Page 40 of Falling for Lucifer
“Now you’re uninvited.” Lucifer’s voice was deadly calm. They stared at each other for a few seconds. Lucifer noticed the fear in his father’s eyes. It was the same fear he saw five years ago. That was the last time he laid eyes on the man who helped conceive him. Lucifer stopped Hades from killing Henry right there in his own office, only for Lucifer to drop the man right on his head. He’d felt good about it too. Something about finally being able to cause harm to the man who ruined his childhood and drove his mother to kill herself was extremely satisfying. In a whisper, he leaned in slightly so only Henry could hear. “I thought I made it clear I ain’t want you nowhere near me or my family?”
“I didn’t know you would be here, boy—Lucifer,” Henry stuttered. He’d corrected himself when he saw the flash of anger in Lucifer’s eyes. The devil in him begged to come out and play.
“Now you know. I’m tryna keep it cool in front of these people, but you need to get up out of here. Fast.” Lucifer loosened his grip and then let go completely, allowing Henry a split second to catch his footing.
When he did, he straightened up and glanced around. The entire party seemed to stop and stare. Lucifer didn’t care. As soon as his father left, he would too. He could have let Henry stay, but that would only make him think it was okay to come around Ellodie’s family again. It wasn’t. Even if he wasn’t welcomed there anymore, he didn’t want to risk the chance of seeing Henry Ashford ever again.
“You can’t talk to me like this,” Henry hissed, trying to save face.
Daniel finally stepped in and clapped Henry on the back, a little too hard. Henry flinched from the impact but did his best to play it off.
“Why don’t I walk you out. Seems as though you’re upsetting my son-in-law,” Daniel said, glancing at Lucifer, whose heartswelled with pride. He thought for sure Daniel would stick up for Henry. He was the mayor, after all, and if they were colleagues, Daniel might have been putting himself in a tough situation. It didn’t seem like he cared. In fact, Lucifer picked up on the fact that Daniel didn’t seem to like Henry too much.
“Your son-in-law?” Henry asked before his eyes landed on Ellodie.
That was when it happened. Lucifer’s blood boiled over. He snatched Henry up so fast. “You don’t get to look at her. Ever.”
He grabbed the older man by his frail arm and tugged, pulling him through the crowd.
Kamilah must have just caught on to the scene unfolding in her backyard, because she shrieked when Lucifer and Henry passed by her.
“Oh my! Mayor Ashford!” she cried, running after them.
“Mama, stop.” Lucifer heard Ellodie behind him, but he kept going.
When he made it to the front of the house, he let go of his father again and watched him stumble. It took everything in Lucifer not to beat his ass. His chest heaved as he spoke one word. “Leave.”
“What in the hell is wrong with you?” Kamilah shouted as she shoved her way past the mini crowd forming in front of the house.
“Woman, mind your business,” Daniel said, trying to control his wife.
“This is my house, so this is my business. Ellodie, do you see how your boyfriend acts?” Kamilah scolded.
Lucifer’s jaw clenched as he kept his eyes on his father, who gazed at him in mild irritation, but there was something more. Regret? Nah . . . Lucifer shook that thought off as he fought to control the monsters within him, clawing beneath the surface to come out.
“Mama, we aren’t doing this today,” Ellodie argued. Lucifer wanted nothing more than to go to her and comfort her, but he was too busy having his own showdown with his parent.
He simply stared at his father, willing him to leave, while he listened to Ellodie and Kamilah go back and forth.
“Oh, yes, we are. You never listen to me, and it’s about time you do. This man is . . . look at him! He’s roughing up the mayor, for heaven’s sake.”
“His father, Mama, and from what I’ve learned, he hasn’t been a good one at all. Something you can probably relate to,” Ellodie said.
“Excuse me?” Kamilah asked. Lucifer glanced back at her and saw her clutching her invisible pearls.
“You heard me,” Ellodie said. The strain in her voice let Lucifer know she was tired.
He clenched his jaw before choosing to let his past go so he could support his future. He gave his father one last hard look before walking to Ellodie and wrapping a protective arm around her and Etta. “Do you know what’s so fuckin’ sad? I’ve never been able to just be myself around you. It got to the point that . . .” Her words trailed off as she looked up at Lucifer. He kissed her forehead, hoping to convey to her that he supported her no matter what. If she wanted to beat her mama’s ass, he would let her have at it. He was fed up at that point too. Ellodie faced her mother again and squared her shoulders. “It got to the point that I couldn’t even be honest with you about my first boyfriend. Ellodie’s real father.”
“What do you mean?” Kamilah asked, her voice dripping with judgment as she glanced between Lucifer and Ellodie.
“I mean just what I said. The man who I’d been dealing with for years is Etta’s biological father. He’s abusive, Mama, and I couldn’t even tell you that because instead of helping me, you would have judged me.”
“What you just say?” Daniel asked as he stepped forward. Martin was right behind him.
Ellodie ignored him as she continued to speak to her mother with tears in her eyes. “He used to hit me. He made me feel like I was smaller than small, and even when I didn’t want to have sex, he made me. That’s how Etta got here. Instead of being able to go to my mother for comfort, I had to hold all that in. The day I met Lu was the day I gave birth to Etta.”
“Wait,” Daniel interrupted. “Lu isn’t Etta’s father? Are y’all even together?”
