Page 27 of Hell of a Mess
Fine. Don’t tell me.
It didn’t matter anyway. He was my own personal ferryman to Hades, whoever he might be.
“When will he be here?” I asked, hoping he’d at least tell me that.
Luther’s jaw jutted out, as if he was grinding his teeth. He was that upset over this. My heart tightened and ached with the thought that fate hated me so much. To give me a taste of what it might be like not to be alone in life and take it away after only a nibble.
His eyes lifted to look over my head, and then they heated angrily. I turned to see what it was he was glaring at, only to find it was a who. Locke. He looked from Luther to me, and his expression softened. Unlike Luther, he seemed pained.
“Are you okay?” he asked me hesitantly.
No, Locke, I am not okay.
But I barely remembered a time in my life when I was. This was my normal.
I nodded. “Yes.”
He glanced at Luther again.
“She remembers. Her memory is back,” he said in a hard tone that made me shiver. “Seems she’s also a liar,” he added, then stalked past me as he walked away.
Locke looked at him with a frown, then back to me.
“Linc said he’s been edgy since finding out,” Locke said, as ifapologizing for him.
“He’s angry with me,” I replied, and a sharp pain slashed my chest at the idea.
“Luther can be a mean son of a bitch. Ignore him,” he replied, then walked closer to me. “So, you remember everything?”
I nodded. Unfortunately, the horror story that was my life had returned, and I was living among its pages once again.
“Do you want to go with Thaddeus?” he asked me.
Thaddeus? Davidson? That was who was coming to get me? He was coming to this house? Panic began to bloom, taking place of the sorrow that had set in. He couldn’t come here. They didn’t know who Thaddeus was.
Oh God, I had to do something.
“You’ve gone pale,” Locke said, closing the rest of the space between us. “What did I say that upset you?”
I shook my head. “He can’t.” I tried to steady myself and think. I needed a plan, but what? “Thaddeus Davidson doesn’t need to come here. Not to this house. Can you take me to meet him? No.” I shook my head. Locke could be in danger then. “Not you, um…someone else. Or, no, just…could you let me take an Uber to meet him?”
Jesus Christ, why had my father sent that man? No, I knew why. Oh God. He was going to have them all killed.
“You’re trembling,” Locke said, pulling me to his chest and wrapping his arms around me.
I wanted to sink into the warmth and pretend that he could protect me, but I knew better. He needed protection, and I was all any of them had.
“I have to go,” I said. “Now.” I pulled away from him. “I’ll call my father and tell him to have Thaddeus meet me somewhere else.” And I’d warn him I would run and he could chase me for eternity if any harm came to these people.
They’d helped me, not knowing who they had brought intotheir home.
I no longer disliked Linc. He’d been right not to want me here. He had every right to hate me.
“Lace, it’s okay,” he said, reaching out to grab my arm. “Easy. It’s okay if Thaddeus comes here.”
I shook my head. “No, it is not. You don’t know what you’re saying. You don’t know what he is or what he does for my father. I do, and trust me, you want me to leave. Linc was right about me. I’m not safe. I have to go!”
Locke’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Lace,” he said, holding my arm to keep me from running, “what do you know about Thaddeus?”
