On the drive back home, I realize I spent over an hour visiting my aunt. I miss her so much. There is still so much left for me to do to get myself settled back in this town, like finding a doctor for Lucy and me as well as a dentist. Making a mental note that I need to call Jen about these things, I park the car and let myself inside the house. Just as I close the door behind me, I hear the phone in Luke’s office ring. I have to pass his office to get to the kitchen, and I hear it ring a few more times before the answering machine goes off. I stand there waiting for the person on the other end to leave their message when all of a sudden a deep voice comes across the machine sending shivers up my spine.
“Shavone, you thought what you and your friend did was going to stop this war against you and your family? Well, think again, you fucking son of a bitch. Your father ruined lives and we will not stop until we ruin his.”
I drop my purse to the floor and place my hands over my mouth as I start to shake uncontrollably. I stand there for several minutes.
What in the hell is going on? I get myself under control a little and bend down with shaky hands to pick up all the things that have fallen out of my purse. I set everything on the counter and go sit on the couch, trying to get myself under control before everyone gets here. I don’t want Luke to know I heard the message or for him to think I am snooping around the house while he is gone. I am so glad I am going to see his father tomorrow because damn it all to hell, I am scared shitless about the safety of my daughter and I will be damned if something Vincent has done in his past is going to come back and hurt her.
Though I try as hard as I can, acting like everything is normal when Lucy and Luke get home is like pulling my damn hair out. I am pissed at everyone right now and I can’t seem to wrap my head around what is going on. I know Luke senses something as we are getting Lucy ready for bed because I continue to answer his questions with just a simple yes or no. He is going to want to talk to me when we are alone and I am going to have to make up something. Sighing to myself after I tuck Lucy into bed, I go change into an old pair of cut off sweats. When I lift my shirt over my head, I see Luke standing in the doorway with both of his hands above his head hanging onto the frame of the door.
“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing is wrong.”
“That’s bullshit, Shayne, and you know it. Like I told you before, you have never been able to lie. You’re shit at it. So tell me what the hell is wrong with you.”
God, I hate lying to him, and I know I suck at it. I turn my head to grab my t-shirt.
“I went to see Aunt Judy today. I miss her so bad.”
I hear him walking towards me before I even feel him, He wraps his arms around my waist and lays his head on my shoulder.
“Sorry, baby. I am here if you need to talk.”
Taking a deep breath, I turn in his arms and put my arms around his neck, just breathing him in. He smells so good; he is all man. Pulling himself away from me, he starts to chuckle.
“Did you just smell me?”
I feel myself blush a little at his sudden outburst.
“I did, Mr. Schavone. I can’t help myself; I love the way you smell.”
Still feeling bad about lying to him and still mad as hell at whatever is going on, I bring my man to me and run my tongue slowly across his bottom lip.
“I love you,” I whisper against his mouth.
He doesn’t say anything; he just lifts me up into his arms and carries me to our bedroom. Shutting the door with his foot, he lays me down on the bed where he shows me just how much he loves me, too.
I wake up because I am sweating like crazy. Bringing myself out of my sleepy fog, I realize I am sandwiched between Luke and Lucy. Startled, I give Luke a little nudge. He grumbles a little but quickly wakes up.
“What’s wrong?” he says.
“Lucy is in bed with us.”
He rolls over and rubs his hands across his face and then busts out laughing. I mean, he is laughing so damn hard that he causes me to start laughing, which wakes up Lucy. She sits up looking at us like we have grown two heads. We quickly get ourselves under control.
“Come here, princess,” says Luke.
She crawls right over the top of me and I thank God I have a t-shirt and panties on and that Luke has his boxer briefs on, or I would have no clue how to handle this. I move over to give Lucy room and she slips between us, placing her head in the crook of Luke’s arm.
“So tell me why you came in here to sleep? Did you have a bad dream?”
“No,” she says, looking up at him. “I just wanted to sleep with Mommy but she wasn’t in her room, so I came in here to sleep with you and I saw Mommy in here, too.”