Page 39 of His Innocent Muse

Mayhem makes a noise in the back of his throat and brings the phone back to his ear with an eye roll. “There, fuck. You’d think I’m an untrustworthy psychopath or something.”

He laughs at whatever Ghost barks at him, and I clamp my thighs over my hands so I don’t reach out for the phone. I just want to listen to him breathe, tell me it’s gonna be okay, and he doesn’t hate me. I want him to sayyou’re homeagain, slower, quieter, until I fully believe this was all some rancid nightmare.

“Got it, see you soon.” Mayhem slips his phone back in his chest pocket. “Pack it up, let’s hit it.”

13

GHOST

“Iwant an extra two g’s and Christmas Eve off this year.”

His smug tone tells me everything. I’m too afraid it’s going to be bad news to get excited.

“Why do you deserve that?”

“Saw some late-night-TV-special sneaking out the back, but rather than chase him down and test out my new brass knuckles, I came inside and found your girl. Purple heart material, if I say so myself.”

Too many scenarios fly, and none of them good.

“Is she hurt?”

“What do you fucking think? She was balled up on the bathroom floor, face is all marked up. I’m betting he wasn’t in here teaching her algebra. You say the word, I’ll go hunt him down and bring you his skin, but that would leave her here alone.”

The bathroom floor…?

“No, stay with her.” I storm to my car, heart in my throat. “Don’t leave her side until I have her back. Where is she?”

“At the old house.”

I stall, hand on the top of the door. “Chuck’s? But we checked there.”

“Yeah, Chuck’s. H—”

“She’s alive, yes? Are you sure it’s my Lucy?” I can hardly believe it.

“Yes, I’m sure it’s your Lucy, the fuck? You want a picture or something?”

“Actually, yes.”

There’s muted noise in the background as I drop onto the driver’s seat before he says,“Er… Never mind. That’s a bad idea. Got enough on my plate without triggering your ass.”

I open my mouth to demand some evidence, when terror lances my spine. A female voice is fighting through wet coughs in the background, exactly how…how they all—

My own air turns thin, adrenaline coursing through me with no immediate outlet.

“What’s happening? Why is she—”

The panic is made worse by Mayhem’s uncharacteristic tone shift, dropping into a serious, concerned voice.

“Oof… Lucy, you—”

“Help her!”

“Shut up, boss, hang on. You okay?”

The silence is too much. She dies a thousand times in my mind, slipping right through my fingers. I replay every second I spent in her presence, every breath she took in my apartment. I wish I’d held her now. Maybe if I—

There’s the smallest sniffle in the background, and I nearly can’t stay in my own skin. I should be there. She shouldn’t have left!

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