feet away, pacing beyond the border, waiting for me to stumble into their grasp. It seemed as though he admired them, but he recovered quickly and forced a warm expression.
âWhat are you doing, Duff?â
âJ-just checking on you.â
âWhy?â I asked suspiciously. âDid Reyes send you?â
âN-no. No, I just came on my own. I s-saw you leave. I thought m-maybe you were in trouble.â
âWhy would you think that?â
Duff had been creeping around a lot lately, appearing at times and places where he had no right. He was turning into quite the stalker, and after Vatican Boy, Iâd had about enough of stalkers. I kept meaning to talk to Reyes about him, but I also didnât want to ban him from our lives without cause. I feared, however, it was coming to that. He said some strange-ass things. Then again, maybe he just had really bad social skills. Iâd met people like him. Cookieâs cousin Lucille, for example. Or her second cousins. Or her uncle on her motherâs side. Her whole family, in fact, was a Harvard study waiting to happen.
But Duff was getting a bit weird for my taste. I liked weird, donât get me wrong, but he was creepy weird, as though every move he made had an ulterior motive. As though he were testing his boundaries, pushing his limits to see how far he could go with me. He was about to find out.
But nothing could have prepared me for what he said next. âI wonder what would happen if someone just pushed you over the line.â
I followed his gaze to the string that marked the boundary; then I turned back to him. âAre you threatening me?â
His eyes widened. âN-no. I would never. I just, I mean, I j-just wonder what theyâd do. The hounds.â
âRip me to shreds.â Well, that was enough crazy for me for one day. âExcuse me, Duff. I need to get back to the wedding party.â
âS-sure,â he said before disappearing. I couldnât help but notice the short but intense glance heâd placed on my midsection. Beep, seeming to notice as well, did a somersault. At least it felt like it. I turned to leave and slammed into a departed thirteen-year-old gangbanger.
âAngel,â I said, enthusiasm raising my voice an octave. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. I hadnât seen him in a while, and his presence had been sorely missed.
He hugged me back carefully, as though he might squish the baby between us.
âWhere have you been?â I asked after setting him at armâs length. He wore the same red bandanna over his brow and a dirty T-shirt. The peach fuzz on his face still tickled when I kissed him. And he brandished the same wicked grin as always, the one that made me wonder what heâd been up to.
âHere and there. Youâre still hot, you know. Iâd still do you.â
âWow,â I said, forcing my smile wider. âYou are too kind, but Iâm good.â
He lifted a shoulder. âIf you ever change your mind, you have my number.â
I snorted. âIâve missed you. Howâs your family?â
He lowered his head, still not able to fully accept that his best friendâs family had become his. âTheyâre good. My mom and her nieces made tamales all day.â
My mouth flooded with saliva. Pavlov totally could have studied me.
âI just wanted to tell you something.â
âThat sounds serious,â I teased.
âYou need to stay away from him.â
Was this about Reyes? Again? âSweetheart, Iâm married to him, remember? Iâm having his child.â
He ducked his head to hide his face. âNot him. That guy that was just here. That cracker pendejo who pretends to be your friend.â
My brows slid together in thought. âDuff?â I asked, surprised. He was the only cracker Iâd spoken to in the last few minutes besides ⦠My heart skipped a beat. Did he hear me
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