Page 34 of Creeping Lily
And then there’s Goliath’s interest in her.
No clue what that’s about, but it’s the kind of interest that comes with orders — quiet, unshakable, non-negotiable.
I’ve been told to keep her in my sights. No details. No context. Justwatch her. Protect her at all costs. If someone even looks at her wrong, I’m supposed to know before it happens. If someone breathes too close, I’m supposed to decide whether they keep breathing at all.
Orders like that don’t come down for just anyone. And it’s not just the usual “keep the boss’s kid sister safe” sort of gig. This feels different. Heavier. Like they know something about her that no one’s saying.
Who the hell is Lily Snow?
She’s not some spoiled mafia princess, not a known asset, not anyone in the system. She’s quiet, deliberate, a ghost in plain sight.
But Goliath doesn’t burn resources on ghosts without a damn good reason.
So I watch.
I protect.
And every day, the question digs deeper into my skull:
What’s her connection to us? And why does the idea of anyone touching her make my trigger finger itch?
Especially with Wendolyn sniffing around. I don’t like the way she looks at Lily—like she’s sizing her up, looking for weak spots. Wendolyn’s got sharp edges, and I’m not sure which way they’ll cut. Lily pretends not to be bothered by it, but I know she is.
My thoughts get cut short when Trick’s voice breaks through.
“You’re not even trying, man,” he complains, as I stub my cigarette into the gravel under my boot.
“I brought her out here, didn’t I?” The reminder slides right past him. “The rest is up to you. Unless you want me to literally take her hand and put it in yours. I now pronounce you boyfriend and girlfriend.”
He shoots me an irritated look. Trick McCordy’s a good guy, but he acts like I’m a miracle worker.
“You sure you don’t have designs on her?” he presses.
He’s unsure, but I’m not.
Yeah, I think she’s hot. And yeah, she makes me feel… something I can’t name without choking on it. But the minute Trick made his interest clear, I backed off. I’ve never seen him this gone over a girl, and I’m not about to be the guy who gets in the way of my best friend’s happiness. Not when he staked his claim before I had the guts to.
He told me straight-up—he fell for her the moment he saw her.
I swallow the lump in my throat and light another cigarette. I’ve done everything I can to push the two of them together, but Lily’s not biting. She’s as unimpressed as she is uninterested.
The guilt sticks to me like smoke. I’m not immune to the way she sometimes looks at me. And she’s not immune to the way I look at her. But whatever’s between us has to stay buried.
“I’m not interested in Lily Snow,” I tell him. The words feellike a lie as they leave my mouth, so I lock my expression down until I’m nothing but neutral.
Trick studies me, unconvinced. Can’t blame him. Every straight guy within ten feet of her takes notice.
“I’m not,” I repeat, then add, “But you know others are.”
It’s a warning. If he doesn’t make a move, someone else will. And with Wendolyn lurking, watching Lily the way a cat watches a cornered bird, I can’t shake the feeling that trouble’s already circling.
“You’re trying awfullyhard to get those two together,” Bethany says, her voice edged with something between suspicion and warning.
We stand leaning against my car, watching Trick walk Lily toward her dorm. She’s protesting, of course—arms crossed, chin tilted in that stubborn way she has—but she’s still letting him walk her to the door. Our trip to the beach ran longer than planned, but it was worth it. Lily spent hours with us without once cracking open a book, which for her is basically a miracle.
“Trick’s a good guy,” I say, shrugging like it’s the simplest truth in the world.
Bethany folds her arms tighter, her eyes locking on mine. The defiance in them could light a match.
