by LJ Baker
After it seemed like she’d been there for days, the door swung open and Luc walked in the room holding a thick file, dressed in his usual perfect suit. “Why are you still talking to my client when I know she has asked for counsel?”
Ronnie’s eyes shot up to his, but he was glaring at the detectives. It was the first time she’d seen Luc angry and it only made him more appealing.
“We were only having a chat, Mr. Morningstar. She was under no obligation to say anything back.” Updike stood and took one last look over Ronnie. He smiled at her, like he was confident that he’d be seeing her again soon. Ward finished the last of her coffee and followed her partner out, leaving Ronnie alone in the room with Luc.
“What are you doing here?” Ronnie stood, not sure whether to hug Luc, kiss him, or stand there awkwardly and stare at him. The last one won until he motioned for her to sit back down.
“I’m a lawyer, sort of.”
“Sort of?” That wasn’t instilling her with a ton of confidence, no matter how good he looked in that suit. And he looked damn good in that suit.
“Technically, I am, but I don’t usually practice unless a friend needs me.”
“Is that what I am? Your friend?” She wasn’t sure what she expected him to say. They’d known each other less than a week. Sure they’d slept together twice, and it had been amazing, but they really weren’t more than that. He was her boss and way out of her league. She didn’t even think she wanted there to be more to it than that. Did she?
“You are my employee and someone I care about. So call it what you want.” Luc sat across from her and flipped open the file.
“How did you even know I was here?” Ronnie sat forward and tried to peer into the folder. “Did Lizzie call you? Wait, does Liz know? I wasn’t even sure who to call.” Ronnie leaned her head back to look at the ceiling and let out a long puff of air.
Normally, she would have called her Dad. Never her mother. Dad was the one who handled the big shit. But those days were over. When they offered her a call, she deferred, not sure who to even call anymore.
All she had left was her best friend and the thought of calling her made Ronnie’s stomach flip. Liz would have given her a lecture about everything that had been going on lately and she would have rather sat in jail, than listen to that. She hadn’t even considered calling Luc.
“I have my ways, now let’s talk about getting you out of here.” Luc started talking about the charges, bail, and all the other details she couldn’t keep straight. There was too much information, too much noise, and it all swirled around in her head, making her dizzy.
“They are likely going to do a photo lineup with the victim later today when his doctors give them the green light. It’s better than having to actually stand in, but still not great. So there is a chance you are going to end up back here. If he picks you out, you’re screwed. You’ll do a lot of time for this if you’re convicted.” Luc waved a hand in front of her face. “Ronnie, are you listening to me? This is serious.”
Her head snapped up and she met his eyes. “Sorry. It’s been a long day and it’s a lot to take in. I’m going to jail for this, aren’t I?”
“No. We are going to fix this.” Luc’s confidence was unwavering. Ronnie only wished she felt even a small bit of it in herself.
“How? They have me on video going into the alley with him right behind me. They probably have my DNA on him from my bloody fists. I’m screwed. You can’t fix this. No one can.” Ronnie dropped her face into her hands and took a deep breath.
“Hey.” Luc pulled her hands from her face and smiled. “I can do all kinds of things that might seem impossible. You haven’t even begun to learn some of my talents.”
She had sampled a few of his talents a couple times and she most definitely wanted to learn more. But that was the last thing on her mind in that moment. Even when he looked at her with those amazing dark eyes, or even when they weren’t so dark.
Her eyes met his and they were most definitely green. She hadn’t imagined it the other times. “Your eyes… they—”
“Ronnie, let’s get you home, okay?”
She nodded, her attention pulled from his changing eye color. Getting out of there was the priority. Just days earlier, it had been surviving, taking care of the kids, and finding a job the case worker wouldn’t scoff at. But that was then. Now everything was different.
“What about the kids?”
“One thing at a time.”
Ronnie didn’t want to hear that. She wanted to see that same unwavering confidence in him that she’d seen earlier. She wanted him to tell her it was all going to be okay with the kids, too. But he wasn’t telling her that, and deep in her heart, she knew he wouldn’t.
Without the kids, nothing was ever going to be all right again.
***
Azrael sat on the hood of his car, losing patience. Cupid insisted they meet up and of course he was late. Az had better things to do with his time than wait on his idiot cousin to show up. He was about to leave when a car pulled up behind him and rolled to a stop.
With arms folded in front of his chest, Az huffed. Not only was he late, but he was taking his damn time to get out of the car and walk over. They both had the power to spark in and out of wherever they chose, so this whole driving out to the middle of nowhere, fully human style, made no sense.
“Can we get a move on here? I do have a life to live, you know.”
“Yes, yes, of course.” Cupid smiled his usual creepy smile. Az never understood what women saw in him. They were always throwing themselves on him. Unfortunately for Cupid, he was into men. Men didn’t throw themselves on him. And lucky for them, Cupid couldn’t cheat and use his little arrows to benefit himself.
“What is it you want? If this is because Lucifer won’t answer your calls, that has nothing to do with me. I can’t make my brother talk to you.”
