Courtney was beginning to have serious doubts about making out with Duncan last night. The early morning sun was shining though the blinds of the window, and she was curled up to his side. His chest rose and fell in a rhythm that almost made Courtney want to go back to sleep. And worst of all, snuggling right পরবর্তি to him made her feel extremely guilty. She let out an enormous sigh that, surprisingly, didn’t wake Duncan.

Why did we make out so much last night?!

Courtney’s inner self rolled her eyes and replied, Seriously. আপনি just felt sorry for him. He could have died saving your life, and he looked hot with that bandage on his shoulder.

Kind of like big Baby Booms after wars and stuff.

…Riiight. Except without the sex part. অথবা the part where Baby Booms happen to soldiers who obey the law, not rebellious gangsters. অথবা the part that there was a war.

Shut up. I just haven’t been myself lately.

Mhmm. I think we’ve established that already.

But…I made out with him. Doesn’t that mean I like him? At least to some extent?

আপনি may have a tiny crush, Courtney, but really, can আপনি actually imagine Duncan turning into a responsible father?

Oh, now you’re talking marriage?

Just answer the question.

Well…no. Not as good as I can imagine the আপেল salesman, Frank Gardetta.

Come on, you’re not seriously crushing on him again, are you?

No! I’m just saying that whomever marries him will be with a great husband.

Sure…

But what about that complete break-down I had with the whiskey and tears and crap after that Mary girl kissed Duncan? Does THAT প্রদর্শনী I have at least some sort of attraction to him?

Uh…no. The wine was just making আপনি tipsy, and আপনি overreacted. Just like how any girl would do if her crush was স্নেহ চুম্বন another girl right after flirting with her. Except maybe minus all the whiskey consumption.

Gee, thanks for all your unending sympathy.

I’m here to help. Now let’s just forget that unfortunate event because, truly, it was downright embarrassing how আপনি totally broke down, imaginary-Courtney shuddered in her mind, but apparently Courtney really did shudder because Duncan’s eyelids were suddenly gliding open.

“Cold, Princess?” he asks drowsily, staring at her with those hypnotizing ক্ষুদ্র হংস eyes of it. That was it! I was hypnotized!

Instead of sharing her internal বিতর্ক with him, Courtney just lies and agrees with him, “Mhmm.” Duncan flips a heavy down comforter over them, adding a comforting weight to the pile of blankets. Then he squeezes his eyes shut and lets out a huge yawn. Courtney snuggled her head right into the crook of his neck. Why did he have to be so cute?

Suddenly, the bedroom door slams open. Courtney flinches, but Duncan’s eyes calmly glance towards the door. Damien stood there, excited blue puppy-dog eyes twice the size they usually are, and exclaims, “Duncan! Thomas কপিকল is downtown selling pot again!”

“But I thought he retired from drug dealing!” Duncan replies, eyes wide and a smirk on his face.

“Guess not! So hurry up. He says that if we pay in credit instead of cash, he’ll let us buy in bulk,” Damien explains.

“Are আপনি fucking serious?” Duncan asks, a huge grin on his face and his eyebrows lifted high. Damien nods in response and Duncan looks at Courtney. “I’ll be right back, babe.”

“Ew, do আপনি know how many toxic chemicals are in marijuana?” she chides Duncan and Damien leaves the room. Duncan lifts an eyebrow in amusement.

“Princess, nobody here calls it marijuana. We call it pot. অথবা weed, অথবা ganja, অথবা Mary-Jane, অথবা grass, অথবা chronic, অথবা buds, অথবা blunt, অথবা hootch, অথবা jive stick, অথবা ace, অথবা spliff, অথবা skunk, অথবা smoke, অথবা dubie, অথবা flower, অথবা zig-zag, or--,” Duncan lists off the শীর্ষ of his head.

“Okay, okay, I get it! Calling মারিজুয়ানা মারিজুয়ানা is probably such a huge social misapprehension in your world of liquor, ammunition, and prostitutes. And it probably labels me as some prissy, stuck-up, rich girl whose never even smoked a cigarette before just because--.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, sweetheart. Pause. Rewind. Did আপনি say you’ve never smoked a cig before?” Duncan clarifies.

Courtney rolls her eyes and continues, “I’ve never had a cigarette. And I’m definitely not going to start any time soon. But আপনি need to stop smoking marijuana. Do আপনি know how bad that stuff is for you?”

