Page 17 of Falling for Lucifer

E llodie couldn’t stop the sobs that tore out of her as she rushed between her room and the nursery.

Her only goal was to pack for her and Etta.

Nothing else mattered. Not even Etta wailing in her crib mattered at the moment.

Her home suddenly felt like hell, and she wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

“Shhh, baby. I know, honey. I know,” Ellodie called out to Etta. “We’re getting out of here. Just hold on for mommy.”

Her voice shook as she rushed back out of her room to grab a couple of packs of diapers and wipes from the nursery.

The past few days had been torture for Ellodie.

Wes dominated her space and wouldn’t leave.

Every time she thought about bolting, it was like he read her mind because he would choose those moments to hold Etta, which made her stay in place out of fear.

Her days consisted of taking care of Etta, tiptoeing around her own home, and trying to appease Wes enough so he would leave.

Fear controlled her. He controlled her. Whenever he was around, she became a version of herself she hated.

He got in her head and made her believe terrible things would happen if she tried to run from him.

He’d known her for far too long. He knew her triggers.

He knew how to get into her head. And she fell for it every single time.

And that wasn’t even counting the relentless mental and physical abuse.

When Wes realized she couldn’t have sex, he blacked one of her eyes.

When she refused to give him head, he blacked the other one and choked her until she passed out.

Waking up from that had been the scariest moment of her life because she now had Etta to think about.

This wasn’t like a decade ago when she was in her early twenties and wondering what she did to upset Wes and how she could fix it.

She was a grown woman now with a child, and the hate she held in her heart for her baby daddy was astronomical.

When she heard the knocking at her door, it sounded like the police.

While Etta slept, Ellodie sat in the nursery so she could be near her.

It felt like the only room in her home that was safe.

Wes really didn’t want much to do with Etta unless it was to manipulate Ellodie, which meant he steered clear of the nursery.

Wes popped in and glared at her. He accused her of calling the police, which she hadn’t.

She reminded him that he had her phone. They went back and forth like that for a moment, but when the knocking persisted, he told her to stay in the nursery and don’t make a sound.

Like hell. She wasn’t about to do that. As soon as she heard the front door open, she crept toward the front of the condo. She knew now was her chance to get away from Wes. When she heard Lucifer’s voice, his name slipped past her lips before she could even think about it.

She had no idea where Lucifer had taken Wes, and she really didn’t care. All she cared about was getting out of her house. Tears fell fast and hard as she threw clothes and toiletries into her suitcase.

When she heard a deep voice down the hall, she jumped, but then she immediately relaxed.

“Ello, it’s just me,” Lucifer called out.

Ellodie immediately stopped what she was doing and ran out of her room.

She collided with Lucifer and didn’t hesitate to fling her arms around his neck.

Her feet left the floor, and she wrapped her body around his.

As she clung to him, he rubbed her matted hair and said, “It’s okay, baby. I got you.”

Etta’s cries grew louder, and though Ellodie didn’t want to leave the security of Lucifer’s arms, she knew she had to.

The same relief she felt right now, her daughter deserved to feel too.

She knew Etta picked up on the hostile vibes over the past few days.

She had been restless and inconsolable whenever she was awake. That only made Wes more irritable.

“Etta . . .” she muttered. She felt like she couldn’t form a full sentence at the moment, but she knew Lucifer would understand her, despite that.

“I got her. You okay to finish packing?” he asked, reluctantly placing her back on her feet.

She nodded. “Almost done.”

Lucifer cupped her cheek. She saw rage fill his eyes before concern took back over. “We’ll be in the living room.”

He turned to walk away, but Ellodie stopped him. “Wes?—”

“Aye, real talk,” Lucifer turned around quickly, “you ain’t ever gotta say that nigga’s name again as far as I’m concerned.

” He stepped back over to her and lifted her chin so she looked into his eyes.

“But if he ever contacts you again, you’ll tell me, yeah?

” She nodded quickly, and he offered her a half smile.

“Good girl. You shouldn’t have to worry about it, but the nigga don’t seem all that bright.

” He turned to walk away again and then stopped. “Why didn’t you call me, love?”

Fresh tears filled her eyes. He was the only person she craved to call over the past few days, but Wes had taken her iPad, phone, and laptop.

He made sure to cover all basis to keep her a prisoner in her own home.

She wasn’t entirely sure what his endgame was.

She didn’t think he had one. Wes was impulsive like that, which was why he always got caught up with the law.

Lucifer had been right in his assessment. He wasn’t too bright.

“He took my phone and stuff. I had no way to contact anyone, and I couldn’t leave.

He’d hold Etta or make comments . . . I .

. . I don’t know how to explain it.” She felt herself about to hyperventilate.

Trying to voice her fears or why she felt stuck out loud made her sound weak and even a bit crazy.

“Even when he showered, . . . he . . . he made me watch him. If I even looked like I was about to move, he would slap me. I was scared, Lu?—”

Lucifer pulled her into him again. “You ain’t gotta talk about it.”

She melted into him, but Etta’s cries were deafening at this point. Her breasts leaked painfully, and she knew she needed to pump, but that could wait.

“Please go get my baby,” she whispered. She turned to find a new shirt and some nipple pads so she could finish packing and get her and her daughter out of there.

He smiled kindly at her, though she could see how tense his body was. Somehow, she knew he was containing his anger for her and Etta, and she appreciated that. She’d seen enough loose rage over the past few days to last a lifetime.

