Page 82 of Peaceful Chaos

"I—Damien will kill me if I speak to you."

Marks shrugs like he doesn't care either way. "Fine. I'll just make a call to have you brought in and booked on conspiracy to kidnap Raven Sinclair, to transport her across state lines and traffic her on the black market. I'm also going to have you charged with possession and use of a controlled substance, also transported across state lines since your hired muscle has been more than cooperative in your role in the drugging. Given the amount of drugs used I may be able to convince the district attorney to add four cases of attempted murder since the intention was for Raven and her friends to consume the spiked drink."

He makes a show of taking out his phone, when Jenna breaks. "Wait! I'll need protection if I speak to you. And I need my son."

"I'm not making you any promises, except that every effort will be made to get your son away from Damien Blackthorne. It should be simple since you swear he can't be Damien's son."

She looks down at her fingers while she wrings them in her lap, but doesn't speak. She's retreated to some safe space inside of herself, and I wonder how well we can trust the information we need from her. The woman is seriously cracked, and I can't help but wonder if her son will be better off being raised by strangers.

In the silence, the sounds of Lucien clacking at the computer seem to echo in the cement room. He looks up at me, and for a second I hold my breath. I don't know how he could possibly determine paternity this way, but when he smiles at me I feel a spark of hope trying to take root.

"Remember that trip Damien sent us on to take out that mafia boss?" Lucien says out of the blue.

"I seriously don't want to hear this," Marks interrupts.

Lucien rolls his eyes. "Don't worry, we most certainly weren't given a choice."

"That's the one where I tried to refuse because other than running a major crime family the guy didn't meet our requirements?" I'm confused. I don't know why he's bringing it up now. That trip was significant though. Without it, I wouldn't have started to gather the things I needed to escape, and the night we fled might not have been possible.

Lucien looks at Marks. "I had a friend in town. While Sin was never allowed off the grounds, I occasionally went into town. Cam's only mistake was catching my eye. See, Damien liked to have me followed from time to time, and he took note of anyone I was interested in."

"Did he threaten this young man because you had a relationship with him?"

"No," Lucien replies. "Damien doesn't give two shits about who I fuck. He does look down on feelings though, and I'd developed a bit more than a crush on him. When Sin refused to take the trip, Damien threatened to go after Cam's family. He said he'd sell his sisters before he killed him."

"Holding a gun to my head stopped working years before," I admit. Raven stiffens in my arms, and I brush her hair back so I can look down into those big blue eyes. "I made it through all of that, and you've since given me a reason to want to live."

"Anyway," Lucien draws out. "The reason I bring that up. Do you remember when it was?" I can tell by his tone he knows exactly when it was, but he's nothing if not dramatic.

Might as well play his game, because he's going to draw this reveal out no matter what I do. "It was about sixteen months ago."

"It was exactly sixteen months ago," he states, and turns around the laptop to show us the news article about the death of Mario Ciccone.

"Not only that," he continues, "but we had to leave a week before the job in order to do surveillance since I couldn't gather enough intel online."

"And the entire thing was extended another week when Damien wanted us to get information on his number two so he could approach him with a business deal. What's your point?"

"My point is," he pauses and turns the computer around to open another tab before turning it back. He points at the screen. "I hacked into your medical records," he says to Jenna, "and, it's pretty hard to conceive a child when you aren't in the same state."

She knew. This entire time she already knew the kid wasn't mine. She's either devious or delusional. "They can't tell those things for sure," she argues.

He pulls up her social media, and there's a picture of a baby with black hair and eyes as blue as a summer sky. Lucien stares her down. "Good thing the only thing that ever happened between us was you blowing me, or I'd think the kid was mine."

"Sin has black hair, and my mother had blue eyes. That proves nothing."

Jenna's right, it's not definitive proof, but the chances the kid is mine are miniscule. Especially since for the weeks prior to that trip the only sexual encounter between us were some hurried blow jobs in the supply closet.

I smile down at Raven, the relief rocking through me written all over my face. That is until I see the stricken look on hers. "Princess, what is it?"

She takes a deep breath. "I'm a girl, so Damien only values me for what I can bring him. A way to hide his money, a business arrangement, or money from selling me. But, Lucien was to be his heir."

"Shit," Lucien mutters, catching on to whatever is bothering his sister.

It sinks in a second after he figures it out. "He has another heir now."

Lucien nods. "I'm no longer needed."

"Which means you're expendable too," Raven murmurs.

---