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“That’s because this shit is hurtful,” he said. “She’s tired, and I am too. Her transition back is already hard enough.”
Thatcher started to say something, but he didn’t need to. He was only looking into all this because of me. I held Thatcher back to speak myself. “We know it is, bro. That’s why we’re handling this shit for you. Why I’m handling this shit.”
“Well, if you’re doing this for me and her, then you’d listen when I say it’s not helping. It is hurtful, D, and I’m tired of being in fucking pain, bro. I’m tired of things hurting, and you should know that more than anyone.”
I did know that. I just wanted relief after everything with Charlie.
Wolf was a semblance of calm when he pressed his hands together. He breathed into them. “I’m begging you both to let this go. All our families need to heal and especially mine.”
I wanted to argue with that, but that was hard. This was his family. This was her.
I started to say something, but I never got the chance when the garage door opened. It was the one on the other side of the garage, and the three of us got a view of it from behind Wolf’s Hummer.
Bruno Sloane came through that door, rubbing his hands with no coat on. He rushed inside, but he wasn’t alone.
I recognized the cane right away, and of course, the old man with it. He wore a wool coat, black and a hat to match. He had a colorful box tied with a sea of coiled ribbon in his hands, also black, and I froze where I stood.
I wasn’t the only one.
Behind Wolf’s Hummer, both my boys failed to move a fucking inch. Meanwhile, Bru and his guest remained at the garage door.
“Hey, man. You didn’t have to get me anything,” Bru said, and his guest chuckled, deep, raspy. I recognized it well. Too many cigars and not enough use of his laughter. The man didn’t fucking laugh, so when he did, it came out all raspy and shit.
“What the fuck?” This came from Wolf, his eyes expanded to full width. He charged from around the Hummer. Thatcher too.
I beat them both.
I always had been the fastest, intentional with my speed. When I saw a target, I didn’t let it go, and I homed in on the old fucker standing next to my girl’s brother with nothing but sheer intent.
Old fucker heard me before he saw me, his fucked-up laughter curbing off. A rigid stance replaced it, and right away, he stood in front of Bru. He held up a hand to me. “Grandson—”
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I seethed, grabbing for Bruno, but the dude fucking pushed me. Like actually put hands on me, and I collided back into Wolf and Thatcher because I hadn’t seen that shit coming. My eyebrows narrowed at Bru. “What the hell?”
“Dorian,” Bru started, coming between the old man and me. “Hold off a second. I asked him to be here.”
I wasn’t the only one to jolt, and a madness hit Wolf’s eyes I’d only seen on the field. He grew two sizes behind me, shouldering ahead. “The fuck?”
Bru attempted to calm the situation down with a hand.
Meanwhile, my grandfather sighed. “Bruno told me the event was over,” he explained, his lips pulling together. He faced Bru. “Why did you lie? You said everyone had left for a post-dinner at my son’s house.”
He had?
What. The. Hell.
“Wait a fucking second. You two are talking to each other?” Thatcher asked the question. His hand directed between the two. “You two are talking?”
News to me and definitely to Wolf too. We both had hands on each other, sheer shock, I believed, keeping both of us from moving.
Bru shook his head. “That’s none of your business, Thatcher.”
“The hell it’s not—” he started, and my grandfather backed up.
He handed the gift to Bru. “I think you know I need to leave,” he said before looking at the three of us. “I’m sorry. Had I known anyone was here, I wouldn’t have imposed myself. I just wanted to give the boy a gift for his birthday. He told me about his party, and I meant no harm.”
And yet, he kept harming people, didn’t he? Harming me by being at my friend’s house with my parents feet away. I stepped forward. “Get the fuck out of here.”
His reaction to this wasn’t much of one. He gripped his cane. “I’m so sorry, grandson.” He attention drifted to Bru. “I wish you hadn’t lied. It doesn’t help the situation.”
