Duke Read online

  He started to close the door, but Duke put his foot in the gap.

  “I’ll call the police,” the old man grumbled. “Mrs. Silver is a good woman, and her daughter seems nice, but I got to look out for me.”

  “Tell me about the kids,” Duke insisted.

  Round eyes worked back and forth as if the old guy expected spies to be lurking about, waiting to see if he would talk. He hesitated and scratched a scraggly beard. When he looked again at Duke, Duke made sure to stand straighter and look bigger and more threatening than a bunch of stupid teenagers.

  The old man gulped. “I heard this, mind, not that I know it’s true. There’s a man, an older man, behind them all. He’s kind of a father to the kids who are neglected by their parents or who never had a father figure. ’Cept he’s teaching them the wrong way. They steal and give him everything. He gives them a portion for themselves and makes them feel like they’re important.”

  “Drugs?”

  “Not that I know of. Heard tell he doesn’t let the kids get on drugs. Anyone that does gets put out of the gang—permanently—if you know what I mean.”

  Duke nodded. “Sounds like petty theft, but I’m thinking it’s more serious than that.”

  “Oh, yeah. If the victim doesn’t give up their money, they get a knife. Sometimes they do anyway. The gang uses only kids, and they go around forcing others into it. No choice in the matter.”

  “Do you have a name?” As Duke asked the question, he glanced out at the street. Keen was climbing painfully from his car, and Takiyah was helping him. Behind Duke’s car, another had just pulled up. He tensed until he saw it was Ed. An unsettling feeling washed over him.

  “I don’t know no names,” the old man snapped. “Even if I did, you won’t hear it from me.”

  Duke was about to ask another question, but the couple down at the curb distracted him. The old man took the opportunity to slam his door and lock it. Duke wouldn’t get any more information out of him.

  He walked back to the curb in time to catch Takiyah as she was about to join Keen in his father’s car. With a nod to Ed, who looked better than he had sounded on the phone, Duke said, “Let’s talk, Kiyah.”

  She gave a small tug of her wrist, and he released her. He moved out of earshot of Ed, and she followed, rubbing her arms. “I’m tired, Duke. I found out Mama is at her girlfriend’s house. That’s a weight off my shoulders, but this night has taken it out of me.”

  “I know. You can come to my house to rest.”

  She blinked at him. “Did you get furniture between three o’clock this morning and now? Because with the condition Keen is in, he can’t sleep on the floor.”

  He worked his jaw. “I’ll get some.”

  “Not soon enough for him to rest. I’m sorry, Duke. You have nothing to offer me.”

  “So you’re going with him?” He didn’t mean to sound jealous.

  She hesitated and glanced over her shoulder at Ed. Then she faced him, drew in a breath, and blew it out. “I want to be honest with you. I like you a lot. More than I want to really. You’re fun and exciting, but you’re not what we need.”

  “You don’t know what you need.”

  “Excuse me?”

  He mentally kicked himself for letting anger and jealousy get the best of him. In reality, he wasn’t behaving in his usual way, but she couldn’t see that. “I’m sorry. I can…”

  He started to say he would take care of her and her son, but he wasn’t sure that’s what he wanted. They were still new. All he had thought seriously about was making love to her. Taking on a ready-made family with issues was a whole other idea.

  “Don’t go with him,” he said at last, having no other options.

  “He’s my ex-husband, and I told you Ed was never a bad father or a bad husband. He loves Keen, and—” She seemed to choke over her next words. Her focus shifted to the ground between them. “He never stopped loving me. I can’t do this by myself anymore. Plus, Ed lives in a decent neighborhood. We’re going back there. I’m so sorry, Duke.”

  He hitched his shoulders and stuffed his hands in his pockets. The grin on his face was hard to form. “Whatever. We were just having fun, weren’t we? Enjoy your life, Takiyah.”

