Page 44 of No More Secrets

“They’re annoying, tiny insects who’ve ruined my food.” Flick, flick, flick.

“Now you’re just being mean.” She ran to a bush and returned with a leaf. She held it steady on the edge of his plate.

“What are you doing, weirdo?”

She coaxed an ant onto the leaf. “If I can save one life, it matters.”

Cradling the leaf with the ant in her palm, she walked to the bushes and set the leaf on the ground.

“You’re a jerk, Lucas,” she shouted, and ran inside.

Guilt had curdled his stomach. He looked at the plate. A frenzy of ants raced around his food as if they’d struck gold. He had no intention of eating it, so he hadn’t wanted the ants to eat it either. He’d tried killing as many as he could, taking out the anger over his mistake on them. He let the rage inside consume him.

He’d behaved exactly like his father.

And it had never scared him more.

Disgusted, Lucas dumped his food in the bushes near where Lily had let the ant free. Fine, those stupid ants could eat it all. He stomped back into the cabin for more eggs.

Lucas jerks open the nightstand drawer, drops the blade inside, and slams it shut. He couldn’t have been older than eleven in that memory. Lily would have been eight. And she was already wiser than him. Kinder and more forgiving, because she’d told him exactly that when he fixed himself another helping of eggs. “I forgive you, Lucas.” Then she’d asked him to take her swimming.

Would she be as forgiving if he confessed his secrets now? Doubtful. She isn’t that naive child who once looked up to her big brother.

Through the wall, Lucas hears the doorbell ring followed by muffled voices. His first thought is Ivy. It sounds like her. She’d told him this morning she’d allow Shiloh to work if he took her offer of buying her out more seriously. They could work out an arrangement if he didn’t have the cash to invest or couldn’t get a loan. He put her off. She’s probably here to press for an answer he doesn’t have.

Then again, the person at the door could be that woman from the market this morning, the one who drove away in the Honda he’d seen parked out front last night.

The same one that sent a jolt of arousal through him just from throwing him a look.

The same one his gut tells him wasn’t here just for a sandwich. She came looking for him.

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He rushes for the bedroom door and yanks it open.

Shiloh’s on the other side, fist raised to knock. “Dude. You scared me.”

He leaves the room and walks into the living area, making her follow. “Who was at the door?”

“That old woman from the store. She invited us for dinner. Homemade lasagna.”

Lucas shoves back his hair. For a second there, he thought it was over for him. He should have left earlier today, but he couldn’t make himself abandon Ivy or Shiloh. He keeps telling himself the cops would have already been here if he needed to worry.

“What’s your prob?” Shiloh asks, noticing how agitated he is. He’s wound so tight.

“Nothing.” He’s wrong about that woman. She isn’t here for him. She’s gone. He needs to chill and stop assuming everyone is out to get him.

Good luck with that.

Shaking his head, he goes into the kitchen and puts away the food.

“I’ve never had homemade lasagna. Beggars can’t be choosers, but it sounds a heck of a lot better than chili from a can.”

His sentiments exactly. She’s scrawny from living off whatever she could lift these past weeks. But he avoids eating at Ivy’s. Other than the time she stayed with him when he first arrived, he’s never eaten with her. She brings him meals, at least one every week, and they always comewith an invitation to join her. He declines, fearful he’ll let slip what he’s done, even more afraid he’ll grow attached.

But she’ll give him an earful if he refuses tonight and doesn’t give her the opportunity to get to know hisniece. He doesn’t see a way out of this, not without Shiloh’s help. Besides, the kid probably hasn’t had a decent meal in weeks. They’ll just have to be extra careful about sticking to their story.

He tosses the bag of rolls on top of the fridge and turns to Shiloh. “You’ve never had homemade lasagna?”

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