Chapter 25

“You don’t think I’m really Luka?” He sounds amused.

“There are other possibilities.”

“Oh, kid. You always did think you were more clever than you are. You’re such a disappointment.”

I almost hit the table again. Dammit, this is dragging so much stuff up. “Let us hear Susan.”

If this is a fake voice, Susan’s could be, too, but I doubt it. Creating a fake voice requires hours of audio from the subject. That’s why so many podcasters are prime targets. It’s easy to fake them. Luka could’ve arranged that before he died if he cared enough to, but would he? Why? To prove he’s better than me? Maybe I don’t want to believe that Luka would go this far.

“H-hello?” Susan says.

“Mom,” Amelia almost yells, tears in her eyes, her voice choked. “I can’t believe it’s happening again. Mom, I’m so sorry.”

“Ask her only something she would know,” I say quietly.

“Uh, Mom, do you remember when we went to the zoo, and I fell over, crying, because I was laughing so hard?”

“Y-yes.”

“What animal was it, Mom?”

“A giraffe.”

Amelia looks at me, nodding, a question in her eyes.

“Let’s get down to business,” Luka grunts.

“I could do the same with you, Luka,” I snarl.

“What? Ask me about zoos?”

“I could ask you about the fishing trip where I lost my shoe. Remember that? Remember what you said?”

“I’m an old man,” he grumbles. “I can’t remember much these days.”

“Yeah, sure you are,” I snap. “Whatever this is, it has nothing to do with Susan. You’ve made your point. Name a time and a place.”

“You don’t want to believe it’s me,” Luka says with a throaty laugh. “You want to believe the old Luka exists. The one who held you and told you it would all be okay. The one who played daddy for you because you were so damn pathetic and clingy. I did my part. I sacrificed for you, kid.”

This type of pain is new to me. It hits me square in the chest. I’ve spent so long locking this crap away, this part of him, anyway. “You pretended to be a good man for a little while.”

“I did a damn good job, too,” Luka grunts. “Look at you. I’ve seen The Answer, Michael. I’ve seen all of it. Iamthe fucking answer. Did you really think something like that could exist to help people?”

He laughs cruelly. I hate thinking about it, but it reminds me of how he sometimes laughed when making an off-color joke. Just his sense of humor, Mom used to say. It’s just how he is—his comments about a woman’s skirt on a warm summer’s day.

“You wouldn’t understand, Luka,” I say. “You killed two women. You murdered them in their own home.”

Across from me, Amelia flinches. I take her hand. She doesn’t fight me this time. She holds on tightly, looking at me desperately. I want to sayI won’t let him hurt your mom, but I said that before, and I let this happen.

“Aye, aye,” Luka says, sighing wearily. “This life isn’t an easy one by any means. We all have to make tough choices.”

“You could’ve chosen to leave them alone, goddamn it.” I finally slam my hand on the table, and Luka laughs. “Don’t fucking laugh at me.”

He laughs again. I’m supposed to be in control and thinking clearly, but I can’t. Who ever this is, they’re going to pay. If it really is Jack, I will beat the bastard to death for making my woman suffer. For making those women suffer. For not being the person he pretended to be.

“I’m at your oh-so-fancy garage, Michael. The one disguised as a big metal tomb. Be here within the hour, or I execute the slut. Listen to her, Michael. Listen to the slut. Tell him, slut. Tell them the truth.”

Amelia is on her feet, her hands clasped to her face, her eyes red. Lion looks up at her, growling in confusion. He looks around and yawns.

After a moment, Susan speaks. “I’m a terrible mother. I should’ve d-d-died instead of your dad, Amelia. It sh-sh-should’ve been me.”

“You’re making her say this!” Amelia yells.

“Ooh, hello, lady.”

“Don’t say a goddamn word to her,” I snap, battering the table. “Not a fucking word!”

Amelia cringes away from me. Even Lion steps back. I’m breathing so hard. Spit flies everywhere, rage consuming me. I’d kill him if he were here. “You sound oddly protective, kid. I didn’t take you for a romantic. Maybe I’ll treat her to the Luka special, eh? One hour. Ticktock.”

“You mother—”

He hangs up the phone. I grab something and throw it. Then I break something else. When I regain my senses, I’ve got my fist buried in the wall like a jackass, wasting time. My head is a red haze. When I turn, Lena is crouched in front of Demon, her hands spread protectively across him.

My mother bear and her instincts. I raise my hands, bloody, covered in small splinters. “I’m sorry, Amelia.”

She stands, rushes to me, and touches my hands. “We have to go. Right now. We can’t let him—”

“You and Lion are staying in the bunker.”

She shakes her head and pulls away from me. “We have to gonow.”

“No. No fucking way. I’m not risking you.”