Chapter 23 She Stays!
Lorenzo’s POV
When I got to my home office, Kim was pacing around the room. I stood at the doorway, watching her move restlessly from the sofa to the desk, then to the window. She didn’t even notice my presence, and that alone told me something serious was going on.
I stepped into the room, stamping my shoes against the marble floor to announce my presence. She was startled and turned quickly toward me.
“Lucifer.”
“Kim, what’s wrong?”
I made my way to my office desk, circling it slowly until I sat in the chair across from her, facing her directly.
Kim crossed the room quickly, and in a heartbeat, she was standing right in front of me.
She folded her arms across her chest, her breathing sharp with controlled anger. “The new girl….who is she?”
A low scoff formed from me. “Which girl?”
“Lorenzo, don't pretend like you don’t know what I’m saying.”
I sank into the chair swaying around with my hands resting on my stomach. “Do you mean Evelyn?”
She rolled her eyes, pointing a finger at the door. “I don’t fucking care what her name is.”
“Hey, watch it.” I snapped, trying to stay calm as much as possible.
Kim lifted her hands up. “Fine. I’m sorry for being rude.”
She pulled the chair across and collapsed into it. “But at least I deserve to know who and what she is doing here.”
My head dropped on the papers scattered on the table, pretending to be busy with them. “Evelyn is now a part of this family.
Kim straightened up, sitting at the edge of the chair. “What?!”
I didn’t bother looking at her.
“How could you bring in a stranger you know nothing about and announce her as a member just like that.” She continued.
“Lorenzo, she could be a spy or something even worse!” Her voice came out louder than she should.
“That's enough!” I slammed my palm on the desk. The sharp crack echoed through the room, making her flinch and push back.
I lifted my chin toward her, jaw clenched, my head tilting slightly as I pinned her with my stare. “One more word against her….. then I will show you the other side of me.”
Kim’s eyes flickered in fear, I could see her holding back thousands of words, but that wasn’t going to stop her. I know her too well to be frightened by just my orders.
If there is any other person that doesn’t fear me after Evelyn, it should be Kim. She is courageous, brave, fearless and ready to fight off anyone that dares stand in her way.
The night I found her crying in that dark forest, she told me how her dad would constantly hit her mom whenever he was drunk. Other than Gideon, whom I helped without asking for anything in return, she was the only other person I had ever extended such a favor to. Her pains echoed mine. It reminded me too vividly of how my own father used to raise his hands against my mother in my past life.
So I took her in. I protected her, nurtured her, not as a lover, but as family, first a sister, then almost like a daughter. I had always admired her strength, the way she stood her ground to get what she wanted. But I had never seen her in any other light.
“Lorenzo….” Kim’s low voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
I managed to look at her again. And what I found was something I have long seen in her.
She looked worried, like she had seen something beyond me.
Kim turned around the desk, her movements slow and uncertain as she made her way toward me. I did not even try to stop her. I just wanted to know where all this was leading to.
Maybe she knows something that I don’t.
She leaned over, calm but with a quiet intensity in her eyes. “Can’t you see.” Her breath fanned my ear. “She doesn’t belong here, she is mortal, for all I care, she might be walking for someone else to bring you down.”
I pushed her away and stood up with a full voice. “You don’t know what you are saying.” My voice stern and sharp.
Kim quickly grabbed my wrist trying to calm the storm in me but I yanked away. “Lorenzo, think about it.” She began, voice low and deliberate.
“The sudden loss of your power should be enough to tell us that she is a bad omen. We should be thinking of how to unalive her.”
I made a sharp turn to her.
“Shut the fuck up!” I ragged. “If anything should happen to Evelyn Martins….trust me I wouldn’t mind the relationship we both share and send you to hell.”
“You are losing control of yourself, Lorenzo!” She shot back, every word edged with steel.
I laughed coldly, my eyes burning with the urge to rip everything apart. My legs moved closer to her, our faces were a few inches apart. “This is my life Kim.” I murmured. “You do not have the right to tell me what the hell to do with it.”
She tried to talk, but I shunned her.
“She stays!”
Her body jerked back, eyes darting around.
The room fell silent for a while before she continued again. “What happened to the Lucifer that I used to know?” She arched her head, resting on the desk.
