Page 66 of Depths of Destruction

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"I'll take a beer. You want one with me?"

"Sure. Andre, you want one?"

"No, I'm good."

Darien gazes behind him at Andre then back at me. "Why's he looking at me like that?"

"What do you mean?" I try to play it off, but I'm a terrible liar, and Andre won't stop glaring at Darien.

Darien turns. "Sit down and stop staring at me, or leave the room."

"You have something you're nervous about?" Andre asks.

"Andre!" I shake my head and glare at him.

"Excuse me?" Darien's cheeks get red.

"You heard me."

Darien rises and gets in Andre's face. "You want to be more specific?"

Andre doesn't flinch. "No."

I put my hands on Darien's shoulders. "Sit down and eat. It's late. You must be starving."

"This is my house. Either sit down and have a beer, or leave the room," Darien orders Andre.

Andre doesn't move.

As the two men stare at each other, my emotions turn from being upset to angry.

And not at Darien.

"Andre, sit down. Have a beer," I tell him.

He shakes his head and scowls. "No."

I put my hand on Darien's shoulder again. "Please. Come eat."

Darien turns and sits. Andre stays positioned in the doorway. I take the beer out of the fridge, hand one to Darien, and offer one to Andre, but he won't take it.

He's being rude. This is my good friend, Darien, and this is his house. He should show some respect.

I open the beer and select the chair next to Darien. I softly ask, "Why were you gone so long?"

"I had to go to three stores to find shoes big enough for Rambo over there. And when I got to my friend's house, he wasn't there. I waited with his wife for an hour before he arrived. On the way back, there was an accident, and the road was blocked. I sat for over three hours while they cleared it."

"Why didn't you answer my calls? I was worried about you."

Darien pats his pocket. "I must have left it here."

"Where? It didn't ring," Andre barks.

Darien scoots his chair back and holds my gaze for a moment. He turns, shoves past Andre, and leaves the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" I ask Andre.

"Something isn't right."

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