  She flinched at his use of her full name, and he spun away and climbed into his car to peel away from the curb. He told himself not to check the rearview mirror, but he did anyway. Of course, he was in time to see Ed wrap his arm around Takiyah’s shoulders and help her into his car. Duke slammed a fist against his steering wheel and pressed harder on the gas. For the first time in his good-for-nothing life, he had fallen in love, and now he had lost the woman.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Duke dropped another plate of food. This was his third. He swore and shoved a chair until it overturned, scaring the customers nearby. Creed appeared out of nowhere, his face a thundercloud. “My office, now.”

  “Fuck off,” Duke spat.

  “You can either come yourself, or Pete and I will drag you there. If you want to be humiliated, be my guest.”

  “When the hell have I ever cared about being humiliated?”

  The two of them faced off, and Creed never blinked. Sighing and hitching his shoulders, Duke gave in. He didn’t want to serve and smile at air-headed women anyway. He followed Creed to his office and dropped into Creed’s chair behind his desk. For the first time, his cousin didn’t rag on him but leaned against the far wall and folded his arms over his chest.

  “What’s going on, Duke?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Don’t lie to me. You’ve been in a black mood for the last couple of days. I’ve had enough. The only reason why I didn’t throw your ass out and tell you take a break is that some of those women like the angry man persona.”

  “You would know.”

  “Don’t push me.”

  Duke leaned over the desk and slammed a flat palm against it. “I’m having an off week.”

  “Because?”

  He couldn’t say. No way in the world would he admit in a million years that he missed Takiyah. She had called in saying she had a family emergency and could she take a few days off. Ever since Duke saw Ed’s arm around her, he couldn’t stop imagining that bastard making love to her. The thought slid into his mind now, and he roared in frustration.

  “Hold on,” Creed said, and pushed off the wall. Duke sat back as his cousin approached him. Creed narrowed his eyes, studying Duke’s face. Duke turned his head, pretending an interest in the painting over the printer. Creed grinned, and Duke cursed under his breath. “You’re in love.”

  “Fuck you!”

  A bark of laughter escaped Creed. “I’m right. Well, what do you know? I should get the guys in here. Duke Marquette has fallen in love at last.”

  “Don’t be stupid.”

  “I don’t hear conviction in your voice, cousin.”

  Duke flipped him off.

  “Let me guess. You’re all angry because she rejected you.”

  Duke rushed to his feet and paced. “Would you drop it? Damn, you’ve been there. You know how it is.” He hated himself for admitting the truth. “Can’t you cut me some slack?”

  “When did you ever cut anyone else slack?” After a moment, Creed slapped his shoulder. “All right, fine. Tell me all about it. Let your big cousin fix it for you.”

  “Idiot. You only make things worse.”

  “Who is she?” Creed rubbed his jaw, and then a look of shock came into his gaze. “Don’t tell me it’s Takiyah? Are you the reason she’s run off from work? Dumbass, if you’ve caused me a waitress—”

  “No, she didn’t run off because of me. She didn’t run off at all. It’s her son. He’s having some issues.”

  Creed tensed. “You know the details?”

  “I know some of them.”

  “And?”

  Again, Duke hesitated. “He got into some gang activity. They destroyed her house and beat her son.”

  “Damn!”

  “Yeah
, my thoughts exactly. I want crush any and everyone involved. There’s a man behind it, not a kid like the others. I think he’s pushing them into the life. Most importantly, they’re trying to do it to Keen, and it’s killing Takiyah.”

  “She pushed you out of her life at a time like this?”

  Duke ran a hand over the back of his head. He never thought he would hate the man he was. Not in this lifetime. Hell, he’d looked down on others who couldn’t seem to be themselves no matter what anyone thought. Now, he felt ashamed of himself, the cocky attitude and the irresponsibility.

  “She said…” He swallowed. What in the hell had she done to him? He was actually getting choked up. No way in the world would he cry like a punk the way that dumbass Ed did. “She said I have nothing to offer her. When her house was destroyed, her ex-husband came to pick her up.”

