Page 85 of Hell of a Mess
“Luther, Mal,” Linc said, “the two of you can step outside. Watch the perimeter with the others. We will finish up in here.”
“I want to stay and hear him admit what he did,” I argued.
Linc sighed and shook his head. “We need this recorded, and we can’t have you storming into the scene, putting a gun to his head every time he says shit you can’t handle. Same goes for Mal.”
“Then I should go too,” Locke said. “If Luther hadn’t done it, I would have.”
Linc nodded. “All right. Then all three of you.”
I wanted to stay, but I also knew we needed him to talk, and his truths might be more than I could handle sanely.
I stared at the bastard as he fidgeted nervously, watching me. I eased my fury with the fact that, one day, I’d kill him brutally.
“Before I go, I want to hear you call her by her name,” I told him.
“Lassandra,” he choked out as if it was painful to even say.
I shook my head. “No, fucker. The name she wants to be called. The one her momma called her.”
He winced at the mention of her mother. “Lace.”
Thirty-Five
Lace
It was almost cruel, having to sleep in this room again because tomorrow would come. Mal would return from whatever business he’d gone with Luther and Linc to handle, and I’d go back to his house. Even without Luther being here, just sleeping in a room that belonged to him felt warm. I’d fallen asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow, which was rare for me.
Glancing at my phone, I saw that it was 3:16. I wasn’t sure what had woken me up, but I didn’t mind. I wanted to enjoy being here.
After dinner, I had watched a movie with Jayda, Branwen, and Stevie. That was nice too. Stevie showed me a new trick that she’d taught Maui, and Maui was happy to see me. He’d kept coming over to snuggle his head in my lap. I wished Mal had a dog.
Heavy, booted footsteps came from the hallway, and I boltedup in bed. He was back. At least I thought that was him. I hoped it was. But if Luther was here, did that mean I had to leave with Mal? It was the middle of the night. I didn’t want to go yet.
Glancing at my pillow, I decided to lie back down and pretend I was asleep. If it was Mal, I doubted he’d wake me.
Turning my back to the door, I tried to breathe deeply and slowly as the door eased open.
Please let it be Luther.
He hadn’t been here when Mal brought me this evening. He’d already left for whatever thing they had to handle. I’d asked Branwen where they had gone, and she’d shrugged and said it was best we didn’t ask that question. That the answers weren’t always ones we wanted to hear.
The door clicked shut, and the footsteps softened as they drew nearer.
“I’m hurt, sugar,” Luther’s deep voice drawled. “I was expecting you to be happy to see me.”
Rolling over, I smiled up at him.
He pulled a gun from behind his back and laid it on the bedside table, then began to take off his boots while keeping his eyes on me.
“I wasn’t sure it was you,” I explained. “I am happy to see you.”
His brows drew together. “Who did you think it was?”
I shrugged. “Mal. I was afraid he might be here to take me back to his house.”
Luther grinned, and a wicked glint in his eyes made me shiver. “I wouldn’t have let him wake you up. He’ll be here in the morning though.”
He pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the ground, then went to the zipper on his jeans. He was undressing. My heart began to beat wildly as I watched him.
