Page 3 of Ruined

Old gauze pads soaked in blood, strips of medical tape, cotton swabs, and steri strips line the bottom of the can.

“Hey, guys, you know you have some new lawn ornaments out there, right? I’m not one to judge someone’s tastes, but I recommend not turning on all the flashing lights at once. Your neighbors five miles away might start to complain,” a friendly voice states from the front door behind us.

“You’re funny, Wyatt. What are you doing here?” Lucifer asks, his shoulders dropping slightly, a sign of relief.

“I’ve come to follow up with my patient. Kain, I need to re-examine that wound and see how it’s healing. If now is a bad time, I can come back after my shift.”

“Now is fine,” Kain grumbles and storms off, shoulder checking Jax on his way past.

“I’m gonna need that back,” Wyatt says, pointing to the trashcan in Jax’s hand.

“Convenient,” Jax mutters, handing the can to Wyatt, who takes it and follows Kain into the room Jax came out of.

Rookie McDonald approaches our small group, looking around warily, probably for Kain, before speaking. “House and grounds are clear, sir. She’s not here.”

“Thank you, officer,” Jax says, and pulls a photo from his back pocket.

“Can you explain this?” he asks Lucifer, showing him the photo of him carrying Angelica into the house.

“Yes, we saved her from a party. She requested not to be taken to the hospital, she’s hiding from someone, but we don’t know who. We got her patched up, and she left on her own in the middle of the night.” Lucifer’s body remains relaxed, not giving anything away.

Jax seems to think over the story Lucifer just shared before questioning it. “How did a girl in her condition just get up and walk away on her own. She would have needed a couple days to heal.”

“She did stay a couple of days. That photo was taken two weeks ago,” Lucifer informs him.

Jax’s expression quickly flips to one of confusion before he schools himself. Reaching into his wallet, he removes a business card and hands it to Lucifer. “Call if you think of anything that could help us find her, or if she happens to make contact.”

Looking at me, Jax says, “Let’s go, Daemon,” and walks out the front door.

I follow him outside and walk with him back to his car. “I’m gonna stay, see if I can’t get more information out of them about the party and what happened. Besides, Edward is coming, and they never could lie around him.”

“Sounds like a good plan. Let me know what you learn.”

“Hey, until we get more information, don’t say anything to the captain about the timeline discrepancy. I don’t know what’s going on, but something doesn’t feel right.”

Jax puts out his hand and locks mine in his. He slaps my opposite shoulder and opens his car door. “I feel it too, man. I’ll follow your lead and wait to hear from you.”

One by one,the black and white sedans and SUVs clear my front yard and driveway.Fucking assholes. Daemon reenters the front door, his gaze downcast.

“I called Edward. He and Eden are on their way back,” he says, stuffing his hands in his pockets and finding a spot on the wall to lean.

The low murmurs coming from behind the door to the medical room carry through the otherwise silent house. A stark contrast to the banging and yelling of only minutes ago. The air around us grows stale and suffocating with unspoken animosity.

Daemon meets my eyes with a look full of venom, and an awkward silence passes between us, broken by the sound of an old engine roaring up the driveway. I open the front door just time to watch Edward pull open the passenger’s door of Kain’s old beat-up Focus.

I smile as he sticks out a hand to help Eden up. She places her hand in his and smiles wide when he says something too soft for me to hear, causing a faint blush to cover her cheeks.

A warmth I can’t explain burns in the center of my chest, an inferno of light and a fierce desire to protect this woman. Rubbing a hand over my heart, I commit this moment to memory, never wanting to forget that brightness in Eden’s eyes as she gazes up at the man who made me who I am, at the connection they’ve forged.

He pulls her up and wraps an arm around her waist. One unsteady step after another, they slowly make their way across the driveway to the sidewalk.

My heart splinters at the grimace that crosses Eden’s face with every step she takes. The pain in her body is evident in the crinkle of her nose, the scrunch of her brows, and the tight set line of her mouth.

I’m done. I walk out and scoop her up into my arms. A fucking adorable, surprised squeak leaves her at the sudden movement, but she doesn’t protest. Rather, she snuggles deeper into my hold, burying her nose in the crook of my neck.

The feel of her body pressed tight against my chest, my arms snug around her body, and her arms wrapped around my neck, as she willingly and trustingly lets me hold her, ignites a desire deep in my soul. One that pushes everything else inside my mind to the background. Every mission, every responsibility I have means nothing when I’m holding this angel.

I look down and can’t stop myself from dropping a quick kiss to the top of her head.

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