Page 29 of Hart of Darkness
He pinched his chin with his fingers. “Didn’t you tell me no one would touch Denim’s case?”
I leaned forward, elbows on my knees. “I only talked to one lawyer. Maybe he didn’t look hard enough. Maybe the public defender didn’t either.”
“Why now, man?” Kelton asked. “If I recall, you and your brothers aren’t tight.”
A growl sat heavy in my throat. If I could have two wishes, one of course would have been to see Grace walk through my door, but the second one would have been to have a relationship with my brothers like the Maxwells had.
When I’d first seen the family together, the four brothers in particular, I’d gotten so envious of how close they were. How they would die for each other. How they put each other first. How protective they were of those they loved. How their parents were sickly sweet and doted on each other.
I wanted all that with my brothers and my family. But I would never have what they had, not with a brother in jail, a brother working illegal businesses, a sister who was nowhere to be found, and a father who thought booze was the love of his life. Oh, and a mother who had decided to leave her children behind.
“If I’m being honest, I want a relationship with my brother. Plus, I’ve never believed Denim purposely set out to murder anyone.” I’d been so consumed with finding Grace that I hadn’t paid attention to Denim, and after seeing him earlier, I missed the relationship we’d had as kids.
“For you, man, I’ll look at the case. I’m not promising anything.”
“Thanks.” I could check another item off my to-do list. I’d accomplished a great deal before the clock struck noon. But the day wasn’t over in the least. Nadine weighed on me.
Light footfalls prodded down the steps.
Kelton pushed off the beam and slid over to stand next to a cabinet so he could see who was coming down.
I glanced up, thinking it was Norma, but found Maggie with shock cascading off her as she fixated on Kelton.
My first instinct was to shove Kelton out of the room. The man was a female magnet.
Maggie’s green gaze bounced from Kelton to me then back to Kelton. “Maxwell?” Her throat bobbed as she played with her scarf.
I wanted to vault off the bench and rip that flowery fabric from her neck.No, you don’t. You want to use Cory as a punching bag.
One corner of Kelton’s mouth tipped upward.
As I watched the silent exchange between Kelton and Maggie, it dawned on me. “You two slept together?”
Maggie’s mouth fell open.
Kelton ran one of his large paws through his styled black hair. “I swear on my sister’s grave that we didn’t sleep together. The question is how do you two know each other?” He wagged a finger at us.
Kelton and I had been friends a long time, and I knew he was telling the truth. But the tension between him and Maggie felt like a fist to my gut.
Great way of deflecting, man.“Gang life.” My gaze slid to the woman who was doing things to my body that I couldn’t control. But the idea of Kelton and her, whether they’d slept together or not, tempered my libido.
Fucking Maxwell.
I would never forget the first time he’d shown up on my doorstep, looking for Lizzie. She and I had met through a cousin of mine because she’d wanted to purchase a gun. I’d offered her a place to stay and nothing more. Regardless, Kelton had had this bravado, which he still harbored, but that snowy day on my porch, Lizzie had all but brought him to his knees.
Allie and Bee had watched their exchange from behind a curtain. I couldn’t help but watch too. I swore Lizzie had held a magic wand in her hand that day and waved it over Kelton, who had melted into a pile of mush in freezing temperatures. That was some power to have over a Maxwell brother.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy, even though I knew the man was madly in love with Lizzie.
“I got to run,” Kelton piped up, shredding my trip down memory lane. “We’ll be in touch, Dillon.” He swaggered up to Maggie.
I clenched my teeth hard.If you touch her, I will coldcock you.
He nodded at her. “Nice to see you again.”
She stood statue-still. “Maxwell.” She stole a glance at me with her lips slightly parted and her cheeks flushed.
Whether she was embarrassed or shocked or both, she didn’t need to be. Her past was none of my business. Yet the idea of Maggie with any man, past or present, made my stomach knot in ways I’d never felt before.
