Page 84 of Lucy and Her Wicked Three

"I don't know if she does. I think she's jealous. And petty. She's a lot of things. But she doesn't hate you. No one could hate you."

Lucy laughs, but it's hollow. "It's funny, we were just talking about that at brunch yesterday. When you're famous, however infinitesimal that fame is, people out there will hate you. People definitely hate me. I just… I just wish I could make her stop without…"

"What is it?"

She sits down on the edge of the bed. "Mateo's going to blow a gasket. I wish I could have stopped this the easy way. Now, who knows what he'll do."

I wrap my arm around her shoulder and she cuddles against me. I kiss her temple, her hair in the way. "You don't need to worry about any of it. And that threat out there—" I point down the hall, recalling the AI image of Lucy in the frame. Lying on the ground, completely naked, what looked like white come all over her face, a dead look in her pretty blue eyes… blood dripping out of a neck wound, like someone had slit her throat. Bile rises up from my stomach as I think about the picture.

I'm so fucking angry.

And, honestly, terrified. I know we can protect Lucy, but why would Delaney go to these lengths just to hurt her? This was an actual death threat. The pictures of Mateo were disturbing, sure, but they were all predatory and sexual in nature. This is way worse.

I'm so fucking mad, but I don't want Lucy to feel that. So I hug her and kiss her temple and reassure her that everything will be fine.

Until the guys get home, and all hell breaks loose.

And it's not just Mateo losing his shit, it's Silas, too. A vase gets smashed. There's shouting. And all of it makes Lucy flinch and revert back to her old habits. She's stressing out, letting the guys yell and rage around her, without any thought to how it's affecting her. The pictures are of her, after all.

"Will you both shut the fuck up for two seconds and rein it in?"

They both stop and look from me to Lucy, who I pulled back into my arms on the couch, then at each other.

Their rage doesn't dissipate, but it's contained. For now.

"I think we need to call the cops," I tell them. Silas tries to argue. So does Mateo, who insists on calling his lawyer.

I roll my eyes, "Not everything can be solved with money, Mateo."

"Fuck you. And I'm past suing her. We don't need to call the cops to file a restraining order and press charges for sexual harassment."

"I agree with Noah," Lucy says quietly. She feels so fragile in my arms, like she's folding in on herself.

"You want to go to the cops?" Silas asks, sitting on the coffee table in front of her. He takes her hands into his, rubbing her wrists.

She nods. "I think we should do both. Mateo, you should call your lawyer. But that picture really freaked me out. It's not just the… ickiness of it. There's real rage there. I just…" She sucks in a breath, pulling her hands from Silas's, wrapping them around her throat, as if she can feel the slice the image portrayed.

"I told you, we won't let anything happen to you. You're safe with us. But if you'd feel even safer going to the police, we'll do that."

"Okay. Let's do both then."

Silas sighs and looks back at Mateo, who's furiously running his hand through his hair. He looks unhinged.

"Matty, you call your lawyer first thing in the morning. Whatever you need to set into motion, and make sure you tell him everything, all the way back to the cheating pics. Noah and I will go to the police station with Lucy. Hell, maybe they'll have better luck tracking down whoever paid for the package. They might have to do some actual investigating," he grumbles, implying they likely won't do shit.

But it's a start.

Lucy's quiet the rest of the night, but she doesn't retreat inside herself completely. And honestly, if she did? This was the kindof fight or flight situation our minds were supposed to react with anxiety, so I wouldn't blame her a bit if she spiraled. But she does well, all things considered.

We order takeout and she picks at her food. Later, Lucy asks if she can sleep with me tonight. They want to hold her too, but she's been clinging to my arms all afternoon, and I don't want to let her go for anything.

We end up staying awake well into the night, cuddled in bed together under the covers. We talk about where we grew up and what our families are up to. She tells me her relationship with her mother is fine, but they rarely talk. I got that impression when all this started and she shouldered the burden alone, before we all came into her life.

We talk about anything and everything, until she can no longer suppress her yawns. We pass out together, holding each other close.

Chapter 29

Silas

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