Chapter 18Katherine stared at Lucifer in awe. So, she’d really just been worrying for nothing all this while, huh?“Wait, are you serious, Lucifer? She asked again to ensure that she heard correctly.“Katherine,” He lifted his eyes away from the documents, “What did I say earlier? Get out of my study.” He commanded, and Katherine nodded, her body jittery.Happy, she ran out of his office and back to her room, only to jump in bed and kick her feet excitedly. Even though this was no call for celebration, she had narrowly escaped Lucifer’s wrath and that was something to be grateful for.As the day went by, Katherine’s routine remained extremely uneventful. It was starting to feel as though she was a slave in this giant mansion—she knew nowhere, had nowhere to go (if she’d even be allowed) and all she could do was drift in and out of sleep.She decided to move to the library and pick some books out to read. Situating herself in the window nook, she sat there and read until her eyes were
CHAPTER 19Katherine watched as Wilson weakly dragged out the old, worn out backpack and set it right in front of Lucifer. She had screamed so much that her throat felt dry and she felt immensely weak.“This…this is where I kept the money.” He swallowed, trembling as he looked up at Lucifer.“Well?” Lucifer gave him a dirty look, shifting back as his men stood alert. “Open it up.”Wilson complied, quickly scrambling to unzip the back with shaky hands. Immediately, the zipper came undone, stacks of money spilled out of the bag and Lucifer chuckled. “Pack it up.” He ordered a men standing with a black duffel bag.“Yes sir.” He responded, bending down to stack the cash into the bag. Lucifer crossed his arms, waiting until he were done. “How much is it?” “1,700 dollars, Sir.” He replied, zipping the bag up. It didn't even reach half the space of the duffel bag.“That little yet you still got caught? Lucifer laughed bitterly, turning to face Wilson once again, his anger bubbling to the
Chapter 20“What’s—What’s going on? Why did the car stop?” Katherine said, noticing that the scenery through the window had stopped passing by in a random blur.She looked at Lucifer and he pressed a finger to his lip, signaling for her to be quiet. Any wrong move and they’d both be dead. Katherine was scared for her life, and she ducked, getting on the car floor, trying her best to avoid what was outside. He opened a small compartment in front of him, and pulled out a small handgun.“I’ll be right back. Just…stay here, don’t move.” He ordered, his voice dead serious. She whimpered, nodding her head quickly as she shook.He climbed out of the car silently, crouching and holding his gun ready to fire. His eyes narrowed as he looked for where whoever had just ambushed him could be camping, but there was no one or nothing in sight. The driver had already stepped out of the car and was removing the road pin from the tire, which was already destroyed.“Must be those campers around here.” L
Chapter 21A bucket of hot water was situated right beside Lucifer, as Tricia dipped a small towel in, allowing it to drip, before she squeezed carefully with her hands. “Tricia, I told you, it’s fine.” He said, wincing as the warm towel touched his injuries. He tried to move her hand away, clenching his jaw to hide the pain. The tussle between he and Ana had left him scraped up, and as much as he tried to hide it from Tricia, she could tell. She could always tell. She’d nurtured him ever since he was little, so it was only normal to know him in and out.“Nonsense!” She swatted his hand away annoyingly as she looked up at him. “You need this, otherwise it’s going to keep getting sore.” She mumbled, repeating the process until she had touched every single bruise across his back and abdomen. “What would I do without you?” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Quite literally nothing, I fear. You move with reckless abandon, child. Be careful.” She tugged on his ear teasingly, placing the t
CHAPTER 22Katherine was still in the same position she had been in twenty seconds ago: arms wrapped around him in a tight hug, with their lips inching closer to each other slowly.It didn’t take long before Lucifer realized what was happening. He pushed her away from him, sending her stumbling backwards.“Wha—?” She gasped, feeling as if someone had just drenched her body with cold water.Right.Of course.She was stupid to even think that Lucifer would ever do such with her.“You’re acting like a child.” He jeered, looking down at her. It was almost as if right at that moment, all the energy in her depleted all of a sudden. But, he didn’t care. Why would he?“I’m sorry, I just thought…” Her face flared up with redness and all of a sudden, her cheeks felt extremely hot.“You thought what?” He asked with a firm tone, secretly enjoying the pink color that hsd gathered around her cheeks. “Just get in the car and stop wasting my time.” He mumbled, pulling the door open for her, before tu
Chapter 23Katherine yawned, the bright rays of the morning sun perching on her skin. Somehow, she had slept more comfortably than last nice. It was…soothing to be in Lucifer’s arms without a single care in the world.But now, she was back to reality. She didn’t even know what would happen next, but she hoped for the best. Her eyes fluttered open, squinting in an attempt to shield her eyes from the sun, but to no avail.Shifting back in the bed, she felt…nothing. Huh? Where were the big, burly arms that were wrapped around her last night? She shifted again, thinking that he had probably rolled over to the other side of the bed completely, but she was met with the same feeling.Nothingness.Slowly, she sat up in bed, turning to face his side of the bed. It was wrinkled, and Lucifer definitely wasn’t laying there. She wondered if she had said something stupid or did something. After all, why would he leave so quickly?She shook her head out of her silly thoughts, climbing out of bed and