“It’s not about that. Not really.”
“Look, I know it was you that alerted the police about that video. So let’s not pretend here. That was a shit thing to do.” Az may not agree with how Luc is handling the situation with his crazy girl of the month, but he certainly didn’t condone anyone actively trying to sabotage him either.
“I did not call the human police.”
Cupid was a master at evasion and trickery. Az was not about to fall for any of it. Even if he didn’t dial the number himself, he had a part in what happened. Az was sure of that.
“Your lies will get you nowhere with me and even less far with Lucifer. Are you sure you want to get into it with him? He’s the king of Hell for a reason.”
“Yeah, your father hated him.”
Az laughed. “Is that what the cousins think?”
Cupid paused, then shrugged. “It’s true.”
“It’s so far from the truth that I don’t even know what to say. Luc was always Dad’s favorite. All of us knew it. I can’t say exactly what his reasons were for casting Luc out, but it certainly wasn’t out of hatred.”
Cupid took a moment to think over Azrael’s words, then shook his head. “It doesn’t even matter. That’s not why I’m here.”
“Well, by all means, spit it the fuck out, or I’m out of here.”
“I’m hearing a lot of talk about Lucifer.”
“What kind of talk?” Whatever it was, Az was sure he’d heard it. Cupid certainly wasn’t better informed than he was.
“Lucifer is looking for true love.” It wasn’t a question, just a statement. Cupid wasn’t looking for confirmation.
“And?”
“You know what I do, right?” Cupid put one hand on his hip and raised an eyebrow. His shoulder length blond hair begged to be flipped. He was practically perfect, even for a lower angel, but he was still an ass.
“Everyone knows what you do, Cupid. You’ve made sure to make a name for yourself.”
“It was Lucifer who started the whole adorable angel-baby thing. It’s not my fault that it caught on.”
“Don’t forget about the diaper.” Az snickered. “That was always the best part.”
Cupid stood there in his skinny jeans and cashmere sweater. He looked like something out of a high fashion catalog. Az wasn’t sure he ever wore diapers, even as a baby, but he still pictured him that way every time he thought of the idiot.
“Haven’t you lot grown tired of that yet?” Cupid rolled his eyes and pretended to inspect his fingernails.
“Never.”
“Anyway, I’ve been trying to reach out to Lucifer, to offer my services in his impossible endeavor.”
“People fall in love every day, even without your help. What’s so impossible about it?”
“Yes, people. Humans. Not the King of Hell. He’s fighting a losing battle. He will require my assistance.”
Az laughed. “The world will get along just fine without you, Cupid. You do realize that, right? People fell in love long before you decided to become so involved. And Lucifer is no exception. There’s never been anything he’s wanted and not found a way to have. He is an amazing angel and he will find love if that’s what he wants.”
“Even you don’t think that’s in his best interest.” Cupid snorted. “The devil, in love. It’s ludicrous.”
“There’s nothing wrong with Luc wanting to be in love. And just because I don’t understand why he wants that, doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with it. Who are either of us to make that decision for him?” Az hadn’t realized just how strongly he felt about it until that moment. And it was true. Luc deserved to have love if he wanted it. If anyone deserved it, it was him most of all.
“Maybe you’re right. But there are those who think that Lucifer looking for love is a sign that things in Hell are up in the air. How can he explore his softer side, while still keeping a tight reign on Hell?”
“So what you’re saying is that Luc can’t have love and be a good ruler, but you’re still trying to help him find it?”
Cupid made no sense. If he was really worried that Luc couldn’t have both love and his reign over Hell, then he wouldn’t be trying so hard to get in touch with him to help him in the love department. Unless he didn’t want Luc to be in control of Hell. Or he wanted him to fail at finding his true love.
“I’m not saying that at all. Although there are those who are saying exactly that.”
“Who? Tell me precisely who is saying that and I will handle it right this frigging minute. I want names.” Az balled his fists, and for the first time in longer than he could remember, he was truly angry.
“It’s not important and it would be a long list. Look, I’m just looking out for my beloved cousin. I’d hate to see any hostility befall him. I know we’ve had our differences in the past, but I genuinely care for him.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you do.” Az shook his head and mumbled under his breath. “Beloved cousin.”
“We’ve not always been the closest of relatives, but I’m not being disingenuous. I’d like to offer my assistance.”
“No.”
“No? That’s it?”
“Yes, that is exactly it. Luc doesn’t want your help and he certainly doesn’t need it. He has people who care about him that are already helping. He doesn’t need anything from you. So quit calling him and stay the fuck out of it.”
Cupid’s mouth dropped open and he stood there in silence. He must have expected this meeting to go very differently, but he was mistaken.
“I just wanted to—”
“Save it. Go find yourself some poor sap to have his ass stuck with an arrow. Leave Lucifer alone.”
Chapter Ten
“Oh my God. Are you all right?” Lizzie practically threw herself on Ronnie the second she walked through the police station door. She’d been waiting over two hours for her to be processed so she could take her home and the weariness on her face gave it away.
