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A few strokes later, his release hit the back of my throat, and I swallowed every drop before licking him clean.
Our intimacy was as beautiful as it was erotic.
Lucifer wasn’t my first, but I’d sell my soul to the devil for him to be my forever.
Willa
Lachlan Flynn was dead.
The Flynn patriarch had died peacefully in his sleep eight nights ago. The same night his house of cards had come crashing down.
They say people in a coma can still process certain aspects of their surroundings. Did Lachlan realize that all hell had broken loose? That he’d been outed as his wife’s murderer? Had he really died of natural causes?
And if he didn’t, did I care?
I kicked a snowball with the toe of my boot as I reflected on the look of serenity on Lucifer’s face when he’d come to my bedroom on that same tragedy-laden night.
Nope.
Approaching the front of the mansion, I noticed two vehicles parked in the estate’s circular driveway. I stopped in my tracks. Not only were they not there when I’d left for the chapel an hour ago, but they were unfamiliar to me.
Something twisted in my gut, and my gaze landed on the six-bay garage. All the doors were shut. I had no clue whether Lucifer was home or not.
The mansion had been a ghost town since Lachlan’s passing. There’d been no mention of a funeral, and according to Keegan, Lucifer had been out dealing with syndicate business. Keegan had remained conspicuously mum when it came to Raphael and the Brennans, though he did tell me that Dublin had sent their condolences and that Cillian had agreed to remain in Providence while the family mourned.
I’d spent the last week in my own company except for the perimeter foot soldiers checking in on me and the daily drop-ins from Keegan. Restlessness had settled in around day four, but the few hours each night that Lucifer spent in my bed holding me close hardly felt like the appropriate time to ask the questions that lingered on my tongue. Every morning I woke with the sun to find him already gone. I understood his list of mobster duties had to be infinite and taxing, but if I were being honest, I was growing frustrated with the lack of communication—and feeling a bit abandoned.
I unwrapped my scarf as I ascended the perron. The warmth of the mansion felt like a salve on my raw cheeks. I was removing my outdoor gear when Liam appeared.
“Is Lucifer here?” I asked, shaking off my second boot and completely unashamed of the irritation in my tone.
“Aye, lass. He’s in the study—I was ’bout to come find you.” His crystal-blue eyes sparkled as he chewed on a toothpick. “He’d like you to join him.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I thanked Liam, and then hurried in the direction of the study. The door was ajar, so I only hesitated a second before pushing my way inside.
Lucifer stood with his arms crossed behind the desk I’d always considered Raphael’s. The way he owned that space told me it belonged to him now.
It gave merit to what I’d believed to be true: the Flynn Syndicate had a new boss.
Lucifer’s gaze devoured me whole as it trailed from the top of my messy bun all the way down to my fuzzy wool socks. A smile tugged at one corner of his mouth, and I desperately wanted to kiss those lips despite my grumpiness, but we weren’t alone.
The older man standing opposite Lucifer turned around. The stranger’s expression was curious, bordering on friendly.
Before I could decide on a reaction, Lucifer had rounded the desk, and in a few long strides, he stood in front of me. Every negative emotion I’d harbored in his absence vanished the moment our eyes locked. His entire posture relaxed as though my closeness put him at instant ease, and he stared at me with a need and longing that not even he—Boston’s fiercest punisher—could disguise. There was no denying it was love in his eyes. And I wondered how he’d survived being away from me for so long when every time we were in the same room, it felt like a nuclear force couldn’t keep us apart.
And that’s when his words came back to me. I may be a monster, but when it comes to you, I am merely a man.
I made Lucifer vulnerable. And right now, to do his job, to salvage the shipwreck we all found ourselves trapped inside, the Flynn Syndicate required a boss to keep it from sinking.
“Willa, come. There’s someone I’d like for you to meet.” I slipped my hand into the one he offered. His fingers curled around my palm, and his brow furrowed. “You’re freezing.”
I swallowed the nerves that rushed in and gave him a shaky smile, hoping I sounded stronger than I felt. “I was outside ... I forgot my gloves.”
Maybe because my head had caught up with my heart, and I realized that the last time I’d been in this room, shit had seriously hit the fan. Or maybe it was because making new friends with senior gangsters wasn’t high on my bucket list. Whatever it was, something had triggered my reservations, and suddenly, my feet felt like cement blocks.
Lucifer wrapped a comforting arm around my waist and pulled me against him. Until this moment, I wasn’t sure he was ready to share this side of us with anyone else. I blushed on the outside, but inside, I was squealing with excitement.
“He’s my uncle. My mother’s twin brother.” His voice was low and soft, meant just for me to hear. He lifted my chin and pressed a light kiss to my lips. “You can trust him.”
