Page 70 of Duke

“Next time sugar. I gotta bounce.”

“You good?” Meat asks slapping my back.

“No. But you were right.”

“Come on. I’ll drive ya’ home.”

“One-sec.”

On heavy feet, I walk over to Colin. “Sorry for your loss.”

He dips his head in acknowledgment. Shit. He’s halfway into a bottle of Bourbon. Will walks in as we’re walking out. “What’s up? You check on her like I asked?”

He shakes his head, “I did brother.”

“Did she find them?”

“She did. Did you get there in time to rip the pages out?”

“I did.”

I turn to Meat, but before I can ask he tells me, “I got strands of her hair from the brush in her dresser.”

I wipe my face with my hands, shaking on how close I almost came to fucking her.

Thank God, we didn’t.

Layla’s journals had too many bombshells to count. I’ve spent the past few months jerking off to the memories of touching the sweet virgin who just might be my half baby sister.

Shanna’s mother did my father on the regular. I thought it was just a stupid, drunk fuck or two and Pops thought it happened after Shanna was born.

He was wrong and now it’s up to me to find out the truth. Either way, I’m not sure if I’ll ever tell her.

It’s so fucked up; I’m barely processing it.

I wanted her so goddamn much but could do nothing but push her away from me. When we were alone up in the cliffs of the Hills—the temptation to kiss her was dizzying. Seeing her in person after so many months of dreaming about her was overwhelming. I’m trying to get over my feelings in case this shit is all true. But I can’t. I’ve loved her for months. I can’t just flip a switch.

She can’t be my sister.

But every time I think fate can’t be cruel—I remember that I do know better.

Will follows us out to my truck, reached into the inside pocket of his coat and hands me the torn pages. Without thinking twice about it, I flip my lighter and burn them. Shanna can get pissed at me later. She’s been through too much to handle one more thing. I know she hates this kinda shit, but I love her in a way that I might go to hell for. She can never know about this. Especially if it turns out we’re half-siblings.

“I picked up a DNA test from a drugstore. We can do a quick one tonight and depending on results get more samples to send to a real lab. It’s your call.”

“No. Just send it all in to somewhere legit,” I answer Meat trying not to puke. I need more time. Not ready to face the truth yet. I’ve never been a fuckin’ coward, but this ugly secret is churning my gut like nothing else. Protecting Shanna is the only thing I’m living for now. That and holding out on the hope that we don’t share the same blood.

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