“I got my baby.” He pinched her chin. “Get yourself together and let’s go. I don’t want y’all to be here by yourself anymore. We’ll talk about what’s next when we get to my place.”

Instantly, she felt lighter. He had no idea what his words did for her. Security and love were all she longed for her entire life, and for once, she felt it with the stranger who walked into her hospital room not even two weeks ago. Life was wild.

It was late. Ellodie wasn’t sure what time it even was, but she knew it was late.

As soon as they got to Lucifer’s place, he took care of Etta so she could have some alone time, and she was thankful. She needed time to process what she’d been through. She needed time to cry it out, clean herself up, and set herself up for healing.

It was sad that this was not the first time she had to do something like this.

Wes had done this many times before, but not quite as bad.

A punch here or there or some manipulation sprinkled with mental and emotional abuse was normal, but he would normally do the deed and go on about his business.

Seeing Ellodie with Lucifer had to have been a trigger for him because he made her sit in the trauma that time.

She wasn’t sure how long he planned to keep her locked away like that, which was why she spent the few hours she had to herself thanking God for Lucifer.

She’d just finished pumping after a long shower and decided it was time to check on her baby and Lucifer.

After cracking open the door, she tiptoed down the hallway and then stopped abruptly.

She’d gotten in the habit of creeping around, but she realized she didn’t need to do that anymore.

Tears filled her eyes, and she wasn’t fully sure why.

She wiped them away before continuing down the hall.

She chose to take in Lucifer’s home. When they got there, she was too focused on her racing thoughts to appreciate her surroundings.

His home was a beautiful two-story house. He told her there was a gym and a theater as well as a pool and a large backyard. Maybe tomorrow he could give her a tour. For now, all she wanted to do was settle in for bed.

As she walked, she wished she had her phone so she could call him and ask where he was.

She found her laptop and iPad tucked under the mattress on the side of her bed Wes slept on.

He must have had her phone on him because she never found that.

Lucifer told her not to worry about it. The following day, he would buy her a new one.

She didn’t need him to, but he insisted.

There was no energy left within her to fight him on it, so she simply thanked him.

She kind of wished she’d asked him to go get her one now, but that thought immediately left her mind when she heard Lucifer’s voice speaking softly through a door on the left, down the hall from the room she’d been in.

Lifting her fist, she gently knocked, and it only took him a second to call out to her. “Bring your beautiful ass in here, Ello.”

She blushed. Lucifer always made her feel like she had space to be soft. It didn’t matter what she was going through. He allowed her to just be . The more time she spent with him, the more she realized she never wanted to be without that safe space ever again.

As soon as she pushed the door open, her heart both skipped a beat and melted at the sight in front of her.

Lucifer’s room was huge—way bigger than hers.

She even spotted a fireplace with a TV hanging above it.

Her eyes landed on Lucifer though. He lay in bed shirtless with red basketball shorts on, and Etta lay on his chest sleeping peacefully.

Once again, she wished she had her phone so she could capture the moment and hold onto it forever.

This right here was what she wanted for her daughter.

A father who cared about her and was present for her.

Lucifer could calm Etta down better than she could at times.

It made Ellodie wish like hell she’d met Lucifer sooner and got pregnant by him instead of Wes.

“I was just checking in on her. How’s my baby?” Ellodie asked from the doorway.

“Come here and get in on this,” Lucifer urged.

Her body reacted to his command before Ellodie could even process it. “What am I getting in on?” she asked as she climbed into the bed.

“Affirmations,” Lucifer replied. He used one hand to hold Etta in place so she wouldn’t roll off him if she moved.

The other hand pulled Ellodie closer. “I was just affirming her. She’s been fussy as hell.

My voice seemed to calm her, so I figured I could take the time to encourage her.

As mean as Hades is, he used to do this for Eris and me when we were little.

In his own way.” He chuckled and then mocked his brother.

“Head up, lil nigga. You a king. You strong. You ain’t ever got nothin’ to cry about because you got me.

You gon’ grow up to be a better man than me and Pops . . . That kind of shit.”

Ellodie’s heart warmed as she tilted her head up. Lucifer stared at the far wall and looked to be lost in the memories. After a moment, she asked, “What have you been saying to Etta?”

He blinked and looked down at her. A slow smile graced his face before he kissed Ellodie’s forehead.

“I been telling her she’s a princess. She deserves all the good in her life.

She don’t ever have to be afraid of anything or anyone, especially if I’m around.

She’s strong. She’s beautiful like her mama. ”

He winked, and tears pricked the back of Ellodie’s eyelids. Her heart warmed. Etta deserved every word he’d spoken. She often had conversations like that with her daughter. She wanted Etta to know how loved she was and how she would never be alone.

“Thank you,” Ellodie muttered, “for everything.”

She didn’t bother wiping her tears. They trickled down the side of her cheek and onto Lucifer’s chest. He rubbed her back in slow circles, and they lay like that for a long time. Ellodie hadn’t planned on sleeping in Lucifer’s bed, but her eyelids became heavy, and she allowed them to close.

Lucifer’s voice was soft when he spoke, and she didn’t even bother opening her eyes. Etta had it right. His deep baritone soothed her to her core. She never wanted to leave this moment.

“You’re worthy of the best, Ello. You ain’t ever gotta put up with no bullshit from a man. You’re smart. You’re strong. You attract love. You’re beautiful. You have a beautiful mind. You’re a great mother . . .”

Ellodie wanted to stay awake and hear everything Lucifer had to say about her and to her, but the mental and physical exhaustion from the past few days finally pulled her into a deep sleep.