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He laughed. “Wilder wants to keep that a mystery, but he’s got a belly button the same as the rest of the mortals and former mortals. Proves an umbilical cord attached him to his estranged mother.”
“So they are estranged?”
Lucien lightly lifted his shoulders, reaching for his glass. He swirled the red liquid like he did the strange drink that normally left his lips. “I couldn’t say. I’ve never met her. He’s never spoken of her. But if she is alive, that says a lot, doesn’t it?”
I tipped my chin, agreeing. Lucien has known Wilder since he was a high schooler and a minor. If his mother wasn’t around then, that did say a lot. Was my paranoid lover an orphan? Maybe that’s why he didn’t trust the world. There was never anyone around to show him how.
“What about you?” I asked.
“What about me? I told you my story. I abandoned my wife and son after I was turned. They passed a long time ago.”
I smiled at him with infinite patience. Lucien clearly had no interest in dropping the act—even with me. Still, Victor was right that it wouldn’t hurt him to take one day off.
Don’t do that, a voice warned. Don’t open the door on Victor. Not yet. He needs time to think, and so do I.
“Tell me about your descendants.”
“Sam and Nina are a sweet enough couple. They met in middle school and the rest was history. There was never anyone else for them after that.”
“That is sweet.” I skated my fingers over his knuckles. “It’s so rare to meet someone and just know.”
The look he gave me made my lower belly contract in exquisite agony. “Not that rare.”
“Did they have children?” I asked, changing the subject. I’d been surprising myself with the depths of my sexual curiosity. If Lucien kept looking at me like that, I’d find out what it’s like to be screwed in the middle of a crowded restaurant.
“They do,” he replied. “A little girl.”
My eyes popped. Lucien has a younger sister?
“Really? What’s her name? How old is she?”
“She’s six. They’ve struggled for a long time to have a child. Two years ago, they adopted Antoinette.”
“Can I meet them?”
“They live in Boston, but yes,” he said. “Say the word and we’ll go. My descendants keep a plane in the private airstrip just outside Regalia.”
Of course Lucien just casually drops that he has a private plane on standby. I really lived in a different world now.
“I’d like that.” Glancing down, I checked the time. “I want to hear more about you, your family, everything. And I want to do it away from the hostile glares they keep shooting us. How about we get dessert to go?”
I flagged down the waiter and ordered a chocolate tart covered in chocolate sauce and hazelnuts to go. Lucien didn’t order anything because he said he’d be eating my dessert off me. Why were we still there?
We were up and out of our seats the moment he returned with our food and receipt. The wrong number of shadows detached themselves and trailed us out the door.
“You see them, don’t you?” I whispered.
“I do.” Lucien held open the door for me. His hand was firm on my back as we stepped up to the valet. “I suspect they’re going to wait until this guy leaves and then corner us.”
“Smart. Toussaint’s doesn’t have cameras pointed this way. Wouldn’t want video of all the underaged students stumbling drunk out the door.”
The valet took off to get our car.
“You think you’re such a badass, Calais.” Owen slunk out—right on cue. “But what are you without your little stick and your three freak friends to back you up?”
“Without them I’m a master of five styles of martial arts. Think carefully about what you do next.”
Levi fell in on Owen’s other side, flanked by Wesley. “It was you, wasn’t it? You and the freaks,” Levi said. “You hung Owen from the ceiling. You poisoned Wesley and stole his EpiPen. You spread around those truth lists, and of course, it was Rafael who lied and said Ashton was behind it all.”
Our faces were impassive. Didn’t stop the mirthless grin stretching Levi’s mouth.
“Sinclair here wasn’t smart or strong enough to pull all that off, but she was clever enough to fuck the four of you into doing it for her. Well done.” He clapped. “I’m impressed. That was what you meant when you said you killed Ashton without touching the knife.”
I blinked lazily. “Wesley, why are you standing behind Levi like that? Trying to hide that swollen face, or do you not want me to see that you’re recording this on your phone?”
He started, eyes widening over Levi’s shoulder. I couldn’t see the phone, but the look on his face—and the irritation on Levi’s—proved I was right.
“If you want to record something, record your confession,” I continued. “Tell the world how you took bribes to torture an innocent girl.” Iris and her date chose that moment to leave the restaurant. I raised my voice. “Tell everyone how you protected her rapist. You gave him an alibi, then told the dean she was a liar and a blackmailer, and got her expelled. What do you think about that, Iris?”