“Oh, and now আপনি suddenly care about my health, darling?”

“Well, darling,” Courtney retorts, “I just have a bad feeling about going and meeting this Thomas character.”

“Calm down. He’s, like, a brother to me. Besides, I hardly even like pot. I mainly get it for my guys.” Duncan slips out from under the বিছানা sheets, slides some ripped jeans over his boxers, and buttons up a new cotton shirt.

“Well, that’s good.”

“Sure thing. My preferences are for cocaine,” Duncan tells her, winking, and running out the door before he could face her wrath and a rant about his health. Courtney climbs out of the বিছানা and heads to her closet. She puts on some dark-wash skinny jeans and a aquamarine v-neck tee over a white cami. Then she wraps a cashmere জ্যাকেট around her shoulders.

Courtney walks down the stairs and meets Duncan দ্বারা the front door. He opens the door and they head down the sidewalk to the Rolls Royce. They climb in as multitudes of Duncan’s accomplices load crates of liquor into the backseat. “But I thought we were buying on credit,” Courtney points out.

“When আপনি run a liquor business, darling, credit just means we buy in liquor, not cash,” Duncan explains, revving the engine. They shoot off, driving down multiple one-way alleys and roads that barely get used. Eventually, the car pulls up besides a dark alley with মাকড়সা webs clinging to rusty আগুন escapes.

“I’ll be right back. আপনি can stay here,” Duncan tells her as he grabs a বাক্স of the liquor from the back. He carried the heavy বাক্স under one arm and sets it down near the entrance of the alley. মিনিট later, a silhouette of three guys walks down the alley.

“Hello, Duncan,” the man in the middle says once they were barely feet away from each other. Courtney could see Duncan’s fists tense up. She was glad she could hear their conversation from the small crack where her window was rolled down.

“What did আপনি do to Thomas Crane?” he demands.

“Oh, we took care of him. Once we found out he was dealing with you, we knew আপনি had to put a stop to it,” the shadow says.

“So... you... killed him?”

“Good thing you’re catching on, Duncan. One drug dealer isn’t enough for two gangs,” the man explains. Finally, Courtney understood. These men were from a rival gang. They were probably even the ones who were close to running her over on the দিন she met Duncan. These guys were dangerous.

“Alright, then. I’ll just leave this case here,” Duncan says, tapping the বাক্স with his foot. “You guys can have as a sort of endowment from Log Cabin.” The men just glare at Duncan, and so he turns around and slowly begins loping towards the Rolls Royce.

“Duncan!” Courtney cries out as two of the men jump onto his back, bring Duncan down onto the hard concrete. The other man’s gaze flicks over to the car, and Courtney slowly sinks down into the seat. Shut up, Courtney! Shut up, shut up! That man heard your shout. পরবর্তি time, just keep your fat mouth closed, she hisses to herself.

He walks over to the car, and Courtney’s hand whipped out towards the door lock. The man jiggled the door handle and glared down at Courtney with an evil, amused smirk on his face. She was now shaking in fear and her হৃদয় beat as fast as if she had just ran a marathon.

Courtney lunged for the car keys, which were still in the ignition, to hopefully start the car and drive away. But could I really leave Duncan like this? No. Her hand snapped back from the car keys as the man punches his fist into the car window. There was extra purchase from the window being open an inch, and a loud shatter echoes through the air as glass flies all over Courtney.

“Courtney!” Duncan shouts as she screams and lifts her arms from her head from trying to cover herself from the flying shards of glass. The man had already reached through the jagged window and unlocked the door, which was swung open. Courtney kicks at him as she leans her torso away from his approaching figure. There was no connection, however, and he angrily grabs her ankles.

He harshly tugs her out of the car and she falls heavily onto the concrete. Courtney’s body was ফ্রোজেন in shock as her forehead was pressed against the cool brick road. She was facing the dog-pile where Duncan and the rival gang members still fought it out. Suddenly, Duncan was tackled to the ground and his head cracked against the hard ground, making him wince. The two men hold Duncan down.

Courtney and Duncan finally make eye contact, her eyes full of fear and his full of sorrow. I’m sorry, Duncan mouths to her. She manages to nod in forgiveness, but not before something slammed into the back of her head, causing her vision to black out and her body to go limp.