Page 104 of Coff

Last night,after kicking Duke out of the room, Sam finally opened up to me. It turns out she fell in love with Duke the summer I met Logan. She didn’t want to tell me unless Duke was serious, too. But then she discovered the truth about my family. Yes, she discovered it before I did. She gave him an ultimatum to leave. He said he couldn’t, so she broke it off. And she kept her word, she swears, until she found out he was shot. Apparently, I walked in on their reunion.

Sam has convinced me to stay in her guest room. I’m still angry with Duke for using me, but Sam was adamant that Duke didn’t mean for it to go as far as it did, and he’s been tormented about it all these years.

He’s been tormented? On the one hand, I met the man I’ve been convinced was the love of my life, but on the other hand, they set us up in an impossible situation where we would both end up hurt. All to keep my dad out of jail.

And after all that, their plan didn’t work. Logan’s brother continued to investigate the family. So yeah, while I understand what they did, I’m not okay with their manipulation. But until I figure out how to deal with that, I’m trying to be grateful that I can stay here with them and not in that awful mansion I grew up in.

“Rise and shine,” Duke says as he knocks on the bedroom door. “We need to get going.”

“All right,” I shout through the door.

After a shower and a quick breakfast, Duke drives us to the office.

“Nelson’s uncle called me yesterday. He wants to take over all arrangements for Nelson’s funeral. I figured you wouldn’t object,” Duke says.

I snort. “Sorry. I know I shouldn’t be disrespectful since he’s dead. You’re right. I have no objection.”

Duke glances at me. “There’s more.”

“Of course, there is.”

“He sent over a document he wants you to sign, agreeing you’ll forgo any of Nelson’s assets. Basically, he wants to keep everything in his family.”

I roll my eyes. “I don’t want anything of Nelson’s.”

“That’s what I figured. I’ll let his uncle know.”

We drive the rest of the way in silence. Fortunately, when we reach the office, we find it in good condition. When we ran out of here last week, we didn’t bother locking up. Since Duke took all the money from the safe—wait.

“Duke, where’s the money you took from the safe?”

“Hidden.”

I turn and stare at him, but he doesn’t say anymore. “Where?”

He holds his fingers to his lips, indicating I shouldn’t speak. Then he grabs a piece of paper and writes something. Then he turns it to me.

There might be bugs in here now.

He’s right. We left the front door wide open if the FBI wanted to take advantage of that.

He sighs. “I don’t want to run this business anymore.” Then he points to the note he wrote.

I nod. “I don’t want to be a part of it, either.”

“Well then. What are we going to do?”

I shrug. “Maybe just construction?”

He laughs. “I don’t think that will make enough money to support us.”

“What are you talking about? I do the financial records, and it makes plenty.”

He arches a brow.

“That’s not from construction?”

He puts an arm around me, then whispers. “I love you, Delaney, but damn, you are naïve sometimes.”

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