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Dane stares at me. I can see he’s not convinced by how his eyes are narrowed and he crosses his arms over his chest. “Maybe I threw you in the mix, not really paying attention. If I judged you wrong, I’m a big enough guy to apologize. Sorry.”
It’s not elaborate, but I’ll accept it. “I need to clear my name because I don’t want Lark paying for mistakes, especially if I didn’t make them.”
“You and your cousin look a lot alike.”
“I can see that.” I stretch out my hand. He looks between it and my eyes a few times and then takes it. We shake. “I appreciate the apology.”
“I don’t want to lose Lark’s friendship. I need your help.”
We step back again as a new line is drawn in the sand. “You know what to do.” Although I appreciate having my name cleared, that’s not why I was looking for him. “That’s why I’m here.”
Sighing and shaking his head, he starts pacing. “I can’t take it from her, man. I wish I could.”
“You have a long history with Lark. You said it yourself that you don’t want to lose her friendship, but you won’t give her something that’s rightfully hers to own. I bet you she’s been there for you over the years like you have for her. I bet if you called her at any hour and needed something, she’d be there. Am I right?”
“You’re right, but it doesn’t change this situation.”
“What will?” I’m not going to volley with him all night. I just wish he’d do the right thing to start with. “You know Lark. You know what it means to her. She deserves to have it back.”
He pulls another cigarette from his pocket. It’s bent as if he bummed it off someone. But he doesn’t light it. He holds it between two fingers like the act itself is enough to settle his nerves.
When he checks his phone, I’m thinking we’re on borrowed time. He finally says, “What would you have me do that doesn’t fuck up my relationship with Mia?”
“If it’s that volatile, it’s already fucked up. But maybe . . .” Last resort.Here goes.“My cousin traded it for drugs. I’ll trade you cash. What’s it worth to you?”
“Priceless if it keeps the peace with Mia.”
“Don’t do this, Dane. You know what’s right in this scenario. Lark loses if you choose wrong. I’ll give you five thousand dollars.”
“Fuck,” he says, laughing and waving his arms in front of him. “Just like that, huh? Wish I’d been born a Pointe kid. You know your cousin threw money around like it was endless and then his daddy cut him off.”
Wait . . .I never heard this. “How would you know?”
“He and Ronnie hit a few houses back in the day when they needed a fix.”
“Is that a fact?”
“Ask Ronnie. He’s doin’ time down in county.”
I can’t wrap my head around how bad it got for Lucas. Each new detail is a part of his life that I’m unfamiliar with when I thought I knew everything about him. The deeper I get into Lucas’s history, the more I wish I didn’t know.
“You didn’t know they hit Lark’s house? You didn’t piece that together back then?”
“I was almost in as deep, dude. I wasn’t investigating anything. He came to me and traded some goods I’d just gotten. Mia found it in a shoebox while clearing out the closet to put the crib.”
“How did she know it was real?”
He shrugs, tucking the cigarette in his back pocket. “Girls know diamonds, I guess. Look, I need to go.”
“You won’t take the money?”
“It pains me because I could really use it, but we’ll get by.” He eyes me up and down, and then adds, “I get that you want to be the hero in Lark’s story, but I can’t rock the boat with Mia, especially when she’s pregnant.” He holds out his hand, and I know what it took for him to offer it to me, so I take it, and we shake again. “Sorry, man.” His eyes dart behind me, and he says, “Sweet ride.”
“No fucking way.”
“Not even for Lark,” he asks, fucking hopeful to make the trade.
“She’d never want me to do that.”
