Just One Kiss (The Town of Pearl 8)

“We were just having some tea. Would you all like some? Beth, maybe make another pot?”

“No thank you, Mrs. Higgins. I think Salvatore and I would like a few moments alone with Lucia,” Lucifer said.

“Lucia?” Mary wanted to make sure it was okay. She felt terribly for Lucia. It was obvious that she was hurting and scared. She wanted to protect her, and the best protection she could provide would be to make sure the Walters men claimed her as their woman.

Lucia nodded her head as she kept her arms wrapped around herself and stared out the window.

* * * *

Lucia’s heart was pounding inside of her chest. She hadn’t wanted the men to find out this way. That she had the light marking, that the man who had drugged her, raped her, and gave her the concussion would not give up until he found her, was now all out in the open.

She felt the arm go around her waist, and then the large solid chest against her back. Lucifer pushed the hair gently from her shoulder and neck and kissed her skin.

“He can’t have you, Lucia. You’re ours, and this man will not come between us. I know you’re scared, untrusting, and confused. We’re going to help you through this and to understand that we’re your guardians, your friends, and will be your true lovers.”

She gasped and turned her head to look at him.

The thought of someone touching her, of anyone touching her intimately, was scary. As attracted to them as she was, there were still issues to deal with. Even though she wasn’t conscious during the rape, she still knew she was assaulted. She remembered bits and pieces of the encounter.

It was crazy, but over the past week or so she had learned to trust the men, and let them get closer and closer to her. When she was alone at night in bed, she thought of them. She wanted to feel their hands, their lips everywhere. But she was scared. She didn’t know if she could get past the fear Derek put into her. She also didn’t want to place these men in any danger. God knew what Derek was capable of. She wouldn’t put it past him to hurt these men if he ever found her.

But at night, when she was sleeping and got scared remembering the attack, it was the Walters men who came to mind and eased her back to the present. She used their images to help her relax, calm down, and get the rest she needed. Whether she wanted to believe it or not, she was falling for them, and they had come to mean more to her than anyone in her life ever had.

“Lucifer, I don’t know if I can be what you want me to be. I don’t know if I can let you and your brothers touch me like that.”

He shook his head and turned her around to face him.

“We’ll help you, baby. You come first from now on. Always you first, Lucia.” He leaned forward and kissed her lips then her nose and then her forehead before he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight.

* * * *

It was difficult to go back to work upstairs in Mrs. Higgins’s house after overhearing more details about Lucia’s past. Lucifer’s heart continued to pound inside of his chest as he thought about her being a victim in more ways than one. Her own family betrayed her. Her parents. He was shocked and outraged. But to know that some asshole that drugged her, raped her, and assaulted her was still out there really pissed him off. And it obviously pissed off Salvatore, too, as he called Maxwell then Gabriele to explain the situation. Maxwell was going to meet them at the house as soon as possible. He was working on something for Wyatt.

“I don’t want her out of our sights,” Salvatore said as he used the nail gun to post in and secure the Sheetrock to the beams of wood. The sound of the motor and then the air pump echoed through the room, but didn’t hide the strong tone and emotion in Salvatore’s voice.

“This information does change a lot of things, Salvatore. She’s still in the healing process. She may be incapable of trusting any of us despite our honesty and verbal commitment to her. There’s a lot to consider right now.”

Salvatore threw down the gun and stomped his foot as he took a step forward. “You backing out on her? On being her guardian? Her man and protector?” he asked. Lucifer knew Salvatore already had strong feelings for Lucia, and he had his own hang-ups with trust and being a survivor. But to see him react so forcefully and combatively concerned him.

He raised his finger at him. “You need to calm down and get that attitude in check. Lucia sees you or hears you being aggressive and it could scare her away entirely.”

“I wouldn’t hurt her.”

“I know that. Just calm the fuck down. We need to really think this through. We need to discuss this with Gabriele and Maxwell and bring them up to speed. Then we need to make a plan of action. One that ensures Lucia’s safety while also gaining her complete trust so she lets us in and lets us protect her. She’s all alone. Or at least feels that way.”

“I know exactly how she feels. I get it. I understand because I’ve been that way for some time now. It’s not easy to trust anyone, even blood, when you’ve been through such violence and faced death in the eye.”

Lucifer thought about that a few seconds as Salvatore looked away, ran his fingers through his hair, then bent to pick up the nail gun. He looked at Lucifer.

“I think we should get everything we can on this piece of shit that hurt her, and then take him out.”

Lucifer swallowed hard. The expression on his brother’s face was so cold and dark. It made him wonder, like he often did before, exactly what his brother Salvatore was capable of. But then Salvatore winked.

“Don’t call the loony bin just yet, Bro. I needed to get that off my chest. Let’s finish up then call it a day. Maybe we can get Lucia to come home with us so we can talk about all of this?”

“I think we all need to discuss this first, then talk with Lucia.”

“I don’t want her to be alone. Especially now. Especially after what she revealed to all of us, including Mrs. Higgins and Beth. They’re worried about her too.”