  “I heard from Stefan you bought a house. She didn’t cut you slack over that?”

  He winced. “It’s empty. Her son was injured, and he couldn’t sleep on the floor. I get that.”

  Creed rubbed his jaw, deep in thought. “Tell me this. If you had everything you needed, would she have come to you?”

  Duke wanted to snap out an affirmative, but the truth was he didn’t know. She felt something for him. Maybe it was love, maybe not. Either way, they were new, and he couldn’t ask her to move in with him. Come to think of it, he wasn’t sure if her last words to him meant they wouldn’t see each other anymore. Was she planning to remarry that jerk?

  “I don’t know,” he admitted after some time. “It doesn’t matter anyway because I’m broke. I’m on instant noodles until my next pay check, and as generous as you are, it’s not going to fill my house with furniture and food.”

  “And if I give—”

  “Don’t say it. I’m making my own way.” His face burned. “I can’t say I’ve turned over a whole new leaf, but I’m better than I was. I will put furniture in my house, but with my own funds.”

  Creed frowned. “Don’t be stubborn. You can’t piss away the opportunity to get her.”

  “I’m not.”

  “What do you think she’s doing over there with him?”

  Duke smashed a fist into the wall. Plaster crumbled all around his hand. Red mingled with the white powder. He’d probably broken something. Creed didn’t flinch once and didn’t appear to be upset about the destruction of his office.

  “I didn’t say it to piss you off, Duke. I only want you to realize what you’re risking for your pride.”

  “Don’t you think I know that?”

  “So take the money.”

  Duke flexed his fingers and found he couldn’t move the ring finger and the baby finger. Definitely broken. He sighed. “I won’t take your money, but I am going to fix this.”

  “How are you going to handle it?”

  “The Duke Marquette way.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Duke only grinned and walked toward the door. “I’m going to need time off too, boss. See you in a few days, maybe a week.”

  “Idiot,” Creed called after him. “You’re going to need longer than that for broken fingers.”

  Duke chuckled, feeling far more cheerful than he had when he walked into the restaurant that morning. “Don’t worry, cuz. When I clear up this mess, the ladies will fall over me, the injured hero.”

  Creed rolled his eyes, much like Duke had seen his wife do. He laughed all the way out the door, planning his next move as he went.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Takiyah leaned against the bedroom doorway as she watched Keen sleep. Her heart had been aching for the last few days. Every time he woke up or moved around, he was in such pain, it broke her heart. Sure, the meds helped, but they didn’t take away everything. Inch by inch, she noticed him getting better and stronger, and at last she could begin to let go of the breath she held for her baby.

  Along with feeling more relaxed about Keen’s safety, Takiyah also started thinking about Duke. She had to admit to herself, if to no one else, she missed him. They separated on a bad note, when she treated him like trash. Sure, she was scared mindless over Keen, but the fact of the matter was Duke had been there by her side. He protected them both, and he could have had permanent nerve damage from that knife cut. Come to think of it, she didn’t know how he was doing. She hadn’t been back to work after the incident. Despite her realization that she had strong feelings for Duke, she wasn’t ready to talk to him or even see him at all.

  A sound behind her made her turn in time to see Ed coming up the stairs. He smiled when he met her gaze, that gentle expression she was so familiar with. She waited for her heart to stir, but it did nothing more than acknowledge him, like recognizing a loyal dog.

  Ouch, he’d be so insulted if he knew I thought like that.

  Ed moved up behind her and hugged her. She shied away from him, and he frowned. “You’re still skittish around me.”

  “I’m not a horse.” She had some nerve getting touchy over his words. “I’m just not sure, Ed.”

  “I thought when you came here, we were going to try again.”

  She turned from Keen’s room and shut the door quietly. “I never said that. If you think I owe you something, I’ll move to a motel. I don’t want you to feel like I’m using you either.”

  “This is your home.”

