Page 88 of The Devil

“You better not!”

“So?” I pause. “Do you want to meet him properly? It’s totally up to you, baby girl.”

She nods with a confidence I’m not sure I’ve ever had.

“But I want my mom with me; you’ll stay, won’t you?”

“Sure,” I reply, trying to sound casual, even though on the inside, my heart is swelling.

Lucius

“What can I do for you, Lucius?” Cameron comes right out and asks me.

“Actually, it’s what I can do for you,” I throw back at him while keeping my eyes on the girls in the backyard. “How would you feel if I told you I know where Evan is?”

For a moment or two, he says nothing, simply looks at me, and ponders on what I’ve just said. His shocked expression soon turns into a conflicted one, most likely because he already knows as to what I’m suggesting. Paul finally came back to me with some rather interesting and fortunate information on the guy who no longer has much time to live. Turns out he’s pissed off a group of people you really don’t want to piss off.

“What are you suggesting, Hastings?”

“You don’t seriously think I am willing to let this all go, do you? He took my daughter, raped and beat your sister, not to mention what he did to your wife, and probably countless other women. Do you think a few years in prison is enough for that piece of shit?”

“I promised Lily, a long time ago, I would let it go,” he says, but I can tell I’ve sparked his interest. “I won’t do anything that will risk me being taken away from her.”

“You needn’t worry about that,” I reply without pause. “If I can promise you that no risk will come to your family, would you be interested in a little…retribution?”

“And what about you, Lucius? Are you going to cause more heartbreak for my sister when they cart you away?”

He turns to face me, looking and sounding accusatory, knowing there is still an element of the devil-like persona that lurks within me. Not with Helena though, never will I risk losing her again.

“Oh, I have enough pull in this city to not let anything happen to me,” I reply with a smile which he no doubt pictures smacking away, even after all this time. “No one’s going to miss a piece of shit like Evan Stone. Besides, this isn’t my first time delivering my own form of justice.”

After a moment of confusion, he turns away and sighs.

“And what about my father? You gonna pull something on him too?”

There’s a little fear in his voice, but I can also see he’s battling his own anger and resentment toward the man.

“Don’t think I haven’t thought about it, especially when I looked at that forged document,” I answer truthfully. “But no. I think that would well and truly destroy your sister and me. Plus, hewouldbe noticeable if he went missing. More importantly, however, is the fact that he’s screwed himself all on his own. I don’t need to do anything to him. What you all decide to do about your father is firmly in your hands, not mine.” He nods, seemingly placated with my answer. “So, what’s it to be?”

“If you’re talking about roughing him up, then I’m in, for sure,” he says decidedly. “Anything beyond that, I’ll leave to you. If Lily ever found out, it would destroy us, and I’m not prepared to risk losing her.”

“I’ll be in touch,” I utter as I watch Helena get up from where she’s been sitting with Jess.

Helena

When I stand up to go and get Lucius, I notice he and my brother in deep conversation about something, something shifty, but I decide to play ignorant. Right now, Jess is all I can think about, and I need to be the buffer between her and Lucius. He only needs to look at me to know it’s time, so he nods at Cam, then walks over to grab hold of my hand. My diablo may look like coolness personified, but his sweaty palm tells me otherwise. I squeeze it tight and plant a kiss on his cheek, hoping to bring him some reassurance. He straightens, then confidently looks at me before jutting out his chin toward Jess. She remains sitting on the grass, perhaps because it’s less intimidating than the table and chairs. Lucius takes a seat where I’ve just been, so I sit down behind her.

“Hey,” he utters quietly.

“Hey,” she says back, sounding a little quieter than she normally would. “So, you’re my dad?”

She laughs nervously, but I’m impressed by her confidence. He laughs softly back but then shakes his head; my heart feels like it’s stuck inside my throat the entire time.

“No, I’m your biology,” he replies, “I haven’t had a chance to earn the right to be called your dad.” She looks away and I’m not sure if she’s disappointed, confused, or just angry. “But I’m kind of hoping to get to know you more, see if I might one day be more than just DNA to you?”

She looks up and smiles a little, a smile that’s a start, but also needs more convincing.

“Mom? Can you give us a minute?” she asks all of a sudden, shocking both of us. Lucius looks as if he’s going to throw up and quickly glances at me, silently begging me to stay. However, I place my hands on Jess’s shoulders, smile supportively, and nod my head.

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