Chapter 24“What do you want? You’re bothering me.” Lucifer said, lighting up a cigarette and bringing it up to his lips. In a slow drag, he pulled it away, exhaling as if he had been freed of all tension around him.Katherine stood by the door, arms crossed over her chest as her face contorted into one of confusion.“So, this is what you do, huh?” Katherine frowned, finally speaking up after a short while of silence. Her fists clenched as she stared at the nonchalant man, who flipped through documents that sat on the table. He didn’t bother sparing her a glance. The girl was too in over her head. Who did she think she was? The butt of the cigarette lit up as he took another satisfying drag, blowing the smoke out. Katherine coughed, waving her hand in the air, as if that would clear the air faster. She hated cigarettes, most especially the smell that followed. “Do you not care about me at all?” She asked weakly, stepping closer to him but still staying behind the table. Slowly, Lu
Chapter 25Lucifer moved down the dark hall in long strides, Anthonio rushing to keep up with him by his side. “Boss, they mentioned a little of bit of a hassle with the shipment, but things should be okay.” He said, clearing his throat and fixing his tie. Lucifer paused for a moment, turning to face him. His eyes went dark and he couldn’t hide the growing anger on his face. “A hassle?”Anthonio scratched the nape of his neck, avoiding Lucifer’s gaze. “Well, the thing is…” “I was in the middle of something, Anthonio.I’m sure you’re aware.” He cocked a brow, continuing his walk down the hall. “Yes, yes sir. I know and I apologize, but this was a matter of urgency and I had to have you out as soon as possible.” He babbled, linking his hands together in anxiousness as the briefcase he held in his hands somewhat weighed him down. For all his years of working side by side with Lucifer, he still feared him more than anything in the world. Forget being the Capo, when it came to anything
CHAPTER 136Asher sat with Noah resting quietly in his arms, the child’s tiny face pressed against his chest. His little hands clutched at Asher’s shirt without even knowing why. Asher glanced down at him and for the first time really looked. Although both parents Dna had contributed to the boy, his eyes… they were just like his father’s,Lucifer Cain.The ruthless, famous man whose reputation made even hardened men lower their heads. So this was the person Katherine had been running from all this time. The deadly Mafia.He wanted to know how she ended up with him. He had called her wife, asked for his son, showed possession and Katherine was vulnerbale. So vulnerbale and broken. Even after he left, she was still sitting in silence and trembling.Asher swallowed hard as he tried to put his messy thoughts together. The first time he heard of Lucifer, he had wanted to look for a way to harm Ethan. To set him up and fuck him up. But he couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand them. They wer
CHAPTER 135The house was quiet, except for the soft sound of the old ceiling fan and the gentle scratch of a cloth as Katherine wiped down the table. The scent of cleaning solution hung in the air. She hummed as she cleaned, trying to relish the moment and clear her head, before the doorbell rang.Her hand froze mid-wipe, cloth pressed against the wood. The sound came again, persistently, like it needed attention.It was just her and Asher home. And no one came here.No one should.Her chest tightened. She didn't want to do this. Not again.Day after day, boxes arrived. Packages filled with things she never asked for — diapers, clothes, money and various self care she could never afford. She wanted to throw them out, burn them, scream at the sky, but she didn’t.Instead, she let them pile up in Asher’s room, turning his space into a cramped storeroom of her trash. The Landans’ patience had run thin and she couldn't blame them. Kind people had their limits.The bell rang again, caus
CHAPTER 134“Where is she?” he demanded coldly as he burst into the house in rage. Katherine glued herself to the wall of her room as Ethan approached her like a mad dog. He had a scowl on his face. “What the fuck came for you today?”“I…I don't know ow what you're talking about,” she stuttered in fear. “Show me or you'll hate it if I have to force it from you, myself.”“What did I say about treating women, Erhan?” Asher said in anger as he strutted into the room. “show her what it is to force a woman and I'll show you what it is to train a man.”Ethan lunged for his son but he dodged. “Are you blind? Can't you see what she's doing? No one has ever tried to find us for years. But ever since she came things have been happening.”“And shouldn't that be a good thing? Or did you do something wrong? Something that you're scared of someone else discovering,” Asher taunted and smirked at them. Ethan stepped back panting heavily while Katherine leaned farther away with fear as he neared he
CHAPTER 133There was a gentle knock on the mahogany door. The deep voice from within called to enter, before the guards pushed the door apart.“You need to get those thugs you call securitymen arrested,” the dark man said in annoyance. “If they ever lay a hand on me again, I will ensure their body is laid in the ground.“Any news?” The second man said in boredom.“A never disappointing one,” the dark man said and dumped the carton of files on the table before taking his seat.“What did you find?” The second man asked before placing his cigar on the tray. “Hold on friend. I've got to step out of this or I swear my toes would get eaten by this monsters,” the man said as he quickly unfasten the laces of his boots. “These commanders got to tell me how they do it.”“Enough!” the other man said and slammed his hand on the table. “What did you fucking find?”“I found the house and exactly according to my tracking, it's situated at the end of nowhere. Belongs to some family. Who builds thei
CHAPTER 132When it's a coincidence, it doesn't repeat itself, does it?Amanda sat at the rocking chair, cooing at noah who was in her arms. The baby giggled and threw his little arms in the air playfully. The girls were at her feet playing dolls and fir the first time, she felt at peace.There was a relief. Maybe because her creep of a husband wasn't around. Noah let out a little but loud fact and the stench was abominable.“Mom!” Adelaide shrieked. “His poop is leaking out.”“Oh dear,” Amanda exclaimed in panic. “This dress costs two hundred dollars!”Katherine came rushing in at that moment from the laundry room. She picked up noah in fright. “Oh Amanda I'm so sorry…Maddy love, please fetch mom the wet tissues.”“You owe me,” Amanda said as she snatched the pack of wet wipes from her daughter.Katherine smiled painfully before hurrying away.“Let me deal with this diarrhea before it explodes everywhere….arghhh noah you stink of shit…I mean it's shit….but you stink for goodness sake!
