Page 58 of Unmade

Reese faced me more too, and he looked like he was solving a math problem. “I’d say that recruit should head to Washington. Private or not, I’ll tell you right now—Darius and Ryan did have an older brother who was killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.”

Well, fuck.

I glanced over at Leighton again.

“Bo, is it someone here?” Reese asked.

I sighed and nodded toward Leighton.

I wasn’t gonna discuss this with the kid just yet; I wanted to dig some more first. But if this was true?—

“Wait.” Reese blocked my view by positioning himself in front of me. “Are you telling me recruit Watts might be Darius’s nephew?”

“If we’re putting emphasis onmight, yeah,” I admitted. “It’s possible. I’ll talk to Em after the weekend. He should be able to confirm things for me. Then I’ll bring it up with Leighton.”

“Jesus.” He scrubbed a hand over his mouth. “Fuck confidentiality—I can confirm shit right now. Darius and Ryan have two sisters too. I can say that much.”

Fucking hell. I automatically took a step forward, and my pulse started drumming faster. “Do you know if one of them runs a pastry shop? There’s apparently a seafood restaurant involved somewhere too.”

Reese cursed under his breath and put his hands loosely on his hips. “Darius runs a fucking fish camp, buddy. And—” He snapped his fingers. “Yeah. One of the sisters—she made the dessert at Darius’s wedding a couple years ago. She was definitely a pro.”

A breath gusted out of me, and I looked at Leighton in the middle of his fight with Miguel, where Leighton was suddenly the underdog. But damn, he could still hold his own.

Logically, I knew I’d had no reason to connect the dots sooner; Quinn wasn’t the most unusual name, and I hadn’t reacted until I’d had Darius and Leighton mentioned in practically the same sentence. But fuck if it didn’t bother me.

Then again, it wasn’t like I’d sat on a big revelation that would lead Leighton to his family. He already knew who they were. Meanwhile, maybe this new information would convince him to reach out to the Quinns…? He suddenly had way more in common with both Darius and Ryan?—

“This is incredible,” Reese said. He returned to stand next to me, presumably so he could observe Leighton too. He chuckled. “So, that’s not a Watts you have on your hands here. It’s a fucking Quinn. And if he’sanythinglike his uncles… Oh, man. Good luck.”

Uh, yeah. Well, the kid wasn’t outgoing, boisterous, and reckless like Ryan. Darius, though. That quiet, calculating, old-soul, hermit motherfucker…

Doc would have a field day with this.

* * *

September 6th, 2024

Leighton Watts

“Fridays are the best!” Alex exclaimed. “Hi, Mr. Donovan! May I have a small piece of the lasagna and a slice of cheese pizza, please?”

“Anything for you, kiddo.”

She was popular in the cafeteria.

We filled our trays, and she even accepted a bowl of vegetables without fussing. I’d taught her it was important to balance the good with the bad that was so delicious.

Then we found a table in the back because we both liked a semblance of peace and quiet.

“Why are you limping, Nugget?”

“Ask Miguel. He’s mean.” I sat down and moved her glass of milk from my tray to hers. Carrying liquids across the cafeteria wasn’t her strong suit. “Or he’s just better at martial arts than me.”

Alex looked at me seriously. “You can take him. Next time.”

I grinned and dumped my salad over my lasagna. “I might need a while longer before I can defeat him.”

“Next time,” she repeated.

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