99

99
Moore
"Go to your room, Moore."
Lucien’s voice was low, firm, carrying an edge of something unreadable. He barely spared me a glance after taking me home.
During the ride, when the fear had finally subdued, I had fallen into silence. I kept replaying everything that had happened, my mind circling back to the one thing I couldn’t ignore. The kiss. I still couldn't believe it. Lucien kissed me. Lucien fucking kissed me. Worse, I let myself sink into it, and I.. I kissed him back.
I bit my bottom lip, trying to convince myself that it had only happened because of the adrenaline, the fear, the relief of being safe in his arms. But no matter how much I tried, I couldn't forget the way his lips felt on mine, the way he had held me so protectively, as if I was something fragile and irreplaceable.
The way he kissed me to reassure me. To tell me not to be scared. I have never experienced such before and to be honest, Lucien was a very good kisser who knew just how to keep his emotions in check.
Lorreta and the other staff had been waiting outside the moment Lucien pulled into the driveway. Their worried faces surrounded me as they asked if I was hurt. I forced a small smile.
Someone must have told them.
“I’m fine,” I assured them, though my voice was weaker than I wanted it to be.
Lorreta’s sharp eyes scanned me, looking for any sign of injury. Without another word, she pulled me into a hug. Warmth. Comfort.
I hesitated for a second before I let myself lean into it. I didn't care if Lucien wasn’t comfortable with her bonding with me. In fact, he didn’t seem to care at all. He stood there, cold and unreadable, as if what had just happened meant nothing.
But I could still see the fury in his eyes. Anyone who crossed him at that moment would be as good as dead.
"I’ll get you something to eat," Lorreta said softly, releasing me.
"I'm not hungry," I mumbled.
"You need to eat," she insisted, but her eyes flickered to Lucien, waiting for his confirmation.
Lucien barely spared me a glance. "Make sure she eats. She can have it in her room."
That was all he said before turning away.
A sudden thought gripped me. My phone is dead now. Before that incident happened, I had tried calling Lillard before that. He hadn’t picked up. That wasn’t like him. He always came to pick me up. Why hadn’t he been there?
I hesitated before asking, "Lucien… why didn’t Lillard come for me?"
I wasn't asking because I wanted to shift the blame for what happened. I just wanted to be sure there was a reason or if he was stuck somewhere, possibly in traffic or if he was sick.
Lucien stilled, his back still turned to me. The air shifted around us, growing colder. Slowly, he turned, his eyes meeting mine. For the briefest moment, something flickered in them—something I couldn’t quite place. It felt like sadness. It was gone just as quickly as it had come.
"He was shot."
My stomach plummeted.
"What?" My voice barely came out, a whisper of disbelief.
Lucien's tone was eerily calm. "They knew you’d be untouchable if he was there."
My breath caught in my throat, and my hand flew to my mouth. Lillard was shot because of me. I had endangered Lillard.
"No… no, no, no," I whispered, shaking my head. "How? Why?"
Lucien didn’t answer.
“It's not yours to worry about, Moore. I'll get whoever did that.”
I stared up at him. I know he wanted to say more. The way he stared down at me made me know he would kill anyone who dared to touch me.
Without saying anything more, he turned to leave, his usual dismissiveness wrapping around him like armor.
But I couldn’t just stand there.
Before I could stop myself, my fingers wrapped around his wrist, holding onto him like a lifeline.
"Can I go with you?" My voice trembled. "Please, Lucien. I need to see him. It was my fault. If I had told someone about the messages earlier, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. Maybe—" My voice broke, and I swallowed back the lump in my throat. "Please."
Lucien didn’t move. He simply stared down at my hand, still wrapped around his wrist. For a second, I saw something shift in his expression. Something soft. Weakness, almost.
Then it was gone like it had never been there in the first place.
"You’re not coming with me, Moore," he said, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Lucien, please," I whispered desperately.
"No." He replied. Not sternly or harsh, it was as gentle as the wind but eerily commanding.
Final. Absolute.
My fingers loosened, and I let go of him, my shoulders dropping in defeat. My eyes burned, my chest tightening with emotions I couldn’t even begin to understand.
Lucien sighed quietly, then reached out, his thumb brushing against my cheek. A soft touch. A fleeting moment of gentleness. It startled me as I flinched on his sudden touch.
"Go inside, Moore," he murmured. “Lillard will be home before you know it. I'll tell him you worry for him.”
I swallowed, nodding slowly. I should listen to him. I should let him go. But before he could leave, the question slipped past my lips.
"It’s my fault… isn’t it?"
Lucien hesitated. He looked at me for a long moment, his gaze searching. Then, with a quiet voice, he simply said,
"No."
And then he was gone.
The weight in my chest didn’t lift. If anything, it only grew heavier.
Lorreta was beside me in an instant. She exchanged a glance with Sam before linking her arm with mine. "Come on, let's get you upstairs," she said gently.
I let them lead me up, my mind a whirlwind of emotions.
That night, I lay in bed, untouched food sitting on the bedside table, staring blankly at the ceiling. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t stop thinking about Lillard.
I couldn’t stop thinking about the way Lucien had kissed me. The way he had his thumb caressed my lips.
And I couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling that everything was about to change.