Page 38 of Roses and Murder
“No, you won’t because that’s not you. You have a code.”
“How do I fix this?” he asked.
“Stop picking fights with her for one. You’re going to have to be brutally honest and let her get mad. Youwerea fucking idiot and could have just asked her if she knew who her father was and told her why you wanted to know. Grovel. Do something nice for her. Fuck, let her break your nose again. We miss you and we want our group back together. Do whatever you have to.”
“I’m going to get her mom the cure no matter what,” Neco said.
That was a tall order. I honestly wasn’t sure how they were going to pull it off. Lucy’s plan was risky when we thought he was a Baron. Folcarddidn’tcare about his bastards and, apparently, he had a lot of them when his wife only had a daughter at first. He used and abused them, but he might care Neco slit his throat.
I hadn’t read the contract, but I knew Lucy was well versed in reading and looking for loopholes. Neco wasn’t half bad, either.
There might notbea loophole Folcard could trot out, but that wouldn’t stop him from making one up.
Ihad been planning to bring Mom the cure andthenconfess I took on a serial killer, but she knew before I had my prize. I had beenhopingshe was asleep because she was sick and should be. She’d also be less angry if I was sewn up and could hide my bruises by stealing some of her makeup.
Of course, I was her daughter, and I knew better. She was waiting, and she had the whole scene set. She was waiting in the same chair she always sat in when I had to walk home after they let us out of the cells, but she had the candle flickering for extra effect.
“Lucy Argent, I swear to the gods?—”
Before she could really get going—and once she got going, it was difficult for her to stop—Basselt stepped forward. Did thisman value his balls? Because Mom would rip them off with her teeth.
“I know you want to go she wolf to your cub and no one is stopping you, but she needs to be stitched up. You can call your healers and they will find out her secret, or I can do it. I know how.”
Neco growled. At a fucking wolf. What was he even doing here? Basselt bared his teeth and growled right back.
“I’m not interested in cubs. Use the rational part of your brain. You need a healer to sew her up so it scars less. I already know her secret. I’m a lot older than you and have seen more breasts.”
Neco just snorted.
“Doubtful. I’ve lived in a brothel since I was ten.”
“It’s also not your decision,” I said. “I trust Basselt. I’d ratherhimsee my tits thanyou.If you can’t deal with it, then leave.”
Neco looked like I hurt his feelings. I didn’t want him to treat me any differently now that he knew. If he ever wanted to explain things, I’d hear him out and decide if I wanted him back in my life, but Neco never did that. Neco Argent grew up around strong women. He needed to stop treating me like I was helpless.
“You all let her get hurt?” Mom snapped.
Oh, damn. Now she was mad at them instead of me. That was going to changereallyfast when she found out I was brawling again, but with a serial killer this time. Neco puffed up his chest.
“We got there as soon as we could, but she caught a serial killer and he got the worst of it. She won the fight,” he said proudly.
Mom rubbed her temples and started coughing. Her cough wasn’t as bad as it had been. Blood wasn’t coming up as much, but I’d need the cure soon.
“Yourmothers might be proud you won a street brawl, but somehow, I doubt that. My child’s strength is in her cunning. Stop dragging her into fights.”
“Mom, they didn’t.Idid this. I was the one who went to Folcard for the cure. Neco did nothing but help me and protect me. We had a whole plan to check in with each other and Basselt was there to let us know which direction the Ghoul was heading if he even hit up Lower Cutwart. I was the one who messed up and dipped into the alley to see if he was already inside.”
I started gritting my teeth as Basselt sewed me up and he was being as gentle as possible. Mom wasn’t done, and I didn’t really expect her to be.
“And was all of this worth it? Ollie said this man was one of them.”
I told Mom the entire sordid tale as Basselt sewed up the wound in my chest. Basselt saved me again before she pointed out what everyone was thinking, but not saying.
“Even if her father refuses to honor his end of the contract, I can harvest the herb within the next few days because of this rainstorm. If Lucy hadn’t gotten involved in all of this, you both would have been a target because this man thought Lucy was Lance and his competition. Folcard got around and the Ghoul managed to find out exactly who and where.”
“Why was he rolling around in the girls’ beds?” Ollie asked. “I get we’re never going to understand why he was pissing in the house, but didn’t weallthink it was the daughters who were of marrying age who were the reason behind all of this and not the sons?”
“I don’t know this man, but I can answer,” Mom said. “Everyone thinks I slept with Folcard because I was stupid and trying to better my station. I wasn’t. He would have made my life so much more difficult if I’d said no. That’s not exclusive toGuttertown. It’s all over Nestran. If it’s going to be worse if you say yes than if you say no, then people say no all the time.
