Real Good Man (Real Duet #1)

He lifts his head and looks at me. “I figured one day he’d turn up dead from an overdose. I just never figured I’d have a front-row seat to it.”

I lay a hand on his shoulder. “You heard the EMT; you might’ve just saved his life.”

“We, not me. And that’s if he makes it. Not that he’d thank us for doing a damn thing.”

It seems there’s no love lost between Logan and his former stepbrother.

“I can follow you to the hospital and—”

Logan shakes his head. “I’m too f*cking pissed to go anywhere near him right now. There’s nothing I can say that Jeff would want to hear.”

“Then we could—”

“I gotta call Jeff’s uncle. Only family he’s got left after his dad passed.” Logan straightens. “If he pulls through, maybe Duane can finally get him into rehab. He’s a pastor, so maybe he could pull some strings somewhere.” Logan slams his hand against the metal hood, and I can feel his body shaking beside me. “f*cking Jeff,” he murmurs.

“I’m so sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry.” He pushes off the hood and faces me. “Really f*cking sorry this morning turned to shit.” Logan’s breathing evens out, but the lines around his eyes show the evidence of strain.

“It’s not your fault. You jumped in there and did everything you could to save him. That’s . . . amazing.”

He leans in and presses his lips to mine. “I’m glad you think so, but anyone would’ve done the same thing. Now I gotta make some calls and get some people praying he’ll pull through.”

I touch my forehead to his. We’re both sweaty, but I don’t care. “You know what, Logan Brantley? You’re a good man. He’s lucky you were here. And you’re wrong. Not just anyone would’ve done what you did.”

“You were right there next to me, Bruce.” He releases a long breath. “You gonna be okay? You want to come along with me?”

Logan’s offer is sincere, but all my instincts say he needs some time alone to process what just happened.

“I should head home.”

He pulls me against his chest and squeezes me tight for long moments before lifting me off my feet and carrying me to the rental car.

“I’m sorry, Banner.”

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.”

I click the remote to unlock it, and Logan pulls open the door before lowering me inside.

“I’ll grab your boots.”

“Thank you.”

I rest my head on the steering wheel as my entire body shakes with the aftermath of what just happened.

Life is short. Shorter for some than for others, so we have to make every moment count.





Chapter 34


Logan


f*cking Jeff. What I told Banner was the truth—I always figured he’d end up OD’ing on whatever the f*ck he poisoned himself with. If I had to guess now, I’d say meth.

I’m finally finishing up the last touches on the engine of the Mustang, thankfully with the help of both Jock and Rick today, because my head is not where it needs to be.

Rick turns down the music. “We got company.” He jerks his chin toward the service door as one Officer Cody Reeves walks inside.

“You got a minute, Logan? I need to get a statement from you.”

I’ve called the hospital twice to check on Jeff, and he’s still hanging on, so I know Cody isn’t here to notify me of his passing.

I pull my rag from my back pocket and tell Jock, “Finish this up, and then wipe it all down and make it goddamn shine.”

“No problem, boss.”

I head for the waiting room, and Cody follows me. There’s still some coffee hanging out in the last pot that I brewed, so I pour us each a cup.

“It tastes like tar, but it can’t be much different from what you’re used to.”

“Much appreciated.” He takes the cup from my hand and grabs three packets of sugar out of the coffee can that holds all our extra shit for waiting customers.

“You here about Jeff?”

He nods. “Sure am.”

“I don’t have a lot to tell you.”

“How about you start at the beginning.”

“I pulled into the parking lot at Brews and saw his car. He looked like he was passed out in the driver’s seat, and something about it struck me as off.”

“What were you doing at Brews at eight o’clock this morning?”

The rest of the town probably already knew by now, and I was over worrying about gossip concerning me and Banner. “Bringing a woman back to her car.”

“Banner Regent?”

I shoot him a hard look. “Why are you asking me questions you already know the answers to? Isn’t this a waste of both our time?”

“It’s procedure.”

I look down at my coffee and take a breath. My patience is for shit today. “Yeah, Banner Regent. She spent last night at my house after we left Brews. I brought her back to get her car this morning so I could get to the shop early, but that didn’t end up happening because my ex-stepbrother was in the process of OD’ing in the parking lot, and I had to give his rotted-ass meth mouth CPR so he didn’t die.” I meet Cody’s gaze and see the sympathy there.

“How do you know he was OD’ing?”

“Educated guess.”

“When’s the last time you saw Jeff before this morning?”

Tipping my head back, I focus on a water spot on the ceiling tile above me. Absently, I remind myself to replace it because it looks like shit.

“The last time I saw him? Probably a few months ago in passing. I’ve seen his car around, but not him.”

“What about the last time you talked to him?”

I look up at the ceiling again and think back. “A while.”

“Exactly how long? And did you argue?”

I jerk my gaze back to Cody’s. “Really? Is this important?”

“I wouldn’t be asking the question if I didn’t need an answer.”

“Our parents were married for all of six months before his dad ended up in prison for possession while I was still in school, but you know all that. Jeff Senior caught a shank and bled out, and no one was sad to see him go.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“I told Jeff to go f*ck himself the last time he came knocking. I’d just bought this place and was in a ton of debt, and he wanted money. He looked like shit, and I knew whatever I gave him would go straight to his dealer, so I told him if he ever stepped through my doorway again, I’d beat the hell out of him.”

Cody nods like he finally has an explanation that satisfies him. “I wouldn’t tell anyone else this, but I’ve known you way too f*cking long not to. Jeff was dealing, and he was doing a shit job of keeping it on the DL, too busy using a ton of his own product. He’s been under surveillance for weeks because we’re trying to get a lock on exactly who he’s buying from so we can bust the bigger fish. He’s the bottom of the food chain, and we planned to take him down this week and get him to inform for us in exchange for a lesser sentence.”

“So you’re telling me I just helped save someone who’s part of the problem in this town?”

Cody shrugs. “He’s still unconscious, so we can’t question him right now, but we have security stationed at his door just in case someone decides that he might be thinking about talking.”

The implications of his words sink in. “You think Jeff’s supplier is going to off him before he can talk?”

“It’s a distinct possibility.”

“f*cking hell. Can’t you turn someone else?”