Page 38 of Midnight Queen

A break—that’s all I want and then I will happily return to Silas’s kingdom of shadows.

Breaking through the large group of people, I slip into an empty spot at the bar and search for my friend.

Lucy stands at the other side, her ever-present scowl firmly in place as she places a cocktail in front of a customer. He tries to talk to her, a coy smirk on his face. With a wicked grin she tells him something I can’t hear from here, but I know by the way his face falls and his ego visibly deflates, my best friend just verbally went for the kill. She always does.

Adjusting the high ponytail she wears, she turns away from him with a victorious smirk.

Her observant eyes scan the bar and before I can open my mouth to get her attention, they land on me.The relief she feels is written across her face, but just as fast as it appeared, it twists into anger. She throws her hands up in question as she mouths the words, “What the fuck, dude?”

Yeah, Lucy, I’ve been saying that a lot to myself lately.

I brace myself for her wrath and questions when she scurries around the counter as fast as her high-heeled stilettos will allow her. There are times that I miss working side by side with my childhood friend, but I do not miss the skimpy outfits that are required of the staff here.

“That’s her?” Lorcan talks close to my ear so I can hear him over the music. “You should have mentioned your friend is hot, Quincey.”

“Don’t even bother, she will eat you alive.”

He groans, almost like he’s in pain. “Promise?” he asks, making puppy-dog eyes at me.

At this point, all I can do is shake my head at him as a final warning. If he wants to try it, that’s up to him, but I know it won’t end well for him.

Lucy elbows the random guy next to me out of the way. When he looks at her and his lips part like he’s going to complain, she silences him with a single look. With his tail between his legs, he shuffles away.

“Quincey‘My mom never bothered to give me a middle name’Page, where in the fuck have you been?” Lucy shouts once she’s standing in front of me. “I have been worried sick about—” I know the second she sees the bruises on my face. She goes from being irritated at me to homicidal in a blink of an eye. “Who did it?” She bites out between clenched teeth. “Who put their fucking hands on you, Q? Where are they? I’m going to fuckingkillthem.”

“Luce,” I try to calm her down, but it’s no use. There’s no putting out the fire I accidentally just started. “I’m okay.”

Her fingers snatch my chin and tilt my face toward the light of the bar, “The fuck you are, Quincey! Look at your face.” As if she’s suddenly just now noticing the tattooed man standing next to me, her eyes narrow at Lor. “Did you do this to her?”

Thinking she’s joking, Lorcan chokes on a laugh, but stops quickly when he figures out she’s being serious. “Excuse me? You thinkIput my hands onher? Sorry to disappoint, darling. While I do enjoy living a little recklessly, I don’t actually have a death wish.”

Looking back at me, she demands. “Thenwho?”

The truth is right on the tip of my tongue, but no matter how much I want to, I can’t spew out;'Holy shit, Lucy. Mom was right, vampires are real and guess what? I let one fuck my brains out, and oops, surprise, I’m in love with him too. But before I could tell him that, I was kidnapped and tortured by another vampire, but don’t worry about me, I’m good. Oh, and I now have matching scars on my chest, but it’s okay, because X marks the spot, and you and I both know I’m a real treasure’.Lucy would have me in a straitjacket and matching Velcro mittens at the first mention of vampires.

Instead, I lie. I lie, because I want to keep my best friend safe from this world for as long as possible. “Duke and I were on our way back to the house I’ve been working at when a deer jumped in front of the car. Duke swerved and we ended up crashing.”Lies, lies, lies. “I was a little banged up, but Duke hit his head. He’s stable, but we’re waiting for the swelling in his brain to go down. They’re going to try and wake him up tomorrow.”

“What!” Lucy shrieks, an appalled look on her face. “Why didn’t youcallme?”

Guilt is a lovely thing, isn’t it? Makes you feel like you have a thousand-pound weight on your chest, but at the same time, you might puke.

“My phone was damaged in the accident, but honestly, Luce, it’s been a really bad week and I was really shaken up from all of it. I just needed a couple days to get myself together before I saw you.” They say the best lies are the ones with truth weaved in.

Lucy looks at me, her eyes taking in every inch of my face. I know what she’s doing, she’s looking for the cracks in my story—and in me—but I came prepared. The entire way over here, I built a wall I never thought I’d have to put up between myself and her.

If she truly believes me or just elects to drop it, I’m not sure, but she releases my chin, and the harsh lines of her face smooth.

“You really scared me when I didn’t hear from you, Q. You can’t just get some mysterious job and then drop off the face of the earth. That’s not how this works—that’s not how we fucking work.” Her finger points at me. “Don’teverdo that again.”

“I won’t,” I promise as I wrap my arms around her. There’s a twinge of discomfort as my stitches pull, but it’s worth it to be reunited with my friend.

“And for the love of God, get a new phone.” Lucy grumbles into my shoulder when she hugs me back, making me laugh. “When can I visit Duke? I’ll bring him a teddy bear or something. Maybe a bottle of whiskey?”

“He’s in the ICU. I’ll see if there’s a time you can stop by,” I tell her after she releases me and takes a step back.

“Good. Once he’s up and moving, I want to get a picture of him in one of those sexy hospital gowns.” And that’s what I love about Lucy. Without having to be told, she talks about Duke like everything is going to be okay—like the alternative isn't even an option. Lucy isn’t usually theglass half fullone of the pair, but she knows I need her to be this one time. “So, what can I do now to help since I couldn’t help you this week?”

I feel my face split in a devious grin. “Remember our senior year when we broke into that swimming pool, and we had to run from the cops?”

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