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“That’s a pretty nasty expression you got going” Carlos stood by the door I’d rin split his face “You find a rash or so?”

“Yeah, right under my balls,” I replied without heat “You want to take a look?”

“I’ll leave that to your lady friends”

Carlos knew I hadn’t been with any lady friends, as he put it, in a while Don’t get —the opportunities were there, I just hadn’t wanted to take the lately First with Dad’s fucking debts, then with Jake—I didn’t want to think about Jake

Carlos pushed away from the door and dropped his ass in the chair opposite my desk “So,” he prompted, “what’s with the face?”

I rubbed the back ofneck “The usual Money”

Carlos leaned forward, bracing his arone Most people never saw Carlos without a smile Between us, Carlos was considered the happy one, those big brown puppy eyes of his drawing ladies in like honey to bees He’d played up the role with ease, hiding a darker interior alh to show his true self now and then was soranted

“No change?” he asked

“Not enough I’e pay down my neck”

“What about this Kyle Garret?”

Sixthe gy real estateup property all over Boston and the East Coast and turning it into swank condos and housing developments

“I’m not that desperate” Okay, I was But this place had been everything to hosts of oing All had to do alk through the gym, and I’d rereet Jake, Carlos, andsmile Studio B where Jake and I took our first punches and truly learned why boxing was the Sweet Science