Page 74 of The Cruelest Chaos

“I think you better start fucking talking,” Lucifer growls.

Ella lifts her hands, as if she’s going to plant them on my chest, but I tear my eyes away from her and spin around, taking a step further into the living room. “What the fuck did you just say to me?”

He smirks at me, his eyes looking nearly demonic. “You heard me,” he says softly. He stands to his feet, walks around the coffee table until we’re standing nose-to-nose. “I see you’ve got your new toy here,” he says, his face in mine. I can smell alcohol on his breath. “Better keep her away from us, Maverick. Stop teasing us with her.”

My stomach churns, anger and worry warring within me.

“It’s not easy, having to share a girl with your family,” he continues, his breath against my mouth.

“Lucifer,” I say warningly, “you might want to back the fuck up.”

“Did you know Lilith is pregnant?” he continues, as if he’s taunting me. Waiting for my reaction. “Did you know she hates me for it?” He laughs. “As if it’s entirely my fault.” He blows out a breath. “She’s good at that, you know? Pinning her problems on other people. Mainly, me.” There’s something that sounds more like him in those last words. Something that sounds like my brother and not the asshole that seems to have replaced him since he married Sid.

I don’t know what the right answer is here. I want to know where Sid is. I want to know what she told him; apparently, not much, if he’s asking me these questions. I want to see her and know she’s okay. I want to get Ella out of here. Every protective instinct in my body is on high alert and although I don’t like it, although I’ll need to work that shit out later, I can’t fight it right now.

Something is wrong with Sid.

And something is clearly very wrong with Lucifer.

“Congratulations,” I grit out, not sounding congratulatory at all.

He stares at me with a wicked smile on his face. One I’ve seen many, many times, but rarely ever had directed at me. “You happy?”

“Are you?” I counter.

“She doesn’t want it.” He still has that smile playing around his lips.

“Oh?”

“What do you think I should do about that?” The anger rolling off of him is nearly palpable, his blown pupils making him look deranged.

“Well, if she doesn’t want it, there’s not much youcando about it.”

He steps closer. His lips are nearly touching mine, our bodies nearly grazing one another. I wish I could see Ella’s face. I wish I could tell her to leave.

“There’s always something I can do, when it comes tomy fucking wife.”

“This seems like a conversation you need to have with her,” I say softly. And this time,Itake a step closer. My hand comes to the back of his head, forcing his forehead to mine, my fingers winding in his thick curls. “But if you dare think about hurting her,bro,I will slit your goddamn throat in your sleep and if she decides to keep your baby,I’ll help her raise it.”

His body is coiled with tension. I see the vein in his neck throbbing.

And then he puts his hands around my throat, squeezing hard.“If you think I’d ever fucking hurtmygirl, then you don’t know me at all.” He drops his hands to my shoulders, his grip firm. “Leavemy fucking family alone, Maverick.The next time she comes to your doorstep, you tell me, and you walk herright back here.Do you fucking get it?”

I laugh. I can’t help it. And then I shove him against the wall, his head hitting the drywall with a thud. I grab his throat in one hand, the other pinning one arm against the wall.

“Get yourself together.” My mouth is over his now, eyes boring into his. “My familyhas spent a long time apart thanks to your father, Lucifer. But you don’t call the shots on them. Not anymore.” I run my mouth over his, feel his lips against my own.“I fucking do.”

He makes to bite down on my bottom lip, but I jerk my head away, squeezing his arm harder, fingers of my other hand digging into the side of his throat.

“So if you think I’m going toback off, leave you and Sid alone, let you destroy this shit before it even begins, you’re more fucked in the head than I thought.” I press my nose against his. “She’s my sister. You’re my brother. Get rid of that fucking coke and start acting like it again.”

I release him and take a step back.

His arm falls to his side, and he leans back against the wall, panting, running his tongue over his lips.

I turn away from him, throw my arm around Ella and press her to my side as I walk her down the hallway, toward the front door. I feel her body going rigid beside me.

Before I open the door, I twist my head and call over my shoulder, “And while you’re at it, buy Sid a goddamn car.”