Deanna • Duff McKagan

Chapter Twenty-Six: Bitch Killed My Son

September 28th, 1985

"So they know what my brother did?" Haley asks, spraying hairspray through her hair as we get ready for the 8th annual L.A. Street Scene.

"Duff does, I'm not sure about the rest of them," I shrug, my past not being that much of an issue for me. We can't change it, so why should we dwell on it?

"Do you think they're going to hurt Dylan?" Haley acts like her brother doesn't matter to her, but we know he does. Obviously, it's her brother. If anything was to happen to him, she'd be crushed.

"Nah," I shake my head quickly, secretly hoping that they did indeed hurt Dylan. "They got a show to play tonight, after my earnings from this show and the few next month, my bail will be paid off completely and they'll have no reason to hurt Dylan."

"You know I love you, Deanna, but he is my brother," she sighs, barely making eye contact with me. Haley and I have a good relationship, yes, but if it came down to me or Dylan, blood is thicker than water.

"I know, Haley," I shoot her a small smile, teasing my hair with a pick. "Anyway, what's the plan for the night?" The two of us are crammed into our tiny bathroom, getting ready for the show I got the guys' show.

"Well," she sighs, covering her waterline with black eyeliner. "I fucked Axl last night."

"Wait," I raise my eyebrows, applying red lipstick and looking at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. "I thought you've been fucking Axl?"

"Nope, yesterday was the first time. And now things are awkward, he doesn't want a commitment and I don't know how I feel about it." She shrugs, a blank look on her face.

"Haley, you've never been one for the casual affair type of love. Are you going to continue with whatever y'all have going on?" I ask. I love Axl, I really do, but I love Haley even more. Haley and Axl are polar opposites, there's absolutely no way this will work.

"You're right, I haven't been. But I also want to see where this goes with us, in the end I might end up broken, but at least I know that I gave it a shot." she shrugs, blotting excess lipstick off her lips.

"Good plan, Hales, good plan."

***
The sun is setting across the tall buildings of Los Angeles, California, Guns N' Roses tearing up the stage before us. The best decision I had ever made was becoming the manager of this band, because I really do have an eye for talent if I say so myself.

They play the last song of their set, exiting the stage. "Come on, let's go see them!" Haley exclaims, grabbing my arm and pulling me in the direction of the band's dressing area.

We go through thick, purple curtains of a tent and enter the makeshift room, the band members hanging out in various seats in the room. "You guys did great!" I exclaim, making my way through hugging each sweaty guy.

"Yes, you did amazing," I turn around quickly, revealing the person who I've grown to hate the most in this world. Dylan. "Come on, Deanna, sign them right now. Oh, wait, you can't. You-" Before Dylan could say another word, Duff, who had been standing right next to me, sprinted forward and attacked my least favorite human being.

Like clockwork, each bandmate joins in on the fight, tackling Dylan five to one. "Deanna stop them!" Haley calls out, her tears dragging her black eyeliner down her face.

I freeze, silence overtaking me as I watch Dylan earning everything he deserves. Years of torment, years of torture, years of fear being healed as each punch is thrown.

"Somebody help!" Haley screams, pulling open the curtain and shouting into the crowd. Three of Dylan's frat brothers rush into the room, jumping onto the pile of fighting men. "Deanna, fucking stop them!"

Duff has Dylan's face almost unrecognizable as he punches it with all his force possible, his nose clearly broken and eyes bruised.

"No, Haley, I'm not going to stop them!" I yell back at her, my heart finally healing from all the pain that Dylan has put me through.

"Deanna, you promised!" Haley looks incredibly angry, and utterly disappointed as she stares at me, no longer focused on the immense amount of violence going on before us.

"Yeah, Haley, and I also promised myself that Dylan would get what he deserved after what he did to me!" I scream back at her, tears now ruining my own makeup.

"What he did does not mean he deserves to die, Deanna! You're being selfish!" She spits the words at me violently, and they burn like hell.

"He's not going to die, Haley!" I yell back, shaking my head. "But even if he did, he would deserve it! You want to know why, Haley? Because your stupid bitch of a brother killed my son!"

With those words, the fighting stopped immediately as all eyes turned to me. My secret is out.

A/N: HELLO GUYS. I'm back, I promise. Just paying lots of bills and working too fucking much 😂 here's a short chapter for ya