“Liz? Where’s Luc?” As happy as she was to see her friend, it wasn’t who she was expecting. In fact, she was a bit afraid to face her, which was why she hadn’t called her to begin with when she was arrested.
“He asked me to pick you up. He said he had to take care of a few things, or they’d be hauling your ass back in there before you even got home. What happened? Did you have to make a shiv out of your toothbrush? Are the jumpsuits really orange? Did they throw you in with all the lady prisoners? Did they try to make you their bitch? Oh my God, did you have to use the toilet in front of everyone?”
“Is that really your biggest concern? A lack of bathroom privacy?”
“Uh yeah. Isn’t that yours? I mean you look great in orange and I bet you wouldn’t mind having a jail-house girlfriend as much as some people. So the toilet out in the open thing, that seems like cruel and unusual punishment.”
“You forgot the shiv.”
Liz shrugged. “I figured you could handle that one.”
As much as she loved her best friend, Ronnie wondered what went on inside her brain to make her come up with some of the things she did.
Ronnie waited until they were in Lizzie’s car before she answered. She didn’t want to run the risk of anyone overhearing anything, just in case. She had a habit of making bad decisions, but she wasn’t stupid. As soon as they were settled, Liz was back at it.
“Just to ease your mind, I didn’t have to make a shiv, I was never put in a jumpsuit so I can’t speak to their color, and they kept me in the interrogation room, so no to being anyone’s bitch.” Ronnie leaned her head back on the seat and sighed. “Oh and there’s no toilet in the interrogation room, so my dignity is safe.”
After a long pause, Liz spoke. “Is the guy dead?”
Ronnie turned to look at Liz and noticed for the first time that her eyes were swollen and red, like she’d been crying. She should have comforted her since she was to blame for her friend’s distress, but she didn’t have it in her.
“No the guy isn’t dead. I think he’s actually doing better.” At least she hoped he was, even if that meant he would identify her and she would go to jail for the rest of her life.
“From what you told me, it sounds like self-defense. He came after you. And Luc said he was trying to assault you. Didn’t you tell the cops that? They can’t hold you responsible if he attacked you first.” Liz kept looking at Ronnie while she drove. It was kind of unnerving that she spent more time with her eyes on her friend than the road, but Ronnie didn’t say anything. She just held her breath and listened to Liz ramble on about how she shouldn’t be in trouble.
But she hadn’t seen the guy’s face.
Or what was left of it.
When they pulled in front of the house, the realization of the kids being taken away set in. The ache in Ronnie chest grew until she could hardly breathe. How could she have let this happen? Images of her parents disappointed faces haunted her when she closed her eyes. Neither of them would ever forgive her for the mess she’d made of all their lives. Not that she should be forgiven.
“Why is it so quiet in here? Where are the kids?” Liz walked through the house looking around before returning to the foyer where she’d left Ronnie standing in shock. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“They took them.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it was all she could manage. She’d rather not speak the words, but it was her new reality.
“What do you mean? Who took them?” Liz furrowed her brow and grabbed Ronnie by the shoulders.
“Social services, when they arrested me this morning.” Ronnie had assumed Luc would have mentioned it when he called her for some reason, but apparently, he hadn’t.
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry. How do we get them back? Why the hell didn’t you call me yourself when this happened? They can’t just up and take them, before they even know if you’re guilty. Can they? ”
“They can and they did.” Ronnie shrugged Liz off and went to the kitchen for a drink. It was the only thing that might settle her nerves. She pulled out a bottle of cheap vodka from the cabinet above the stove and poured half a glass.
>
“There has to be something we can do. What about your boss? He’s a lawyer, right? Call him and see how we get them back. They can stay with me if the cops have an issue with you. There is no need for them to be with social services.” Liz slumped down onto a stool and shook her head. “This is all such a frigging mess.”
“I can’t get them back while I’m on bail for assault and attempted murder. I may never get them back.” Ronnie’s voice hitched and she stared at the glass of vodka in her hand. She needed someone to tell her what to do. She needed answers. And she most definitely needed her parents.
All she had was vodka.
And it wasn’t even cold.
“Maybe you shouldn’t drink that. What if you get called in for that lineup? It’s probably better that you aren’t drunk in the middle of the afternoon.” Liz took the glass from her hand and set it on the counter.
She was probably right, but Ronnie still wanted the vodka. Or she wanted the numb feeling it would bring, anyway. This was all too much. How was she supposed to dig herself out of this mess, all on her own? She was in deep shit.
“I’m here for you. You know that, right?” Lizzie tilted her head and lifted Ronnie’s chin to look at her.
Ronnie wasn’t even sure what that meant. There was nothing Liz could do. She couldn’t get the kids back for her. She couldn’t fix the mess she’d made out of her life, or stop her from flying into rages that left people near death. She couldn’t bring her parents back and rewind everything to six months ago before the whole world went to shit. There wasn’t anything she could do except say meaningless things like she was there for her.
Like it or not, Ronnie was in this alone.
At least that was how it felt.