Page 77 of Hart of Darkness
Maggie stood up pin straight.
I placed my hand on Maggie’s lower back. “It’s a simple question, man.”
He groaned. “Do you really think, Dillon, that I could prey on women?”
Raking my gaze over his face, I could see the boy in the man. The boy I knew had protected me from our father. That boy was the brother who had ripped our father off our mother a time or two when she’d been cowering in a corner, taking blows from her husband. I didn’t want to believe Duke could hurt a woman, let alone sell her on the open market. As I stood in the quietness of his penthouse, the city lights dimming to the waning night sky, I saw the boy more than the man Duke had become. I saw my brother, the one I loved, the one I blamed for Grace’s disappearance.
I left Maggie and went over to Duke, who was holding on to the back of the couch not far from the elevator. He jerked back as though I were going to punch him again.
I stopped when we were eye to eye. “We’ve been through hell as kids, brother. We’ve endured so fucking much. I do blame you for Grace taking off, but not as much as I blame myself. But let’s be real, Duke. You’re into some illegal shit. I mean, look at your expensive digs.” I waved my hand around. “Maggie is only asking you about the Black Knights because you have ties to the underworld. She’s not insinuating anything. But I get the feeling you’re avoiding her question for some reason. Are you involved in sex trafficking?” I wanted to believe he wasn’t, but he was not giving me a warm and fuzzy.
A muscle in his jaw acted like a jumping bean as he flared his nostrils. “Get out. You of all people should know that I hated when Dad beat Mom. I hated when Dad laid a hand on Grace. I love our sister more than you know.”
I got in his face. “Then fucking show it. You didn’t bother to call me when you knew Grace was alive. You knew I put my heart and soul into finding her. Who the fuck does that in a family? Don’t answer that.” I knew who. He did. My old man did. “Father dearest saw Grace too, you know.”
His jaw came unhinged.
“Yeah. Shocking, huh? He didn’t bother to call me either. He only calls when his ass is in jail.” At least my father had the excuse that he could’ve been drunk when he saw Grace in her room. I started for Maggie, who was wearing a pity mask and some other emotion I couldn’t quite make out. “You have one week. I expect a call from you when Grace shows up. If not, I’ll make sure the cops know that you’re using your club for money laundering.” I didn’t know that he was. I was pulling very short straws.
Fear blinked from him like a neon sign in the dark of night. “You wouldn’t.”
I silently shoutedBingo!
Nevertheless, I stabbed the elevator button, and the doors slid open. I walked inside, not waiting for Maggie nor responding to Duke.
Maggie finally got in as the doors were closing. She had even more pity dripping from her. When the car started to move, I did punch the wall.
“Dillon.” Maggie said my name in a tender and sad tone. “You’re lucky you have a family. You’re lucky you can argue with your brother and worry over your sister and hurt for a brother in jail and even spit at your alcoholic father.” She gulped in air. “I wish I had one tenth of what you have, no matter how dysfunctional your family is. Cherish what you have.”
In that moment, I was the biggest self-absorbed asshole in the world.
