Page 102 of Pray for Scars
My gut twists. That relief…it seems to be disappearing just like the smoke from Lucifer’s cigarette by the door.
Lucifer arches a dark brow. “Interesting,” he observes quietly.
Jeremiah turns his head to face him. “You don’t think I’ll do it?” he taunts him, his voice low.
Lucifer shrugs. “We’ll see.”
Jeremiah presses the blade in deeper and I bite my lip, not willing to scream.
“The thing is, Lucifer, you don’t know how to finish what you start. And you don’t know shit about my sister.”
Lucifer eyes Jeremiah, a small smile playing on his lips. He doesn’t say a word. That bubble of hope in my chest, it pops.
He’s not going to help me.
“The thing about my sister,” Jeremiah continues, “is that you’ve got to own her completely.”
I try to swallow. Try to breathe.
I think of being locked away in the Rain mansion. Of how much worse this is going to get for me. I close my eyes. Try to pretend I’m not here. That when I wake up, this will have been one long, horrible nightmare.
But where do I want to wake up? Where do I want to be when this is all over?
Lucifer’s.I want to behis.
“You’ve got to own her, and you’ve got to keep her. Because if you don’t,” Jeremiah huffs a laugh and turns back to stare at me. “Well, as I’m sure you know, if you don’t, she’ll have someone else’s dick down her throat in a matter of minutes.”
I can feel my own blood trailing down my wrist. Dripping to the floor. Jeremiah glances down at it and smiles.
“Finally,” he says softly. “Finally, you’re bleeding forme.”
Lucifer laughs, a low, dark sound. The fear is back now, slithering under my spine. In my skin.
He’s not here for me.
We both turn to look at him.
“Looks like you’ve got this all under control.” He turns to go. My heart sinks. But did I really think he’d save me when I needed him? He glances over his shoulder, eyes on Jeremiah.
And then he walks away.
Slowly.
Casually.
As if he isn’t leaving me to have my skin mutilated by Jeremiah. As if he didn’t just learn that his dad…his dadhurt me.Fed me to the wolves. Let peoplepayfor a child.
One down. One to go.
As if he didn’t just kill his father.
For me.
Because I know he’s dead. I know that blood on his hands is his father’s blood.
Anger blends with fear and panic as Lucifer walks down the hall and through the door, and lets it slam shut behind him without another glance.
Why did I think he’d fight for me? Why do I even want him to?
