Page 98 of Duke

“Ok. I’ll have it taken care of.”

Taking one last look at a place I’ll probably never see again, I turn around and climb back on my ride. “I’ll see you there. I have a few more places to go.”

Kicking off, I ride like a bat out of hell only slowing when I get to the block where my old man’s house was. I sold it off dirt cheap, just to unload the place.

A single-mom lives there now. Tricycles and toys litter the yard.

“Good luck kids. Hope you have a better life livin’ in this house than I did.”

Five minutes later, my bike slows to a crawl. Out of respect, I glide into the cemetery. Flames flicker from candles people lit before sundown, causing eerie glows upon the headstones.

Parking under a tree, I walk as silently as the ghosts.

“Hey there you—old bastard. You won. I’ve been beaten; broken down by a woman half my age and size. I’d do anything for her. If I go to hell so be it. Livin’ without her is already hell. But you already know that. Guess that’s why you became such a son of a bitch after Dee Dee died. I read about it all. I wanted you to know… that I’m sorry. Sorry for not coming back.” My throat thickens, and I swallow, “… sorry I didn’t understand. But if I’m lucky enough to be a father someday—I’ll makeup both our sins to that kid. They’ll know nothing but the good side of love from me.”

I bow my head for a few second before turning and walking away.

She’s so goddamn beautiful—my eyes hurt every time I look at her. It takes all I have not run out of the shadows and haul her into my arms.

My fists clench. It’s been too long since I sucked her breath into my mouth and rocked my hips into her body. I miss the taste of her skin, the way she feels when I enter her.

I’ve been watching and waiting for the time to come. The crowd started to trickle out of the bar. Some alone, others going home on the arm of tonight’s hook up and a few couldn’t wait.

I stood in the dark and watched a couple fuck under the oak tree ten feet in front of me. They were either too lost or too horny to notice they weren’t alone. The woman had huge cantaloupe breasts that bounced all over the goddamn place as the huge man behind her tapped her ass over and over again. She rubbed herself as he pumped in and out before dumping his seed on the ground. Their sex was primal and raw. Just two people who needed to fuck. The smell of it wafted past me. When the man pulled back and zipped his pants—his face came out of the shadows.

Meat.

I chuckled softly. That old fucker’s still getting it in. He slapped the woman’s ass then looked over to where I was at as if saying,‘Take that boy. That’s how you fuck a woman good and proper.’Then he waited for Shanna to lock up before pulling out of the lot behind her. I swore he saw me despite the cloak of darkness. Fuck, if he did—I hope he doesn’t beat the shit out of me tomorrow. When the smoke clears—they’ll be nothing left but ashes.

Pulling my black leather gloves on, I reach into my pocket, pulling out the keys I copied from Shanna’s keyring. When I was living with her and Colin no one thought twice about me having a set. It fits into the old lock easily, and with a firm twist, the deadbolt slides back.

“We’re in,” I whisper under my breath to Will.

We squint in the dark, the only light coming from the Bud Light sign plugged in above the bar. Flicking on my Maglite, we carefully make our way through the room to the back office and flip the breaker switch to the power in the kitchen before we head in there.

My fingers grab the red bandana tied around my collar; I pull it up covering my nose. Will already has his face covered. He steps on an empty crate and opens the popcorn ceiling. Dragging a few wires down he carefully strips two with his pliers before wrapping them, so the copper touches.

“As soon as the power flips on… it’s gonna spark. Then all the grease on the grill and in the oven will make this bitch burn—it’ll be gone before the fire trucks even get here. They’ll blame old-wiring. There won’t be much to investigate since we didn’t break in. And there’s no alarm.”

“Good. Let it burn.”

He carefully places the ceiling tile back and moves the crate.

Together we walk back to the breaker. “It needs to be me.”

Without hesitation, I open the panel flipping the switch.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Will growls.

I follow but stop outside the supply room door. Kicking it open, the lock breaks and I take one last look. My heart hammers at the memory of touching her in here. I can’t do this to her… not like this. Racing to the bar, I find what I need and rush back to her small supply room.

It takes five minutes, but it’s done.

“Duke! We gotta go, man. It’s already burning.”

Smoke drifts down the hall.

Racing out the door, I turn locking the place behind me.

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