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“No,” I said, exasperated. “I’m not always a monster.”
“You have never been one, Luc. You’ve always been my shining star,” Gran replied. I couldn’t help it. The words spewed before I could stop them.
“Yeah, even when I fucked my half-sister,” I snarled. Bitterness swirled. That alone made me a monster.
“That was Tinsley! Not you! Damn it, if you’d known who Tinsley was, you would never have touched her. But she took my precious boy and tried to ruin him,” Gran said softly.
“Tinsley destroyed him, Gran. Lucifer or Luc are gone. Hell, my father named me right, didn’t he? Because I was born with the devil’s mark.”
“No, son, no. That bitch? Yes. Tinsley’s the Devil’s spawn, but you, my sweet, are all that’s good in the world,” Gran argued.
A sigh left my lips, and I hauled Gran into me for a hug. The woman was amazing. She’d never once judged me for what happened. As soon as the truth came out, she and I had fled. We’d gone back for the trial, but other than that, we never set foot in our home state of Vermont. Rapid City was as far from Vermont as we could imagine travelling, didn’t want to go much further.
Years of therapy had finally helped me come to terms with the fact that I’d screwed my sister for six years. And that Tinsley’s end goal was to get me to twenty-five and then kill me for the money. It was fucked up, and something you read about in a book. I’d been the victim, no doubt about it. The judge and jury agreed and sent Tinsley down for multiple charges. But the scars still felt fresh. The scabs covering them were new and hadn’t healed. Even after all this time.
“That girl is hiding something,” Gran mumbled into my chest.
“Not our business.”
“Julie could be. She seems sweet,” Gran pushed.
“Gran!” I groaned. “After Tinsley, I don’t want another deceiving, lying woman. She left me completely soured with relationships.”
“So, dipping your wick is fine?” Gran asked, and I choked at her reply.
“Yeah, for now. Maybe if I heal, then one day, but Gran, leave me out of any matchmaking plans you have!” I warned.
Gran twittered into my chest, and I sighed. She was up to something!
Amberlea
Two weeks later, my gates were up, and I was guaranteed my privacy. Mrs Jepson hadn’t come over even though I’d heard bike pipes many times. Instead, I stayed behind my walls, where it was safe. Except for some reason, I was ornery today.
Today was the 20th of July, and I’d had enough of hiding.
Simone told me they’d tracked the public defender who’d represented me, and he was a big-shot lawyer. The asshole had sent in his resignation and was now sunning himself on a beach in the Cayman Islands. Simone and Butch were planning to fly out and talk to him. They wanted his testimony and were quite assured they would get it. Meanwhile, they said to sit tight and trust they’d get what they needed.
I’d agreed, knowing they were also tracking other leads and probably handling other cases. I knew the rot went deep; I didn’t know how deep. Had Arlo and Jax, two people who were supposed to love me without hesitation, been a part of this shitstorm, or had they bought into Cordelia’s bullshit? The hate on their faces when they saw me outside prison hadn’t told me anything.
Feeling antsy, I checked my bag and headed out. The gates opened as my truck approached and closed behind me. I headed into Rapid City, not sure what I planned to do or why, but just knowing I had to get out of the house, I’d made my prison. Sure, it was more comfortable than the previous one, but I’d voluntarily locked myself up again.
I was free and not acting it. Shit, I still only had the suitcase of clothes that Simone had bought for me and all my furniture, but I had nothing of me. Today I was going to purchase some new clothes and shoes and knick-knacks. Whatever struck me, I planned to buy.
Gauntlet
“Now that’s a pretty little thing,” Slate murmured by my side as we left the forecourt, heading for the Reading Nook. I stopped in my tracks as I saw Julie wandering down the street and peering into windows.
My heart thumped as I took her in. Julie stood about five foot six inches, and her hair was a honey colour. She wore Daisy Dukes that covered her ass cheeks, and a slight grin crossed my face at the Cowboy boots. They were new, and I could tell. Julie wore a cream tank under a check shirt, and her hair was in two plaits. Everything screamed country girl. She looked cute and hot. An air of innocence wafted off her as she peered into shop fronts and ignored everyone else in the street.
“Keep your hands off Slate. That woman has issues,” I growled.
“Know her?” Slate questioned, his eyebrow cocking up.
“Bitch moved opposite Gran. Gran asked her for dinner, and she skipped out on her. Went to Mount Rushmore, believe or not, instead. I waited to tell her how upset she’d made Gran, and there she was with tourist bags,” I explained.
Slate’s face set in stone.
“Fuckin’ rude, brother,” he replied as we watched Julie become animated and head into the Reading Nook.
