Page 24 of Falling for Lucifer

“This is my house, so this is my business. Ellodie, do you see how your boyfriend acts?” Kamilah scolded.

Lucifer’s jaw clenched as he kept his eyes on his father, who gazed at him in mild irritation, but there was something more. Regret? Nah . . . Lucifer shook that thought off as he fought to control the monsters within him, clawing beneath the surface to come out.

“Mama, we aren’t doing this today,” Ellodie argued. Lucifer wanted nothing more than to go to her and comfort her, but he was too busy having his own showdown with his parent.

He simply stared at his father, willing him to leave, while he listened to Ellodie and Kamilah go back and forth.

“Oh, yes, we are. You never listen to me, and it’s about time you do. This man is . . . look at him! He’s roughing up the mayor, for heaven’s sake.”

“His father, Mama, and from what I’ve learned, he hasn’t been a good one at all. Something you can probably relate to,” Ellodie said.

“Excuse me?” Kamilah asked. Lucifer glanced back at her and saw her clutching her invisible pearls.

“You heard me,” Ellodie said. The strain in her voice let Lucifer know she was tired.

He clenched his jaw before choosing to let his past go so he could support his future.

He gave his father one last hard look before walking to Ellodie and wrapping a protective arm around her and Etta.

“Do you know what’s so fuckin’ sad? I’ve never been able to just be myself around you.

It got to the point that . . .” Her words trailed off as she looked up at Lucifer.

He kissed her forehead, hoping to convey to her that he supported her no matter what.

If she wanted to beat her mama’s ass, he would let her have at it.

He was fed up at that point too. Ellodie faced her mother again and squared her shoulders.

“It got to the point that I couldn’t even be honest with you about my first boyfriend. Ellodie’s real father.”

“What do you mean?” Kamilah asked, her voice dripping with judgment as she glanced between Lucifer and Ellodie.

“I mean just what I said. The man who I’d been dealing with for years is Etta’s biological father. He’s abusive, Mama, and I couldn’t even tell you that because instead of helping me, you would have judged me.”

“What you just say?” Daniel asked as he stepped forward. Martin was right behind him.

Ellodie ignored him as she continued to speak to her mother with tears in her eyes.

“He used to hit me. He made me feel like I was smaller than small, and even when I didn’t want to have sex, he made me.

That’s how Etta got here. Instead of being able to go to my mother for comfort, I had to hold all that in.

The day I met Lu was the day I gave birth to Etta. ”

“Wait,” Daniel interrupted. “Lu isn’t Etta’s father? Are y’all even together?”

Ellodie looked back up at Lucifer and leaned into him. He wiped her tears, while Kamilah scoffed. “They sure do look like they’re together. Look at them. She could do so much better?—”

“You ain’t just hear your daughter?” Lucifer asked. “A grown ass man was beating on her and forcing her to have sex, and you’re worried about the nigga that stepped up and makes her happy? Is you cool?”

He was over playing nice. This entire situation overstimulated him, and he was about to crash out.

“You can’t speak to me like th?—”

“Kamilah, shut up for once,” Daniel interrupted, and all eyes went to him. “I’m so sick of you tearing this family apart.”

Kamilah shot Daniel a warning glance. “You’ll do good to remember your manners when it comes to me.”

Daniel shook his head. “Fuck that.”

“Excuse me?” Kamilah practically had steam coming out of her ears. “What has gotten into both of you?”

“Years of your bullshit,” Daniel snapped before he turned to Ellodie.

“Your mother and I haven’t been happy since you were a child.

When I tried to divorce her, she blackmailed me.

I’ve been in love with another woman for a very long time, and your mother found out about her.

She threatened to expose my affair and jeopardized my job if I divorced her.

The deal was that I would play like I was a family man to the public, and in private, I could be with the woman I loved.

All your mother cared about was the money.

And I had to think about providing for you, but what your mother doesn’t know is I’m retiring at the end of the month.

” He turned back to Kamilah, whose jaw was damn near on the cement.

“We’re getting a divorce, and there’s no prenup, so guess what, wifey ? You aren’t getting a dime.”

“You can’t do that,” she shouted and then stomped her foot like a child having a tantrum.

“I can and I did. Right in front of the mayor, too, who is technically my boss. A boss I’ve despised during his long run as mayor.

Fuck both of y’all. Only reason I invited him to anything was because you insisted.

You loved feeling important. Wonder how you’ll do that now without my connections,” Daniel taunted.

Henry’s brows rose. “I think that’s my cue to leave.

” He took a timid step toward Lucifer. “Uh, Lucifer, I know you don’t want anything to do with me.

My time as mayor is coming to an end soon, and while I still have some pull, I would like to do something for you, like I did for you and your brother a few years back.

If there’s anything I can do, . . . like making sure a certain ex can’t bother you, call my office and let my assistant know. ”

With that, he turned and limped away from the front of the house.

He wondered why the hell his father would offer to help him.

Outside of the situation a few years back with Harley’s ex, he’d never lifted a finger to help any of his children before.

His mind flashed to the regret he thought he saw in his expression earlier.

He sighed as he tried to process everything before he looked down at Ellodie. “You ready to go?”

He had taken as much as he could for the day. He didn’t feel like being around anyone aside from Ellodie.

“No, she isn’t ready to go. Me and my family have things to discuss. You may go,” Kamilah said with the wave of her hand.

Ellodie shook her head. “As far as I’m concerned, we have nothing to talk about ever again.”

Her words came out in a whisper, and Lucifer knew she was close to breaking down.

He didn’t say anything to anyone as he gently guided her toward his car.

He opened her door and made sure she was in before buckling Etta, who had slept through that whole ordeal, into her seat.

After taking a deep breath, he closed her door and made his way around to the driver’s side.

He would be okay with not dealing with family for a while.

This had worn him completely the fuck out.