Denim chuckled. “Prison sucks, doesn’t it? At least you were only in for eleven months. I was in for six years.”
“You’re a stronger man than me.” I would’ve dealt, though, if I’d gotten that ten years the ATF had recommended.
“You look relaxed, man,” Vince said, his blue eyes glistening. “I don’t think I’ve seen you in better shape either. Seems to me prison suited you.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. But there’s not much to do other than eat, sleep, work, and exercise.” Truth be told, I’d actually enjoyed the boxing matches I started during the free time prisoners had to exercise. I also had the opportunity to spend time learning about architecture. I drew the layout of that gym I wanted to open, and I’d found that I wasn’t actually bad at design.
“What about you, Vince? You seem happy,” I said.
“Life has been okay,” he said. “Amber and I are probably leaving Boston soon. We’re looking to settle near her family in Colorado.”
I would hate to see him go. He and I had been together since our late teenage years. He was like a brother to me. I’d thought about leaving New England as well. Maybe I would one day.
“We should get together before you do,” I said.
He gave me a nod as he got into the back seat. “We’ll have plenty of time.”
Denim circled the hood to the driver’s side of the SUV. “Anyone try to shank or fuck with you?”
“Not really.” I climbed into the passenger seat. “If so, we aired out our differences in the ring. Guards loved it because they could bet on us.”
Laughing, Denim pulled out of the lot. “Sounds like you had a better experience than me.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I said. “So, tell me, how’s my niece? How’s fatherhood?”
“Amazing. I wanted kids but never thought I would see the day I would become a father, especially when I was in prison. But Lily Rose Hart is the most precious thing ever. She has black hair like her mom—and wouldn’t you know?—she has blue eyes like me.”
I cleared the emotions from my throat. “I’m proud of you, bro.”
“Jade wanted to name her Savannah, but I argued against it. The name is too raw for our family.”
“For everyone,” Vince chimed in, knowing what I’d gone through for years.
As much as I still thought about Savannah, I’d made peace with her death and with my guilt over what had happened to her. I’d even talked to the prison counselor about Savannah. She’d recommended that sometimes the best therapy was journaling, which I found cathartic.
I leaned an elbow on the console. “It would’ve been okay.”
“Not for me,” Denim said. “As much as I love my wife, I didn’t want a constant reminder of my past, and Savannah was just that since I’d been her dealer. We need to move forward, Duke. We had a fucked-up childhood. Our teenage years in gangs weren’t pretty, and most of all, you and I didn’t take the right paths like Dillon did. I won’t even start on Grace’s life.”
“Can we make a stop in Weston at the cemetery? All of us can pay our respects, which might help each of us. Plus, I need to see her grave before we head to your place. My counselor recommended not to forget those you loved.”
“I wouldn’t mind,” Vince said. “I’m trying to clear up some of my own demons as well.”
He’d had to deal with her drug addiction as much as I had.
Denim looked at me like I was a nutjob. “You really have changed. I didn’t even have a counselor in prison. Or rather, I chose not to talk to one. I was too fucking angry with the world.”
Denim’s phone rang, and Dillon’s name came across the SUV’s monitor.
I hit the answer button. “Hey, man.”
“It’s so good to hear your voice,” Dillon said excitedly. “I would’ve been there, but I’m in the midst of moving the shelter to its new home.”
“You should see Duke,” Denim said. “Our older brother is broader and leaner than ever and sounds like he found himself.”
Dillon laughed. “I can’t wait to see you, Duke. Also, I know you wanted us to keep your early release hush-hush, but I just learned that our eavesdropping sister overheard me talking to Denim on the phone this morning. She dropped by to pick up more of her clothes. I told her to keep her mouth shut for now.”
“Does she know about her birthday party?” Denim asked.
