Page 7 of Falling for Lucifer
“Hades.” Harley’s voice came out as a cross between a hiss and a whine. “She’s my sister. I was there for her when she gave birth?—”
“And I ain’t want you to be.” Hade’s words sounded more like an irritable groan, and Lucifer laughed again.
When Cati gave birth months ago, Hades had been hell. He and Harley bickered nonstop because she had practically moved in with her sister to help out, and Hades acted like a damn neglected pit bull the entire time. He had been insufferable, but Harley didn’t back down. One thing about those Cruz sisters was they did not play about each other.
“We talked about this already, Hades. She’ll be around a lot, so get used to it.” Harley rubbed her stomach lazily, ignoring Hades’s glare at the side of her face. It always amused the hell out of Lucifer to see someone put Hades in his place. She was the only person on the planet that could. Lucifer had the power to calm his brother down and deescalate, but put him in his place? Lucifer always thought that was impossible. Harley turned to look at Lucifer. “You got anything going on after this?”
Lucifer shook his head. “You know me. I’ma go home and chill.”
She shook her head. “You’re coming with me to this house visit.”
“Why?” Lucifer’s brows pulled in, but before she could respond, the answer came to him. He quickly realized the home visit she had to do was for Ellodie.
“Because you helped me deliver this baby, and I thought you might want to go see about her and her mama.” Harley had a knowing smirk resting on her face, and Lucifer smiled while shaking his head.
He had texted Ellodie a couple of times over the past few days, but he had yet to really make a move. He definitely planned to though. He had been mesmerized by her when shegave birth.Strong. A beautiful, strong Black queen. Those were the words that circled his mind those few hours that she worked on bringing life into the world. And what a beautiful life it was. Antoinetta Glover was as beautiful as her mother. His heart did a funny dance in his chest when he laid eyes on her. He longed to hold her, but he refrained. It wasn’t his moment, and he was a complete stranger, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to get to know Ellodie so he would no longer be a stranger.
“I can do that.” He tried to play it cool, like it was no big deal, but the thought of seeing Ellodie and Etta again had him happy as hell. Lucifer felt Hades staring at the side of his head, so he sighed heavily, preparing himself for the bullshit that was about to come out of his brother’s mouth, and asked, “Is there a problem?”
Hades blinked at him before responding. “Yeah, you’re a bitch.”
Lucifer’s eyes bulged. “Man, what?”
Hades shrugged. He wasn’t one for repeating himself, but Lucifer could tell he definitely had more to say. “You watched a bitch give birth and you don’t even know her? Ol’ life is precious, bitch ass nigga. You held her hand, too, ain’t you?”
Harley hit him on his broad shoulder. “Hades, shut up. There’s nothing wrong with what Lucifer did to help Ello. For as long as I’ve known her, she’s been alone, aside from when her cousin could make the appointments. Lucifer did a good thing. Besides, that’s going to be you soon, helping me give birth.”
She snuggled up to him as best she could from her seat beside him, and he put his arm around her possessively. “Yeah, but you’re my wife, and I’m not going to be holding your hand.”
Harley pulled away from him as Lucifer watched them in amusement. He truly got a kick out of the way they interacted.
“Boy, what the hell do you mean you aren’t going to hold my hand?”
Hades screwed his face up as if she had offended him. “I’m going to deliver the baby.”
Lucifer couldn’t hold it in anymore. He barked out a laugh so loud it startled the dogs under the table. They scattered and left the dining room altogether. “Nigga, you can’t deliver no baby.”
“Hades, you are not delivering my child,” Harley argued.
“Boy done lost his mind,” Eris mumbled.
Cade simply chuckled, his shoulders shaking. This was normal. Hades always said the most off-the-wall shit like it was the most normal thing in the world, leaving everyone around him gawking at him. Lucifer would have thought they’d been used to it by now, but that simply wasn’t the case.
Hades stared at everyone as if they were dumb, and it was at that moment Lucifer knew he would pay big money to be in that delivery room because his brother was definitely about to act a fool.
“If y’all think I’m going to trust anyone else to deliver my baby, you got fuckin’ beans for brains.”
Lucifer snorted and stood up before anyone could respond to his ignorant ass brother. “Hades, I’m going to take your wife to this appointment. You can clean up and be ready to rub her feet when I drop her off.”
Hades glared up at his brother. “How the hell you gon’ tell me what the fuck I’m ’bout to do in my own home?”
Harley stood and used her pointer finger to lift her husband’s chin. “He isn’t. I am. Do as he says.” She pecked his lips and whispered something into his ear. Hades smiled, something he only ever did for his wife, before he smacked her ass.
“Remember you said that, Tink.”
Harley winked at him and turned to Eris and Cade. “It was good seeing y’all. I’ll text you later, E.”
“Bye, bookie.” Eris waved and then turned and grinned at Lucifer. “Have fun, Lu.”
