he informed me of my new financial situation confirmed that.

“Q, where’d you go?” Lucy shakes my arm, drawing me out of my thoughts.

“What? Nowhere, was just thinking about something.” I brush her off nonchalantly. Lucy doesn’t know about the debt, and I plan on keeping it that way as long as possible. She would try to help, and I don’t want her to be in danger because of me.

Noticing I’ve balled my hands into fists at my side, I slowly unclench them and try to relax. Forcing an easy smile, I turn around to check on the customers sitting at the bar.Fake it till you make it and all that jazz, right?

“Well shit! Look what the cat dragged in!” Lucy’s voice suddenly rises above the loud music as she hurries around the bar to greet someone.

I turn just in time to watch as she flings her arms around a man I don’t recognize. St. Sin is considered high-end, and anyone who is anyone in this town is a frequent visitor here. Because of this, Lucy knows everyone and is privy to a lot of gossip. If there is anything going on in this city, Lucy will know about it.

I’ve been away for so long, I have no idea what’s going on anymore. There isn’t any time or energy left in me to care about the town’s secrets anyway.

The man barely catches Lucy as she launches herself at him. He must be really special if Lucy has this kind of reaction to seeing him. The last time she was this happy is when she picked me up at the airport after I ran from Boston two months ago.

“Shit!” he grunts, but the smile on his face tells me he’s okay with my friend clinging to him like a toddler. His big hands hold her thighs when she wraps them around his waist. “Give a guy a warning next time.”

“Duke! Where have you been?” Lucy slaps at his chest in annoyance. “You said you were going to be away for a month for work, but it’s been over three.”

Putting her back down on the ground,Dukeruns a hand through his messy, dirty blond, longish hair. The wavy strands curl around the nape of his neck and fall forward into his face, even though he just pushed it back. “The boss had me out of state working on some stuff for him,” he answers vaguely. “But don’t worry, he’s got me working on something here, so I’ll be around for a while.”

As if he can sense me standing there watching the scene, his head turns in my direction, a friendly smile on his face. Nothing about this man’s appearance is intimidating other than maybe his tall stature and clearly built body, but I’ve been around long enough to sense the hardened edge in him. I don’t know if it’s because his easy smile doesn’t reach his eyes or what, but I can tell he’s hiding a part of himself.

Aren’t we all, though?

“Oh, right!” Lucy gestures at me and then back at Duke. “Duke, this is my best friend, Quincey. You’ve heard me talk about her before. She just moved back here a couple months ago after abandoning me for five years.”

“Abandoning?” I mock. “Such a drama queen.”

Duke reaches across the bar to offer me his hand. “The nurse, right?”

I just barely hold back the cringe as I shake his hand. “Yep! Or, well, Iwas. I’m no longer practicing.”

Being a nurse was something I always strived to be. I worked my ass off in high school to make the grades to get into one of the top nursing schools. Being a nurse—helping people—became my whole identity and now that I don’t have that, I have no idea who I am or what I’m doing. Telling Duke I’m no longer a nurse feels wrong, even if it’s the truth.

“Did you give it up completely? Or just taking a break?” Duke presses as he slips into one of the free barstools across from me.

I shake my head quickly. “I don’t see myself going back to it. Turns out that saving people just wasn’t in the cards for me.” That’s not the full truth, but he doesn’t need to know that.

It turns out that those vile words my mom used to spew at me while she was wasted as hell are true. I never was one to put any stock into her ‘readings’, thinking it was the ramblings of a drunk, but actually seeing the events she swore would come true happen, persuaded me to change my outlook on things.

Duke here doesn’t need to know that my “psychic”mother warned me that my touch would eventually turn deadly. Hell, I’ve barely told Lucy.

“Do you miss it though?” Duke lays his arms on the bar top as he leans in closer so we can hear over the loud music.

I hesitate to answer, not really liking talking about my failed career. “Yeah, I miss it. I always thought it was my calling, but I’m just moving on to better things.” I wave my hand around the crowded club.

Duke laughs. “You’ve moved on to a better uniform, that’s for sure.” His eyes wander over my tight dress, making my skin warm.

“Hey!” Lucy scolds, backhanding his shoulder. “Don’t be pervy, she’s my friend.”

He gives her a smirk and slowly looks her over. “Would you rather I be pervy with you?”

“No.” She rolls her eyes.

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