Page 185 of Things We Left Behind
“Threats?” Lucian’s voice was deadly calm.
“I still think the first one was a joke. This is clearly an escalation over some vague note.” I was babbling. Apparently that was the effect a pile of dead rats had on me.
He didn’t say another word. No, Lucian Rollins merely tossed me over his shoulder and marched me back to his house while placing a call.
“Why am I just now finding out that she’s being threatened?” he snarled into the phone.
“Put me down, you big, gorgeous asshat!”
He ignored me.
“You’ll want to see what someone left for her on her front porch. Bring the biggest evidence bags you have.”
“Excuse me! This is kidnapping,” I said, pummeling his back with my gloved hands.
“If you don’t stop screeching, the entire neighborhood is going to come outside and witness this,” Lucian said.
I was fairly certain he was talking to me.
“That’s not relevant, and it’s not anyone’s business but my own,” he continued.
That was definitely meant for Nash.
“Meet me at my place. I have to tie her to a chair,” Lucian said.
“Nice going, Lucifer. Now Nash is going to tell Lina, and Lina’s going to tell Naomi, and Waylay is going to eavesdrop and tell Chloe, and my niece can’t keep her mouth shut if she’s underwater trying to swim.”
“Someone left a pile of dead rats on your porch, and your biggest concern is your niece telling everyone we’re seeing each other?”
He unlocked his front door and carried me over the threshold.
“We’re not seeing each other. We’re seeing each other naked.”
“I can explain,” I said to the group before anyone else could begin. “It’s just sex.”
Lucian slapped a gloved hand over my mouth. “Shut up before you piss me off even more.”
“Pay up,” Lina said, holding her hand out to Nash. The chief of police had responded with his fiancée, his brother,andhis sister-in-law.
The six of us stood in my driveway while we waited for Sergeant Grave Hopper to show up with an evidence bag big enough for a pile of rodents.
Nash and Knox exchanged annoyed looks, and both men reached for their wallets. Naomi and Lina grinned as crisp twenties were exchanged.
“A pleasure doing business with you,” Lina said. “Don’t ever doubt us again.”
“And don’t forget you owe Stef too,” Naomi told Knox.
“What’s going on?” I asked after prying Lucian’s hand away.
“We knew,” Lina explained. “Nolan told me he saw you at the hotel bar the other weekend and that the boss here went to ‘deal with you.’ Then both of you showed up to work with post-O face.”
“Knox and I were skeptical until Honky Tonk,” Nash admitted.
I smacked Lina in the shoulder. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Why didn’tyousay anything?” she countered.
“Ididn’t say anything because I didn’t think either of you would be fucking stupid enough to fuck around,” Knox interjected.
