Page 81 of Hart of Darkness
26
Dillon
Norma lingered in the doorway of my office with a proud smile. In a small way, she reminded me of Grace, who had done something similar when I combed my hair in the bathroom mirror. Right now, I was threading my fingers through my hair without a mirror.
Norma popped off the doorjamb. “You look good. You’re nervous, aren’t you?”
I pocketed my phone and keys. “I’ve never been on a date.” I wouldn’t call the night Maggie and I had had sex a date.
Norma moved deeper inside. “Not even in high school?”
“Nope.” My high school days were a blur, and girls back then hadn’t belonged with a guy who was in a gang. I’d had enough worries with making sure my enemies didn’t come after my family.
Heavy footsteps clobbered down the hall. Then Hunt’s big body filled the doorway. His blond hair was as unruly as mine. I’d thought about styling my mane much like I had when I’d gone to see Maggie at the newspaper the day before. But the GQ look wasn’t me. I couldn’t be somebody I wasn’t. Plus, Maggie kept looking at my hair for some reason. I’d concluded when I left her building that she didn’t like my hairstyle.
“Dillon, you have a guest,” Hunt announced. “He says he’s your brother. Kind of looks like you.”
I didn’t know how to react. Duke’s deadline to produce Grace was tomorrow. Maybe she’d shown up early. Or maybe I had my days wrong. Maybe he was there to tell me Grace hadn’t shown up, and he wanted to plead with me not to rat him out to the cops. But I hadn’t had time to worry about him or Grace. The time between Duke’s penthouse and now had been an eye-opener in many ways.
I’d had time to think about Maggie, Grace, my family, the shelter, and me. Rafe had been so right when he’d said, “Put yourself first.” I needed to take his advice. He’d been concerned about my health, and with my chest burning constantly, I had to agree with him. The rage, the worry, and the sleepless nights were mounting into an ulcer or a breakdown. My turning point had been what Maggie had said in the elevator. “Cherish what you have.” What I had was the shelter and her, and I wanted to explore what I was feeling for her.
I couldn’t keep on my quest to find Grace. It was evident she didn’t want me to know she was alive. I would have been fooling myself if I said that didn’t hurt like hell.
I did want to put my mission to find Grace behind me. I did want to see her. I did want to understand what had happened to her. But if she was alive, then I had to let her come to me.
“Anyone with him?” I asked, my pulse staccato.
Hunt shook his head. “Sorry, man. Do you want me to send him away?”
The large knotted ball in the pit of my stomach tightened, and that pain in my chest resurfaced.
“Yes,” Norma blurted out. “You’re going to be late for your date. Duke has been a dick to you, so screw him.”
I’d given Duke an ultimatum. I wasn’t backing out of it, and since he was there, I had to at least hear what he had to say. “I have over an hour before I meet Maggie. This won’t take long.”
Anger darkened Norma’s pretty face.
I kissed Norma on the forehead. “You’re right about Duke. But I need to end this once and for all. Close the proverbial door.” That way, I could relax and enjoy Maggie in every way. I had big plans after dinner that involved her and me and slow, tantalizing lovemaking. No rough sex, at least not tonight. I wanted her to feel every touch and every kiss I gave her and her body.
I walked out with Hunt and Norma on my heels.
I didn’t doubt that they would want to watch and protect me, and while I didn’t mind Norma and Hunt eavesdropping, I didn’t want the women in the shelter to hear. My personal life wasn’t for their ears. They had enough problems in their own lives.
I stalked down the hall as though I were getting into a boxing ring. But when I reached the common room, Duke wasn’t around. The room was empty and so was the kitchen.
“Where is he?” I asked Hunt.
Norma stayed at my side as if she were my bodyguard. Hunt hurried to the computer on Norma’s desk and brought up the security cameras.
“Why don’t you check on the women?” I said to Norma more than asked. We had a total of seven women residing in the shelter, and I couldn’t be happier about that. What I wasn’t happy about was Duke showing up there. If things got out of control between us, I wanted to make sure our guests didn’t witness the argument.
Norma took off upstairs. Angel, Debbie, and the other ladies had been in the kitchen earlier. Most of them liked to relax in their rooms, and a couple of them had bonded as friends.
Hunt tapped on a key. “He’s on the porch. I’ll be right here in case you need me.”
I found Duke leaning against the support beam on the top step with his back to me. “You shouldn’t have shown up here. This is my place of business.”
Dusk was setting in. The days were growing shorter as we approached fall. I was ready for cold weather. I loved the cold, the snow, and at times the rain. I could do without the heat and humidity.
