Page 86 of The Devil

“Your father never mentioned it, no doubt because of Jen, but Paul caused a lot of ripples amongst your father’s peers. And I was just as tainted and probably always will be. Having a grandchild associated with my name would not have gone down at all well at the country club. He couldn’t risk such a scandal, could he? No, best sacrifice his daughter’s entire happiness instead.”

“N-no, that’s not…” my father flusters, though when I look directly at him, he loses his argument. He’d like to believe what Lucius just said hadn’t played a role in his decision-making, but I can see that it did, if only a little bit.

“You gave me and your granddaughter to a monster,” I utter my thoughts out loud with the feeling of my heart breaking in the most brutal way possible. “You took my life from me! I will never forgive you for this…you are nothing to me!” I shout as angry tears stream down my face.

I’m so full of rage, I lunge toward him, hoping to hit him so I can cause at least a fraction of the pain he forced upon me, but Lucius holds me back, so I have no choice but to thrash against him instead.

“Shh,” he comforts me as I finally break down inside his arms. “I won’t let anyone come between us again, Topolina, it will finally be as it should have been - you, me, and our daughter.”

“I-I can’t…” I lose the ability to talk so I don’t. I’ve said my piece, and I owe my father nothing. My fight has left me, and I can finally let someone else take the burden.

“This is what’s going to happen,” Lucius begins as he turns us to face my family, “I am going to take Helena home. We will discuss how to move forward withourlives, andourdaughter. Tomorrow we will both come to collect Jess.” He looks at Cam who simply nods, then points his finger at my father. “And as for you, you will have no fucking say in any of it ever again!”

“How could he do this to me? How could he do this to us?” I whimper as he carries me from the room.

“Shh, my topolina,” he says, holding me close, “I am here now, for always. I will never leave you again, I swear.”

Chapter 33

Lily

As Lucius carries a hysterical Helena out the front door, I run into Cam’s office to see what the hell is going on. For a moment, Cam, Nate, and his mother all stare at the floor while his father covers his face with both hands. His mother’s shoulders are shuddering fiercely, and she eventually turns to sob inside of Nate’s arms. Nate holds her close before turning to sneer at his father. Cam, however, looks ready to let out a fury I haven’t seen since the night Evan attacked me.

“Get.The.Fuck.Out!” he growls at his father, sounding low and ready to burst.

“Cameron, you’ve got to understand-” his father tries to plead with him.

“I said get.The.Fuck.Out of my house!” Again, he sounds quiet and composed but then suddenly shouts, “NOW!”

“Cameron, please?” his father begs with more tears falling from his red-rimmed eyes. It’s almost too much to watch.

When he refuses to go, Cam grabs hold of him by the shoulders, almost carrying him over to the door, all the while his mother cries and his father continues to beg. Instincts left over from childhood have me trying to follow, to try and diffuse the situation, but Nate holds me back with a touch of his hand on my arm. With great restraint, I heed his caution and instead, listen to Cam throwing his father out the front door. When the sound of wood slamming hits my ears, I rush into the hallway to try and calm my husband.

He stands, all six foot three of him, with a shuddering anger taking all over his body. I have had to calm this anger before, but only whenever he was around Evan, never the man whom he has admired above all others.

I walk tentatively over to him as though approaching a frightened animal before stepping into view. His eyes are screwed shut and he has tears running down his face. My poor little lost boy, a boy who idolized his father, is now breaking in front of me. I gently reach for his hand and pull him toward me, where he grips hold tightly and sobs onto my shoulder. I don’t say anything, just hold him for as long as he needs me. Sometimes, words aren’t needed when your family is falling apart.

Helena

I wake up feeling hollow, empty, and dehydrated, the perfect recipe for a killer migraine. I’ve cried a lot over the years but not as much as last night. Betrayal is an ugly word and it’s sitting in my stomach, festering. I spent nearly ten years of my life living with a monster for nothing. I wouldn’t expect anything less of Evan but being deceived by my father hurts beyond words. He even suggested I tell my daughter I didn’t know the name of her father.

“Helena?” Lucius whispers from behind me, stroking my arm in soothing motions. “Talk to me.” But I can’t right now, I’m too lost. I don’t even know if I’ve forgiven him for giving up on me, for thinking I could have betrayed him like that. “Are you still angry with me?”

He reaches his naked arm around to pull me against his chest. I don’t fight it; I don’t have the strength right now. I merely nod to answer his question.

“I’m angry with the world right now,” I eventually whisper in a cracked voice.

“I told Lily you were my girlfriend last night,” he says to me, “I’m hoping I’m right to call you that.”

I almost laugh at Lucius for using the term ‘girlfriend’; it seems too alien for him, too beneath him to have such a thing.

“So, the next time a giant bomb is dropped on me, you can turn on me again?” I reply bitterly. I am beyond bitter at the moment, it feels like it could quite easily consume me right now.

“I’ve kind of had a few bombs dropped on me too, Helena,” he says sheepishly. “I just haven’t handled them as well as you.”

He begins to kiss my shoulder, still holding me tight as if he thinks I’m going to make a run for it. I haven’t decided if I am yet.

“Jess,” I eventually announce. “She is the most important thing to me right now, so that’s where I’m going. You can come or not, I’m not going to force you, Lucius.”

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