CHAPTER 131The smell of sizzling bacon mixed with the earthy aroma of coffee filled the breakfast table as Katherine took a bite of her scrambled eggs.Ethan Landan wasn't helping either. He stirred the coffee pot beside her a little too loudly with the spoon clicking on every corner. It was so loud it drowned out the pounding in her head. She stole a glance at Asher who was sitting across from her. Nothing seemed out of place for him except the rage behind his eyes. He wasn’t meeting her gaze, rather his focus was firmly on the eggs on his plate. He knew. She knew. Amanda and Ethan were silent as well but their eyes flickered between Katherine and Asher from time to time as if they were trying to read minds or pick out anything odd.Katherine’s hand trembled slightly as she reached for her coffee mug. The sound of the cup clinking against the saucer was too loud. She quickly lowered the mug, staring down at her plate and trying to ignore the sick feeling churning in her stomach.“
CHAPTER 130“I'm sorry you had to go through all that,” Katherine whispered softly. “Opening up was really brave.”“Don't sound like you didn't make me do it,” he said jokingly.“Thank you,” she said, pressing his hand to her chest. “For trusting me.”“You know, you would make a huge sum of money if you consider therapy. Stop freaking kidding me.”Katherine pouted, trying to ease the situation. “Right? Don't you think you owe me?”“Maybe I would have,” he said, smiling wryly. “But you pushed me into talking by making me help you. More like reverse psychology.”Katherine's chest tightened. She already had all she needed. But it wasn't enough. She wanted more. “So, what do we do?”“This is the part where you act like you know nothing if you want to live long.”“Have you ever considered revenge?” Katherine asked out of the blues.“Lots of times,” he pointed out. “But God, I'm not like them.”“They have guns, don't they?”Asher scoffed. “Guns? No they don't use that here. They use surgic
CHAPTER 129Katherine took a step back, her voice soft. “I’m not playing games, Asher. I just… couldn’t sleep. That’s why I’m here. But it’s fine. I’ll leave. I’m sorry.”Before she could turn, Asher grabbed her arm, firm but not rough. “Stay. I… want you to stay. And I want you to be comfortable.”She hesitated, searching his face. “Does… comfortable mean you’re okay with being vulnerable too?”He scoffed, dropping back onto the bed. “I’ve got snacks. Could get something for you if you’re hungry.”“I’m fine,” Katherine whispered, then quietly lowered herself beside him. Asher glanced at her. “So… what is it?”Katherine rubbed her palms together, her heart pounding. She could already feel sweat on her neck. This could either save her… or end her right here.What if he was one of them? What if he smiled, stood up, and went straight to Amanda?But she couldn’t hold it in anymore.Her voice dropped to a shaky whisper, barely there. “ Before I start, I need your help and I need you to p
CHAPTER 128R circled Giovanni’s table with a frown. “We've got nothing. There's no thrill. None of what we did could bring him down. What do you want the underworld to say? That he's tougher than you?”Giovanni shrugged and leaned back against his chair, with his tobacco in the corner of his lips. “He's stubborn headed. That's the problem with Lucifer.”R scoffed, with her arms crossed on her chest. “And stubborn headed people always win.”“He settled his debts.”“So what?” R chimed In coldly. “Anyone can do that. Listen. We need something more fascinating. Very thrilling.”“And what do you think?”She grinned as she leaned in closely. “I've got something. I wasn't going to say because it didn't matter to us but oufff…a girl can't stay so long without being busy.”Giovanni turned to look at her with amusement and confusion swirling in his eyes. “What do you mean?”R leaned forward and dropped her voice to a whisper. Her lips moved silently against his ears and by the time she had pul