Page 61 of Lilies from Hell

“And have you thought about what I said? Forgiveness is wise and purifies the soul.”

“Leave it already,” I say with a sigh. He’s been trying to get into my head for days with how good it is to forgive and how beautiful love is. I liked him better when he was a witch.

“Just remember that there is nothing more beautiful and pleasant than living in harmony with those who love you. Especially with teeth.”

He has definitely lost his mind.

“See you later at the same place,” I say as the car stops in front of her house. Lance nods, looking at me in the rearview mirror.

“If she asks about me, tell her I quit and went to Asia to work with the Yakuza.” He gives me a look that is both puzzled and amused. “I saw how she was staring at my delicious ass the other day. I’m too old to put up with this shit,” he adds the last part to himself, shaking his head from side to side. I burst out laughing and get out of the car, saying goodbye to him with a smile as the car drives off.

From the main gate to the front door, there are a few meters to walk, and I hate walking for long in this heat. Once there, I ring the bell and wait for someone to open the door, returning the greeting of some guards who already know me.

“Hello, sorry to keep you waiting, but you’re just in time. Please come in,” says one of the employees, stepping aside as he opens the door.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be in Grace’s room.”

“Please, let’s see if she’ll shut up already. Her screams are really stressing me out,” he mutters with a grimace of annoyance, making me chuckle.

I quickly climb the stairs and enter her bedroom without bothering to knock on the door. My lips part with surprise when I find the floor covered with papers, then my eyes go to the blonde who is sobbing, hugging a pillow.

“Good heavens,” I murmur in dismay at the sight of Grace lying on the bed with her hair completely disheveled. Her face is swollen, and her red eyes leave a trail of dark circles beneath them.

I climb onto the bed and stroke her back. Minutes pass until her crying finally subsides, and she decides to lift her head off the pillow.

“I’m going to die alone,” she whispers between sobs, and I look at her in confusion until her words make sense.

“This is all because of Lance?” She pretends to wipe away her tears, turning the lines under her eyes into black smudges. “So, what happened?”

“He has a girlfriend, that’s what happened, and they have wedding plans and everything.”

“Oh,” is all I can say. Although he’s a private person, I never thought he would hide his engagement from us. I definitely have to investigate further.

“That’s not the worst of it. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve done anything? Six months next week! He was my last hope for bringing a little life to my garden of delights.” She breaks down in tears again. I cover my mouth with my hand to stifle a laugh.

“And how do you know all this?” I ask, my lips curving upward.

“I’ll just tell you never to underestimate my powers.” She blows her nose into a tissue before trying to throw it into the small bin, failing. “Besides, some assholes stole everything I had today.”

“What?”

“This morning I went to the spa to forget about my wilting petunias, and some hooded men dressed in black came and blindfolded me. When I woke up, I was at home, right in my father’s office where we keep the money, and they forced me to give them everything inside.”

“But are you okay? Did they hurt you?” I ask in an alarmed voice, searching her face for injuries. She just nods with a dismissive look.

While I’m here, worried as hell, she tells me everything as if she were reciting her shopping list. She seems to care more about watering her petunias than the fact that she was literally mugged.

“Yeah, but fuck, it was a lot of money, and I don’t even know how they knew where we lived or where our stuff was. This is all very strange. And the bastards didn’t even let me get dressed.” I sigh and shake my head.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll find the thief. The important thing is that they didn’t hurt you.”

“They’re going to pay for this,” she whispers through clenched teeth, her sadness turning to anger in a matter of seconds.

“Are you sure you don’t need help? I can talk with my dad if you’d like. Get some hints of where they ran to.” She shakes her head.

“And how are you doing with Mr. Magic Tongue?” she asks, looking at me with curious eyes and a suggestive smile.

“Nothing new.”