Page 107 of Hart of Vengeance
Denim stole me from Mallory, cocooning me in his strong arms. My back was pressed against his front. “It sure is.” He kissed me on the ear. “Jade is in good hands now.”
Mallory jutted out her chin. “If you hurt her again, you better leave town because I’ll find a way to overturn your murder conviction.”
“You’ll make a good lawyer one day, Mal.” Denim wasn’t the least bit concerned by her threat.
“Damn straight,” she retorted.
A gust of wind blew in, signaling the entrance of a young lady with bright amber eyes and blond hair. She smiled at me. “Jade Kelly?”
“You must be Ellie.” I walked up and gave her a hug. “Thank you so much for coming. And for being such a great friend to Savannah.”
She squeezed me. “She was special.”
I’d learned when I’d contacted Ellie to invite her to Savannah’s service that she and Savannah had met just after my sister graduated high school. Both of them were into drugs, but Ellie had gotten clean early on.
Someone touched my back. “Jade?”
I pivoted on my heel. “Todd, you managed to get away from work. Thank you.”
He smiled, showing his overlapping tooth. “So sorry for your loss.”
Ellie touched my arm. “I’ll see you afterwards.” She left to find a seat.
Mallory joined Todd. The two had gone out a couple of times in the last few weeks. I didn’t know if they were serious, but it was nice to see my BFF dating. “We should get settled. Kelton is inside with a few others from the office.” Mallory grabbed Todd’s hand.
Warmth spread through my chest because I knew I had the best boss in the world. True to his word about how family came first, he’d given me more time off than I was allowed. But I hadn’t taken more than a week. I was the type who had to keep busy.
Denim ambled up, and we were about to follow Mal and Todd when the door opened, bringing in more cold air along with Duke.
I hadn’t been sure if he would show.
Denim and Duke exchanged a brotherly hug. “Thanks for coming, bro.”
I touched Denim’s arm. “Can I have a word with Duke alone?”
Duke regarded me with suspicion.
“I won’t knee you in the balls,” I teased. That day with Tito in the club, I had been a madwoman, and I couldn’t fault Duke for being a little uneasy around me.
Duke’s features relaxed with a hint of a smile.
Denim kissed me on the cheek. “Good luck, bro.” He sauntered off, chuckling.
When Duke and I were alone in the small entryway of the church, I said, “Thank you for paying for the service.”
He bobbed his head and swallowed. “Jade, I never wanted anything but happiness for Savannah.” Sincerity weaved through his words.
“What happened between you two?”
“Our relationship was volatile. We were oil and water.”
I angled my head. “But you loved her?”
“I guess. Does it matter?”
Duke was a hard man to read, and I was dreaming if I thought he would give me a straight answer. The fact that he’d wanted nothing but happiness for Savannah said it all. So I dropped the ten-question interrogation.
“You’re right,” I said. “We should go in. Thanks again for helping and for everything you’ve done for Denim.”
