With an annoyed growl, Duke threw himself into the open chair on Carmella’s side of the table and Mick settled next to Craig.

“Does he know?” Duke jerked a head at Craig.

“That you’re an astounding idiot?” Carmella asked. “We all do.”

Mick snickered and quieted at Duke’s glare.

“About all the pills,” Duke said through clenched teeth.

This motherfucker. He was really going to do this here?

Carmella wished she hadn’t already drained her iced tea because she wanted to throw it in his face. Instead she kept her cool. “You’re truly picking this hill to die on, Duke?”

“You’re the one trying to spin it.” Duke raised one shoulder, deliberately slow.

Which only made her want to hit him in the nose with a rolled-up menu. “Trying to spin what? What am I spinning?”

Craig rapped his knuckles on the tabletop. “I’m going to suggest someone tell me why Duke is speaking to my cousin in that tone. I’m beginning to get cranky, which makes me want to punch whoever is making her so sad.”

Duke looked up at Craig’s demand. “I’m worried about her and you should be too.”

Carmella leveled a glare at Duke. “Stop this.”

“He asked, Carm,” Duke said. “I’m just answering.”

“Why is it you’re worried about her?” Craig asked.

There was no way this conversation was going to take place around her as if she wasn’t even in the room.

Carmella said, “Duke saw Mom’s pill bottles in my bathroom cabinet and has decided that I’m an addict in my ubiquitous free time.”

Craig blinked several times. “Virgie’s pills?”

Just hearing the incredulity in his voice made Carmella feel better. “Yes. Despite my repeating this multiple times, he’s convinced I’m involved in some sort of complex scheme to get pills I’m addicted to. Because doesn’t it make sense to jump to that conclusion?”

“What was I supposed to think?” Duke reached for her and she scooted away.

“I don’t know. Since you never actually asked me and instead accused me, I guess we’ll never know. What I do know is that you’re out of line. You’ve been out of line and I don’t see any point where you won’t be if you keep on this way.”

“Why are you avoiding the subject then? Just tell me. If it’s such a believable story.” Duke reached toward her again.

“Avoiding? I’m here having lunch with my cousin. You came over here. Uninvited. You sat down. You’re picking a fight. That’s not me avoiding.”

She saw her food coming and got up to meet the server. “I’m so sorry, but can I get that to go?”

Craig joined her as Duke and Mick remained at the table.

“What’s going on?” Craig asked.

“I’ve lost my appetite. You stay and finish your lunch. You have a late class and you’ll be starving if you don’t.”

“I’m not letting you go when you’re this upset. You didn’t tell him any of the details about her, did you?”

He would have known how intensely private Carmella was when it came to the situation with her mother.

“He didn’t really even ask. He just accused me. I told him they belonged to my mother. I showed him the picture of her on my wall. But …”

“But the rest wasn’t his business and you wouldn’t have shared after he made you feel bad. I get it.” Craig smiled. “You don’t have to be embarrassed about it, you know.”

It had been a really long road to where she stood right then. Carmella was still working on knowing things, while at the same time, truly feeling them. She worked on that part a lot these days.

She blew out a breath. “It is what it is. Despite her flaws, she’s my mom. I love her. She’s fucked up and I take care of her. I pretty much always have. I would have shared with him. At least some of it, if he’d asked.”

“I think he needs a Come to Jesus. I won’t hit him. Unless he deserves it. A lot more than he does now. But he’s making some judgments he has no call to make.”

Duke came over. “Why are you hiding over here? We should talk this out.”

Carmella ignored Duke, speaking to Craig as she headed to the front, where her lunch had been boxed up. “Finish your food. Call me later, okay?”

“Definitely. Since we got interrupted, I didn’t even get up to speed. I want to catch up. Come over Sunday. We’ll walk over to the pub, have a pint or two.” He searched her features before kissing her forehead.

“Sounds good. Use your words, not your fists. Remember that,” Carmella told him with a wink.

She headed a few blocks down to a pretty little park. She wasn’t ready to go back to Twisted Steel just yet and she needed to get herself back together first.

“I’m totally sure I told you to approach her slowly,” Mick said when Duke and Craig came back to the table.

“She was here. I was here. We’re both adults so why not just talk about it?” Duke sat, digging into his lunch.

“Because you’re charging at her like a bull, Duke. Jesus. She’s a nice woman. She’s got good manners. You’re coming at her like she’s a rager with a rap sheet. This is about me, isn’t it?” Mick asked.

Craig growled at them both as he ate. Duke had always regarded Craig Salazar as sort of a laid-back dude. But this was a totally different side Duke hadn’t seen in the other man before.