“What happened to that cruel, wicked devil that I used to know?”
“Have you thought of what will happen to this empire if by any chance she gets to you? When did you become this soft?” Kim exhaled long enough before continuing. “At this point I’m beginning to think that you are gradually turning to mortal.”
Her silence stretched too long before she finally dropped a bomb. “She is making you forget Delilah.”
Anger coiled inside me, tight and burning. I wanted to dig my fingers around her neck, the urge to slit her throat filled my head.
How could she bring up Delilah to this matter?
She knows better than to compare her to anyone.
“Kim, watch it!” The warning burned out from me tasting raw.
She didn’t stop. I know her to be stubborn but this….this was the limit.
“What I’m trying to say is that…..”
I didn’t let her finish and grabbed a fist full of her hair and yanked her head backwards. She lifted her hands in surrender, eyes wide opened, pleading in a desperate breathless voice.
“Lorenzo….Lucifer….please….”
My hands gripped her too tight, jaw grinding together as I watched her cry out loud.
“I’m sorry…..I promise never to bring up her name again.”
My eyes tracked every trembling side of her, the way she stared up in horror before I slowly released her. She fell back to the chair, half standing, half sitting.
Her hand flew to the back of her head massaging the sore spot that I had just released.
And just then I had a soft creek from the door, my head snapped to the direction only to find a shadow resting on the door eavesdropping.
“Show your fucking face!” I barked.
The shadow did not move in rather it began to tiptoe outside.
I took the last glare at Kim before moving to the door. Reaching there I found Evelyn frozen at the door way, it was as if she was about to escape but my voice had stopped her on track.
I got to where she stood. My eyes scanned above her and that was when I caught the most beautiful sight of the morning.
She was putting on one of the dresses that I had ordered for her, and hell she really looked….breath taking, like the designer had her in mind when making it.
I leaned in closer, and there it was again, that scent of fresh roses blended with her shampoo. Hell, my world stopped. In that moment, I knew I could stay beside her forever, just to keep breathing her in.
Kim’s footsteps echoed behind us, stopping sharply between us. Her face flushed red the moment she saw how close I was to Evelyn. She looked between us once, exhaled heavily, and narrowed her eyes at me.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she spat, flicking her hair across my face as she walked away, her heels pounding like a warning.
It was only by the grace of my Maker that I didn’t drag her back and teach her a lesson she’d never forget, one that would remind her to never meddle in my affairs again.
Then, I twisted Evelyn’s arm not hard, just enough to remind her that I still know that she was here.
I watched her lips tremble and roll involuntarily before I leaned in, pressing my weight into her, the tip of my nose brushing along her cheek in a slow, teasing motion.
“So tell me,” I murmured, my breath warm against her skin. “What were you doing here…. sneaking around?”
She swallowed hard. “What? No….I wasn’t sneaking.”
“Then what exactly were you doing behind this door?" My voice lowered further, dripping with a slow, dangerous heat.
I watched her mouth part as if to mutter a word, but she couldn’t, my hands were undoing her slowly. My eyes fell down on her body and saw the sundress that she was wearing, perfect and clinging. I never believed she would look good in something like this.
She filled the dress perfectly. Every curve pronounced, every edge tempting the hell out of me. Her full, wavy hair fell over the thin spaghetti straps, cascading down her shoulders like a damn invitation.
My fingers trailed along a loose strand of hair falling over her forehead, sweeping it back. “Don’t even try to lie to me, Eve.”
She stood straight, not moving a finger.
“So,” I continued. “Did you come here because you were missing me….or did you come here for another motive…?”
Her gaze darted up to me, squinting her eyes. “What…no…what motive are you talking about?”
I scoffed, letting my bitter laughter linger on the air. “Don’t lie to me, Eve.”
She gave the smallest nod, eyes locked on mine, already surrendering beneath my hold. “I…. I won’t lie.” She said, but I saw it in her. It came from a place of defiance like she was not ready to give me any information that I was going to demand from her.
“Good.” I pressed my waist against hers, circling slowly. “Did someone send you to me as a spy?”
She froze, eyes locked on mine, then snapped back as if burned. “No…..no, nobody sent me to you.”