Page 25 of Devilish

“Why?” I whispered, shaking my head. “This makes no sense.”

Then I started to pace, the fear and anxiety flooding my body as Rupert’s face flashed before my eyes.

“He doesn’t care about me. He doesn’t even like me. He treated me like I was a piece of property. Only took me out of my room to use me.”

A dangerous sound, like a low growl, broke through my chaotic thoughts. I stopped and looked over to Lucien, and the expression on his face was downright menacing. It should’ve scared me, and under normal circumstances it probably would’ve, but something about that look made me feel…protected.

“That’s exactly why he did it.” Lucien’s jaw clenched. “Hecaresthat I took something that he considers his.”

“But that’s just— No.” I swiped my hand through the air and, mind made up, marched into my room.

I wasnotgoing to be the reason that something happened to Lucien. I was already responsible for his club, his place of business, going up in flames with him practically inside it. I would be damned if I stuck around and watched Rupert destroy or—even worse—kill him.

Fuck. That.

I pulled open the bottom drawer of the bureau where I’d stuffed my clothes the first night I arrived and pulled them out. Then I got to my feet and turned, ready to leave Lucien exactly the way I’d found him—alive—and instead bumped right into him.

“What are you doing?” He looked down at the clothes I held, then brought his eyes back to mine, and the gash on his face made my determination even stronger.

“I’m leaving.”

“And why would you do that?”

“Um, Rupert blew up your club because of me.”

“True.” Lucien took my clothes out of my hand. “But he also blew it up because he’s an asshole with an inferiority complex.”

“And what if he does more bad things? You could’ve died tonight.”

“I could’ve.” My mouth fell open as he casually tossed my clothes on the bed. “But I didn’t, and that was his first mistake. Your leaving doesn’t fix anything. It lets him win. Unless you’re unhappy here.”

“You know I’m not.”

“Then stay. As little or as long as you like. Don’t let him make that decision for you. My home is your home.”

Then stay…

It was the first time he’d said the words, and the first time I’d really had to acknowledge them and decide what I wanted to do next.

Stay or go.

“You mean that?”

“I never say anything I don’t mean.”

I slowly reached out, took his hand in mine, and led him over to the bed.

Lucien’s eyes widened a little as I urged him down onto it, and once he was seated I said, “Okay then, sit here and I’ll be right back.”

As I headed to the bathroom to rummage through the drawers and cabinets for what I needed, my mind raced. I couldn’t believe Rupert would set fire to Lucien’s club, but I knew in my gut it was true. He’d done this. It was so irredeemable that any thought I’d given to whether I should go back was instantly snuffed out.

God.Imagining what he’d done made me break into full-body shudders as I wet several washcloths and filled a separate cup with water. Rupert wasn’t the best guy in the world, I wouldn’t argue that point, but I never thought he’d do something so dangerous. Arson? Just to prove a point? The guilt and anger I felt at what he’d done made me sick to my stomach.He could’vekilledLucien. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t known him for long—a world without Lucien Vale was unfathomable.

Focus on him, then. Take care of cleaning him up and not what you wish you could do to Rupert right now.

I’d ask Lucien for ointment and bandages later, but for now his cuts needed to be cleaned, and the glass embedded in them taken out. I grabbed everything I needed and headed back to where he hadn’t moved from his position on the bed.Mybed. And according to him, mine for as long as I wanted it to be.

Lucien took one look at the armful of washcloths and other supplies and raised an eyebrow.

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