Page 86 of Things We Hide from the Light

Lucian had a way of intimidating and impressing people. Often both at the same time. Today, however, he was only pissing me off.

I scrubbed a hand over my face. “What the hell is going on with you?”

“I’m here to ask you that very question,” he said, frowning down at his phone before tucking it into his suit jacket.

“You’re like a vampire who stays up plotting how to cockblock his best friends.”

“You’ve spent two nights in bed with her and—”

“How do you know I spent two nights in bed with her?” I interrupted.

“Two nights in bed with who?” My brother slid into the booth next to me looking pissed off and like he’d just rolled out of bed.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded.

He yawned and signaled for coffee. “Lucy called. Said it was important. Two nights in bed with who?”

“I’m not talking about it. And how in the fuck do you know what my sleeping arrangements are?” I asked, turning back to Lucian.

“Information finds its way to me.”

“I swear to God, if Mrs. Tweedy is listening at my door with a drinking glass—”

“What the hell is going on with you two?” my brother cut in.

The server returned with coffee for all.

“Can I get you anything for breakfast?” he asked Knox.

“Maybe after I find out who my brother’s taking to bed.”

“Jesus. It’s nobody’s business who I’m taking to bed. What I want to know is why in the hell Lucian showed up at Lina’s door at six in the morning and dragged me out of bed for fucking breakfast.”

“You were at Lina’s at six in the morning?” Knox didn’t sound happy about that.

“Frankly, I wouldn’t have had to be there if my lunch with your bedmate had gone better yesterday,” Lucian said, sounding annoyed.

I was considering lunging across the table and grabbing him by the lapels of his fancy-ass suit when the server wisely decided to disappear.

“Why are we here? What are you doing having lunch with Lina? And what the fuck does that have to do with you suddenly having a hankering for eggs Benedict?”

“Why the fuck were you at Lina’s at 6:00 a.m.? And the answer better not be that she’s the one you’re banging,” Knox snarled.

Lucian cocked an eyebrow at me and picked up his mug. “She told you we had lunch, but she didn’t tell you why? Interesting.”

“None of this is interesting to me. Either get to the point or get out of my way,” I said.

“If someone doesn’t start answering questions, I’m gonna start throwin’ punches,” Knox warned.

“Things aren’t right with him,” Lucian said, pointing to me. “They haven’t been since the shooting.”

“No fucking shit, Sherlock. Some asshole put two holes in me. It takes a while to come back from that.”

“You say that as if you’re trying.”

A white-hot anger clawed its way to life under my skin. Next to me, my brother tensed.

“Fuck you, Lucy,” I said. “I am trying. I’m doing my PT. I’m going to the gym. I’m going to work.”