LOGINLucienThe low, steady hum of the heart monitor in the corner was the only thing keeping Lucien grounded, but it did nothing to quiet the noise inside his head.He stood by the edge of the bed, staring at Michael’s motionless form, watching the shallow rise and fall of his brother’s chest beneath the hospital gown. Every line on Michael’s face felt like a blade twisting in Lucien’s stomach. Ten years. Ten long, wasted years, and yet the memory of that night still sat in the back of his throat like ash, ready to suffocate him the second he let his guard down.His eyes tracked the old, faded scar near Michael’s hairline. That mark didn’t come from some harmless childhood fall. It came from the night their lives changed.Lucien closed his eyes, and just like that, the smell of disinfectant faded, replaced by the one of rain, cheap liquor, and leather.Ten years ago Lucien had been sitting at his desk, surrounded by stacks of textbooks, his mind focused on his upcoming midterms. The doo
Eveline Eveline sagged against the back rest of the chair in the break room, her coffee—now cold—spilling over the cup’s rim and on to her fingers. She glanced down at it, but didn’t make any attempt to reach for a napkin, tissue or…anything. She didn’t turn either, when the door to the room opened. She just wanted some quiet. She wanted to be left alone—but it was impossible, when she had been on her feet all day, handling various activities on her floor. And then, for some reason, the director asked her to help down in the ER. There’d been a fatal accident on the highway, and they needed capable hands. Somehow, she was one of the extra hands he chose. She couldn’t say no. The busyness gave her mind something else to think about, but now that the hospital was a little quieter and she was back in the mental health ward, her thoughts were spiraling again. It’d been less than twenty four hours since she found the photograph of her father and Gerald Roswood, but it felt like more
Lucien “Nothing,” he said gruffly, grabbing her wrist a little more firmly than before. “Let’s go.”Eveline resisted. “He knows something. About my father.” She turned to Gerald. “You do, don’t you?” Lucien felt a stab of panic pierce through his chest. This wasn’t how he wanted her to know the truth. He needed more evidence, because right now, Gerald had the upper hand. And Eveline was desperate for answers…that she had every right to. The problem was, she wasn’t going to believe his side of the story. Gerald smirked. “Of course, I do. I know a lot more than you’re aware of, child. He does too,” he turned to Lucien, his smirk widening. “He’s known from the start. That’s why he got close to you, so he could make sure you were far away from the answers you’re searching for.”“Lucien?” Her voice was quiet. Too quiet. Her warm hazel eyes looked big and pleading as they stared at him. Something inside Lucien broke as she whispered, “What is the truth? What are you hiding from me?”“N
Eveline Jonah begged her not to go. She didn’t have to face him—the man who threatened her job, threatened his health, and forced her to live under the same roof with his cheating, lying son. But Eveline wanted answers. And it was easy to find Gerald. She knew he hadn’t been to his hospital, and there was no way he was going to be at her house, so he had to be at his home. Mary met her at the door, her hands on her hips, fuming. “What are you doing here, you ungrateful…ungrateful…” “Bitch?” Eveline finished for her with a thin smile that curled up her cheek. “I need to see my ex-father-in-law. And you can go ahead and call the cops, but—”She tapped her chin, humming under her breath. “Mm. Let’s see.” She leaned closer to Mary, frightening the other woman as she lowered her voice. “I don’t think you’d want the world knowing that on top of everything your husband has done, he’s also being accused of threatening his former daughter-in-law, do you?”Eveline stepped back. Good. Ma
Eveline “Anybody seeing us would think you’re the one going under the knife in a few days,” Jonah commented as Eveline wheeled him out of the house to the van that was waiting for them. She stopped pushing the chair. “You’re the one who asked us to spend a day together, going over your old things.” She planted her hands on her hips. “What do you expect me to think? That you’re not dying?”He laughed heartily, patting his chest. “I’m simply clearing out old stuff, that’s all. You shouldn’t be worried about me, pumpkin. I’m stronger than a simple surgery. Besides, I’m in safe hands.”He was…in safe hands. And Eveline wouldn’t have clammy, sweaty palms if he hadn’t mentioned out of the blue this morning—while the three of them were having breakfast—that he wanted to go to his house and sort out the stuff in his basement. There were two categories, three, of people who randomly wanted to go through stuff that had been collecting dust for years. People who were moving across the count
Guiding her to lean back on the island, he slowly took her panties off, hooking her legs over his shoulders and pulling her hips to the edge. His hot breath teased her for a heartbeat before he dragged his tongue slowly from her entrance to her clit. She cried out, her back arching sharply as her fingers plunged into his hair, gripping tight. He groaned against her, the vibration sending sparks through her body, and sucked her clit between his lips before sliding his tongue in. “Mm…mmm…” A high, keen whimper broke out of her as Lucien thrust his tongue deeper, curling it against her clit as it slid in and out. Her whimpers were getting louder, echoing through the kitchen. He wanted to hear her—he wanted to know how far he could push her, but if Jonah was to come in—Lucien reached out, without slowing down, pressing two fingers against her lips. She took it as an invitation and took his fingers into her mouth, her tongue sliding up and down, before she sucked on them. The blood race
Eveline Belinda pulled Eveline into a storage room, closing the door with a soft thud. She placed a finger to her lips before Eveline could speak. “Shh.” She opened the door again, a small crack, peeped through, and closed it slowly so that it wouldn’t make the slightest noise. Then she sighe
“Miss Storm.” Eveline stood rooted to the spot as he walked into the room, a polite smile on his lips. He walked over to her, stretching out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Dr. Roswood. I’ll be handling your father’s case.” She couldn’t say a word. Her lips wouldn’t move and her brain wen
The elevator doors opened with a soft chime, and Eveline rushed out, panting softly. She’d run through the parking lot—from the free spot she found to park her car, through the hospital lobby, narrowly avoiding a man in a wheelchair and an IV hooked to his arm, barely making it into the elevator be
Eveline pinched the card between her fingers as she spun around, hiding it behind her back. Her heart thumped behind her ribcage, and from the way he was staring at her, she was almost certain he could hear it. Lucien’s lips twitched with a flat smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “That’s not how yo







