Page 72 of These Monstrous Ties
I have no idea why.
I turn, to see Lucifer’s face. And he lets me. His arms are still around me, but he lets me turn to him, and I tilt my head up to meet his gaze.
Shock. That’s what’s written on his face. I’d expected triumph or joy or cold calculation, knowing what I am to Jeremiah. Knowing we’re blood. He doesn’t know how shallow that blood runs. Although he must know we were separated, since he knew Jeremiah for several years. Even still, I expected, knowing our tie, he would be elated.
But the shock doesn’t morph into anything like elation. It morphs quickly into horror and then anger. He clenches his jaw, and he looks away from me, toward my brother. He aims the gun at Jeremiah with one hand.
Atlas swears under his breath.
None of my brother’s men say a word.
But it’s Ezra that moves first.
He barrels past all of us, straight into my brother, knocking his head against the door at his back. He flips his gun in his hand when they’re both on the floor and starts pistol whipping Jeremiah in the face.
“You—sick—son—of—a—bitch!” he snarls, every word punctuated by the gun smashing into my brother’s face. I hear every hit, and I feel it, in my gut, jarring me. I make to run toward them, but Lucifer grabs me by my collar, yanking me backward into him. I fight against him with all that I’ve got, shoving and kicking and hitting. He only holds me tighter and then he pushes me into Mayhem’s arms, which lock around me in a grip it’s nearly impossible to breathe from.
Lucifer kneels down next to Ezra, who is still attacking my brother. Nicolas, Trey and Kristof are screaming at Ezra, telling him to put the gun down, and I’m terrified they’re going to shoot one of them, and I don’t know why I care that they might shoot Ezra, but I do. Even as my brother’s face turns into nothing but a bloody pit, I’m terrified for Ezra, too. A man I don’t even know. And now Lucifer is in the fray, gripping Ezra’s face.
“Stop,” he’s saying, his voice low, but Ezra keeps going, even though he can’t see, because Lucifer won’t let go of his head. “Stop,” Lucifer growls again.
“I’m going to fucking blow your head off!” Kristof snarls, cocking the gun.
I freeze as Cain holds a gun to my head, Mayhem’s arms holding me in place.
“No, you’re not,” Cain says.
Lucifer looks up, his eyes dark. But he doesn’t seem to care that one of his Unsaints is holding me at gunpoint. Why would he? Fuck, he was just holding me at gunpoint himself.
Lucifer grabs Ezra’s shoulders and shakes him. But Kristof sees the gun at my head, and he, along with Nicolas and Trey, fall silent. Although no one lowers their weapons.
No one except Ezra.
Ezra’s chest is heaving, I can see from behind him, his back rising and falling. Lucifer hauls him up, and Ezra seems to just stand there, limp in Lucifer’s arms. Lucifer drags him back, and Ezra’s gun is dangling from his fingers. His hazel eyes are unseeing as he stares at the floor, and my eyes snap to my brother’s face.
Trey and Nicolas crouch down over him while Kristof keeps aiming his gun in the Unsaints’ direction. Inmydirection.
Lucifer stands in front of me, facing me, Ezra now with one arm flung against Atlas, who is looking at him with concern, but not speaking. Ezra’s chest is still heaving.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t kill your brother,” Lucifer says.
“Leave…her…alone.” My brother’s voice is hoarse. I’m surprised he’s still speaking.
But something is wrong. There’s something everyone in this room knows that I don’t.
Cain doesn’t lower the gun, but I notice his finger isn’t on the trigger. Mayhem still has me in a tight grip, Kristof is still aiming at us, and Trey and Nicolas are trying to help my brother sit up. Lucifer’s back is to them.
“Lucifer.” His name comes out as a whisper. His eyes soften when he hears it.
He shakes his head. “Sid,” he begs me, “tell me why.” He has a gun in his hand. It’s tapping against his thigh.
“What’s going on?” I don’t know why my voice shakes. Nothing has changed since I told him the truth. Nothing at all. Jeremiah was my brother before I said the words. He’s my brother now, after I’ve said them. But a quick glance at Atlas, who squeezes his eyes shut for a moment before glancing at me and then back at Ezra at his side, tells me everything has changed.
I remember Mayhem’s father kicked his sister out, for her fucking Atlas. I remember this is a tangled web. There are things I don’t know. Things I don’t understand.
“He’s fucking with you, Sid.” But Jeremiah’s garbled words don’t ring true. He’s lying. But about what?
Lucifer swallows. I remember the skeleton paint I first saw him in. I remember the hood over his curls. I remember his hands all over me. The knife. His teeth. His mouth. Our blood on our lips when we kissed.