  “No, it’s your home. Thank you for letting us stay. I’m going to get another place soon. I just need to save the money.”

  “You can live here forever.” A pleading note came into his tone that bugged her. “We can remarry and start over. I know I can be the man you need.”

  Takiyah recalled Duke saying something like she didn’t know what she needed. Her irritation rose higher. Why did both of them assume they knew her better than she knew herself? Couldn’t she make her own decisions without someone else trying to tell her what was right and wrong?

  An ache started in her temple, and she rubbed it. For a minute, she thought about admitting to Ed that she was thinking about marrying him again. Fear that he would run away with the idea and have a ring already picked out with a venue and everything kept her mouth shut. The last thing she wanted was pressure.

  “I have to do what’s right for Keen,” she said.

  Ed grasped her shoulders and turned her toward him. When he moved close, she tried to duck out of his hold. To her surprise, he tightened his grip. Ed was always meek for a man. “I’m what’s right—for both of you.”

  She grinned because his attempt to be strong was kind of cute. Not that it appealed to her as a woman. She knew his personality, and this little stand was just that—little. Ed would roll back into his placid position. When they were married, he often asked her what she thought they should do with any given situation. She was the disciplinarian when it came to Keen. At the end of the day, it was Ed’s weakness that allowed Keen to go off unsupervised and get hurt. Because she hadn’t done all she could either, she didn’t hate him. This problem had been escalating for months, and if she had chosen their neighborhood better, maybe it wouldn’t have happened at all.

  She started to respond to him when his head came down and he kissed her. Struggling against his hold, she yelped in alarm as he tried to part her lips and stick his tongue into her mouth. A sharp slap across his cheek was the only way to get free. He stumbled backward, clutching his red jaw, eyes wide in shock.

  “What did you do that for, Takiyah?”

  “Are you for real? Who the hell told you to kiss me?” She pointed a finger at him. “From now on, keep your hands off me, and you don’t have to worry because I’m finding a motel to go to in the morning.”

  She spun on her heel and marched down the hall. At her bedroom, he tried to come after her, but she slammed the door in his face. He banged on it.

  “Takiyah, wait. I’m sorry. Let’s talk about this.”

  She jerked the door open again. “If you wake Keen up, I’m kicking you so hard you’ll be gargling your balls. That’s your only warni
ng.”

  His mouth fell open. “This isn’t like you. It’s that man, isn’t it? Duke?”

  “Duke has nothing to do with the fact that you just tried to force yourself on me.”

  “I didn’t. You’re my wife—”

  “Ex-wife, get it through your head. I don’t want you, Ed!” At last, she knew it was true and that no matter what happened, she couldn’t go back. When he tried to tongue kiss her, she almost threw up in his mouth. No marriage could last like that. The only way she could go through with it was if they both vowed to be celibate. Over the last couple days, she saw how Ed watched her. He desired her, so that idea was out the window.

  “You’re sure? I would devote my life to you and Keen, Takiyah. You only have to say the word.” He sounded defeated, and she felt sorry for him, but not sorry enough to accept him.

  A lump formed in her throat. “I know you would, and I’m so sorry I can’t be the woman for you. Ed, you’re a good man in your own way, but I don’t love you anymore. Before you say anything, no, I can’t learn to love you either.”

  He paced a few steps away, his head down so she couldn’t see his face. “Are you in love with him?”

  “Whatever I feel about anyone else isn’t your business.” She said the words with firmness but not unkindly. “I’ve told you how it is with you and me.”

  He looked up, and she saw tears reflected in his gaze. She gave him credit because in the past he always cried whenever he felt the need. “You don’t have to move out. I’ll keep my distance.”

  “Thanks, but no. It’s the right thing to do. I have to stand on my own two feet. Mama has been invited to stay with Mrs. Jones for as long as she wants. She says her friend was pretty depressed and lonely after she lost her husband last year. I think the two of them will do fine. Keen and me will too.”

  “You never want to lean on anyone. You’re too strong.”