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“Girl, keep your head up. And go see Duke. He might be able to help you.”
“You’re right. It’s been a long time.”
I picked up my phone and sent my cousin a text. He was techy as well as a good investigator. Perhaps he could give me some info that could help me.
His response came before I put the phone down.
Meet me at our spot in an hour.
“He can see me today,” I told Aubrey.
“Good. I gotta get some work done but let’s talk when you get back.”
I hopped up and headed to the shower. My stomach was tied in knots. I wasn’t sure if the nervousness would ever go away as long as I knew that Storie was out there ready to hurt her family.
But for now, I needed to know what to do about my own family — Keenan.
Duke was seated in the back booth of the diner.
He stood to hug me before I could slide into my seat. I held on longer than I intended to. I needed the warmth of someone familiar.
“Hey, cuz.” He rubbed my back once before letting go. “Sit down. Do you want something?”
“Nah.” I scrunched my nose up and shook my head.
“I’m sorry about what happened with the Banks family,” he said.
“Thank you.”
“I know that situation is tough. That little girl sounds like a handful.”
“She’s Satan’s minion.”
He let out a laugh but my face remained stoic. I was dead ass serious. She was evil as hell.
“Well, I have some good news and some bad news,” he started.
“I want the bad first.”
“The bad news is… Roman and Aria have definitely moved up here for the construction contract.”
“And the good news?”
“Keenan goes to Kingsbrook Prep. He’s right within reach. I say you get him a burner phone and talk to him after school. He takes the public bus to a townhouse they rent every day. You have ample time to get to him.”
My heart brightened. This was the “in” that I needed. As soon as I could, I was getting to my baby boy.
“Wow. Thank you.” I got up to hug my cousin.
“I got you. I know I don’t have much money right now but if I did, I’d give it to you. But you barely flinched at hearing Aria’s name.”
All I could do was roll my eyes. Aria was my little sister. Just five years younger than me. At one point in time she was my best friend but the bitch schemed and got with my husband. I don’t know if they started seeing each other while I was still married or after Golden was killed. It didn’t matter. It was the most disloyal thing to do.
She knew what he put me through. How could she go be with my abuser? The man that orchestrated the death of her niece. A little girl she claimed to love so much. It never made sense to me.
The day I found out was the first day of my trial. There I was in a navy suit, fighting for my life, for my freedom. And here she was, on his arm.
After my daughter died, she’d distanced herself from me. It was a year in between the death and my trial and for that entire year, she evaded me. She’d respond to texts here and there but nothing more. I thought it was so strange. I couldn’t understand why my sister wasn’t talking to me.
