Page 19 of Premonition of Peace

Lucifer snorted. “There’s nothing discreet about you. From the clothes you wear, to the car you drive, to the literal mansion you have just built. You’re private, but you’re no wallflower.” I wasn’t sure if I should be complimented or insulted by his statement. “Besides, it’s not you they’re staring at. It’s me.”

“Because that’s so much better?” I arched an eyebrow.

“People are ants. They’re going to scurry across the pavement to avoid a boot. You can’t blame them for taking notice.”

I sighed. Our waitress approached, halting our discussion. We quickly put in our order and handed her our menus, but the young woman idled for a second longer. One tanned arm wrapped around the menus, one hand loosely resting over her heart. Blonde hair framed her face and deep brown eyes stared back with no small amount of fear. Or was that reverence? It seemed to be a bit of both.

“Can we help you?” I asked, voice polite despite the internal discomfort I was feeling.

“Is it true?” She asked quietly. “Are youhim?”

“In the flesh.”

“I’m so sorry, sir. It’s just that we thought?—”

“He’s not the king of New Chicago anymore, Toni. You don’t have to grovel to him.”

Her mouth popped open and closed, floundering like a fish. Lucifer smiled, playing the part of a gentleman. “Nathalie is correct. I’m just a man, like anyone else. Well, a demon of desire, but you understand.”

“Right. Of course . . .” Toni trailed off, backing away.

“Everything else may be gone, but at least my reputation still outlived me,” Lucifer quipped, training his mesmerizing gaze on me.

“Hard to forget the cruel king of New Chicago,” I retorted, truthfully.

“This again?” he countered. “You want to pin me to my old self. Does pretending you don’t care about me because of my past make you feel less guilty for the feelings growing between us, little witch?”

Lucifer had a way of targeting my deepest thoughts. He knew how to strip me open and lay me bare with his words as much as his hands.

“I can have feelings and still recognize the truth. You aren’t that anymore, but you were,” I said, my cheeks flushing, a mix of embarrassment and warmth flooding through me.

“Were, I’ll give you. Might I also remind you of the atrocities committed in my absence before your demon queen came to power. I was who I needed to be at the time, but the past aside, are you not the one that believes in second chances?”

“Yes, but?—”

“You gave everyone else a second chance,” he pointed out, gesturing his hands in the air. “Baggage. August. Ronan, who has done as much if not more than I have, I might add. Even your best friend started your relationship as the killer of witch-kind,andyour captor. Yet you give them all second chances.”

“I did,” I admitted quietly.

“Why not me? What have I done that is worse than them? What makes me so unforgivable?” He sounded almostvulnerableand the twinge to his voice melted my heart just a bit.

“I . . . you . . .” I took a breath and tried again. “It’s complicated.”

“Uncomplicate it.”

I glared at him. “Gee. I wish it was that simple.”

Lucifer shrugged. “It is, you just have to choose to say it. So tell me, Nathalie, what is really holding you back from this? Is it how the world will perceive you? Because I know better than anyone that you don’t give a shit what other people think. If anything, you welcome it so you can use it against them.”

“I—” A groan slid from between my lips.

“Order up,” Toni said, appearing with two plates in hand. I smiled and nodded even though I wanted to tug at my hair in frustration, but there were too many eyes still watching us.

“It’s not that,” I said when she left.

“Then what?”

“I’m not as sure you have changed as much as you profess.” I finally said. “You tricked me to get back. Whatever your reasons, you used what was an intimate moment between us for your own gain and that doesn’t feel like change to me. It’s not putting me first, no matter what you claim. It’s manipulation.”

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