Page 44 of Falling for Lucifer
Hades looked like he needed a moment to choose his words wisely. Finally, he said, “He helped me.” Lucifer had to admit to himself that Hades was right. Still, he felt unsure. “I ain’t saying trust that nigga, but if he can help you make that shit disappear without adding to your body count, I say do it and then never speak to him again. It’s literally the least he can do. He did me one solid, and that’s all I’ll ever need from him. I promise that. I feel good about it now that I’m on the other side of it. I think you will too.”
Lucifer soaked in what Hades said before nodding slowly. Seeing his father always rattled him, but to hear him offering to help him and seeing that brief look of regret on his face unsettled him. He didn’t know what to do with those feelings, but maybeit was as simple as Hades made it seem. Henry clearly wanted to try to right some of his wrongs on some level, so Lucifer should let him. He would never have to speak to him again, and he could comfortably move on with Ellodie and Etta, who would never have to worry about growing up without a father. Even if she had questions in the future, he knew he could be honest with her as long as he laid out the terms to his father to keep him with a clear conscience.
“You must be getting old,” Lucifer joked. He wanted to clear some of the heaviness in the space. “You’re wise now. Gotta be those gray hairs in your beard.”
“Aye, get out of here. Ain’t shit over here.” Hades mumbled some under his breath before they dropped into a silence for a few minutes.
Lucifer struggled with what to say next, but the words bubbled out of him before he could really give them thought. “I’m in the process of buying the building next to Underworld Customs.”
Hades glanced at him knowingly. “Yeah?”
Lucifer nodded. “What do you say to Underworld Repair? A mechanical shop for bikes, run by me?”
Hades nodded slowly before a ghost of a smile flickered on his face. “I’d say about damn time.”
“What you mean?” Lucifer cocked his head to the side. He wasn’t sure what he expected from Hades when he told him the news, but it wasn’t this.
Hades sighed. “Underworld Customs was always for me, Lu. I opened it so we could have a good income and something to our names, but I always knew you would find something else you wanted to do with your life. Never thought it would take so damn long.”
Lucifer chuckled. “Whole time I thought you wouldn’t want to see me go.”
“Nah, you can honestly get the fuck up out my shop anytime.” Hades scoffed, but Lucifer chuckled because he knew his brother didn’t really mean that. “Real talk, though? I’m proud of you.” Lucifer let those words sink in. Hades was always hard on him but loved him more than anyone—that much Lucifer knew. He wasn’t sure he’d ever heard his big brother tell him he was proud though. That hit different. He sat with that for a long while before Hades spoke up. “You wanna go for a ride?” A smirk spread across his big brother’s face.
Lucifer’s heart smiled way bigger than his face did. Riding his motorcycle always cleared his mind. It was a fact Hades knew all too well. “Yeah, man. I would like that.”
“You brought your bike?” Hades asked, and Lucifer nodded. “Bet. Go ‘head and get ready. I’ll be down in a minute. I need to check on my babies.”
Lucifer chuckled. “You done gone soft, man. Never thought I’d see the day.”
Hades looked angry, but only for a moment. When he spoke, his words came out calmly. “Ain’t nothin’ about me soft, baby bro, but I know Harley and everything she gave me rounded me out a lil bit.”
Lucifer smiled at his brother. “I’ve said it a million times, but I’ll say it again. I love her for you.”
“Me too, man. Me too. I’ll meet you down there.”
Lucifer watched Hades walk out of the office before he left too. He walked slowly and allowed himself time to absorb his brother’s wisdom. By the time he got to the front door, his thoughts shifted to Ellodie. He knew she would be asleep by the time he got home, but he thought that might be for the best. They both had a lot on their minds, and a good night of sleep and cuddles would do their hearts some good.
Warmth surrounded her as Ellodie fought to hold on to the sleep that cradled her. Her aching boobs won that battle, though, and she slowly opened her eyes, feeling a bit cranky. Etta had been sleeping better through the night lately and only woke a couple of times to feed, which was great for Ellodie’s beauty rest but terrible for her breasts full of milk every morning.
Slowly, she rolled over and noticed Lucifer held her securely in his arms. She smiled. They hadn’t had time to talk much after her father’s birthday party fiasco the night before. She felt him get into bed hours after she’d fallen asleep, so she knew he was tired.
Ellodie kissed his lips a couple of times, knowing he would sleep through it, before she got up and creeped over to Etta’s bassinet. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her baby still sound asleep. It would give her time to pump and shower beforeshe made breakfast for her man. She figured they could debrief over breakfast and spend some quality time together the rest of the day. After last night, it was needed.
Her mind worked overtime as she got ready for her day. While she pumped, she thought about her parents. She knew she wanted to speak to her father at some point, but she also knew she wasn’t ready just yet. Her mother, on the other hand, . . . she wasn’t sure she would ever want to speak to her again. There was a possibility that the urge for clarity or closure might come about, but that day wouldn’t be for a very long time. She couldn’t believe she blackmailed her father just to stay in a loveless marriage. Kamilah had always been materialistic, but Ellodie never knew it was that bad. She realized her grandmother had to have known the truth or at least suspected it. Antoinetta Glover was always very perceptive, and she always seemed to have an eye on her son’s wife.
After pumping, she prepared for her shower. While she let the water steam the room, she brushed her teeth and flossed before stepping into shower. Her mind wandered to her father and his mistress. There were so many questions she had. She mainly wanted to know what her father ever saw in her mother in the first place. She also wondered how the family dynamic would shift with her mother out of the picture. There was no doubt Kamilah wouldn’t leave easily, so Ellodie knew things would most likely get worse with her family before they got better.
When she got out of the shower, she dried off, and her mind shifted to Lucifer. She still couldn’t believe his father was the mayor. Seeing him had definitely stirred up some feelings for him, and she wanted to be there for him like he had been there for her.
After getting dressed, Ellodie silently walked over to Etta’s bassinet and picked her up gently. She didn’t want her to wakeup and cry because Lucifer would wake up and tend to her immediately. He deserved to sleep in after the night they had.
She went through the motions of cooking while keeping an eye on Etta, who woke up when she was almost finished cooking. It worked out in her favor, though, because she was able to nurse her and get her back to sleep. Etta would sleep for at least another hour so she could take her man breakfast in bed.
“Wake up, baby,” she whispered after placing the tray with their breakfast at the end of the bed.
Etta was already sleeping in her bassinet. Ellodie was proud of the perfect setup she orchestrated. Lucifer’s half smirk melted her heart. He kept his eyes closed but pulled her close so she lay on top of him. He poked his lips out, and she giggled before pecking him quickly.
Lucifer’s brows furrowed, and he opened one eye. “Now you know damn well that ain’t what I wanted.”
