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Like whoever this came from, put up a hell of a fight to keep it.
“As I said,” Roman says calmly, “no harm intended.”
Ghost raises his head and closes the box, eyes narrowed in confusion. “You killed your own man?”
“Brutally,” he says. “Zero tolerance, Ghost. I’m sure you have the same height with some of your values.”
I swallow the bile in my throat, clenching my own neck as if to assure myself it’s still there. “Wh-Why would you… Here?”
“This is a safe space, angel,” Roman says to me. “Ghost isn’t one for cameras.”
“No, I… Because of me?”
“Felt poetic in a way,” he says, “today of all days.”
I stare at him, and Ghost bristles. Roman smiles at the both of us, equal parts threatening and reassuring.
“Nineteen is a special year for you, Lucinda,” he says, as if to tack on it’s not the banner behind me, it’s not a coincidence he showed up tonight. He knows it’s my birthday, and he picked today on purpose. “I hope you’re ready.”
Maybe he’s more dangerous than I thought…
22
GHOST
“I’m sure you wanted that to be intimidating,” I droll, “but all you did was prove you can use the internet.”
Lucy nudges me with her elbow, and I give her waist what I hope like hell is a reassuring squeeze. While I don’t assume Roman would dare do anything to her, or me, in my own home, I’m more than a little on edge. How did he get a key to copy in the first place?
Roman’s gaze snaps to the motion like a bird of prey. “I’m sure you can see why I have a…difficult time believing it wasn’t you. Especially given your proclivities.”
“I don’t particularly care what you believe. I think it’s time for you to leave.”
He narrows his eyes at me, but doesn’t move. “The walls are always watching, Saint. I’ll find out. And when I do—”
“Oh, my God,” Lucy huffs. “It wasn’t Ghost! It was a gu—”
“Tss.” I grip her waist harder. “Sharing time is over, love.”
She spins in my hold, beautiful eyes peering up into mine. “But why can’t we just tell him?”
Roman’s attention bounces between the two of us, a smile that screams scheming curling on his face.
“Because it doesn’t concern him.” My tone is far too curt, and I see it in the tilt of her brows.
I exhale slowly, flexing the fingers of my other hand, willing blood back into the joints.
“So the angel has her hooks in you already,” Roman croons. “How delightful.”
Anger and fear slice through my spine. I knew. I knew the second I took her into my heart, she would become an exploitable weakness. And Lucy, precious, perfect, naïve Lucy, doesn’t understand how this world works. Somehow, through all she’s dealt with, she still believes people can be good.
I’ve seen constant evidence to the contrary. We all have. We’vebeenthat evidence.
Now it’s too late. She’s here. I’m already doing things I wouldn’t have otherwise. Already entertaining this miserable snake longer than I would have. And God damn the world, she’s looking at me like it’s going to break her soul for me to not be nice to this man.
I inhale, cracking my neck and dart my gaze to Roman. “In…the interest of this ‘olive branch,’ andonlyfor that reason, I’ll tell you it was a man named Damian Waters.”
“Or…or something that starts with W,” Lucy spins and presses back against me even tighter.
