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“You ain’t no fun like you used to be,” I tell him.

“You ain’t as young as you think you are.”

“I’m thirty-five.”

“And somehow getting dumber.”

“Experience takes confidence.”

“No, dumbass. Experience is supposed to teach you not to have sex where we put the dead.”

I glance at the coffin. “Technically, we put the dead in the ground.”

“Bitter.”

“What?”

He rubs the bridge of his nose. “Hyde finds out, he’s gonna make you sand every inch of that thing by hand and redo the interior.”

“Hyde won’t find out unless his VP tells him.”

“I’m his VP.”

“Exactly. Club above everything. No brother left behind.”

“Don’t quote the code at me with your pants half-open.”

I look down and button the last button. “Better?”

“No.”

My phone buzzes on the workbench.

Nevermore looks at it.

I look at it.

It buzzes again.

A slow smile pulls at my mouth because I already know.

“What?” Nevermore asks.

“Nothing.”

“You got that stupid look.”

“I got a lot of looks.”

“You got the one that makes me want to punch you.”

“That’s your most common look.”

I pick up the phone.

Unknown number.

For about two seconds, I wonder if she is about to cuss me. I kind of hope she is. A woman with fire in her mouth is better than a woman with tears in her eyes. Then I read the text.