45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Sophia

When I woke up, a small headache pounded behind my eyes. The sunlight beaming in through the giant windows in my bedroom didn’t help matters. As I rolled over to cover my face, a wave of nausea hit me.

Ugh, why did drinking have to be like this?

I groaned and rubbed my eyes, only to be soothed by a gentle pat on the back from Lucian.

Cameron was nowhere to be found, so I assumed he would be downstairs with Mason. Honestly, I was almost shocked Lucian hadn’t chosen to sleep down there with them.

He had grown incredibly attached to someone he claimed he couldn’t stand. Funny how that worked. The bed shifted as I tried to get up, leaving Lucian to peer at me with squinted eyes.

“I miss Mason.”

His voice was so heavy with sleep that I doubted he was fully awake. Still, it was fun to tease him.

“What am I, chopped liver?” I gasped.

Lucian rolled his eyes before sinking into the pillow.

“I want her to sleep in bed with all of us tonight.”

“Oh, yeah? What happened to Mason being vindictive and flighty ?”

A smile formed on his lips as he dug his palms into his eyes.

“She said she likes me.” Lucian’s gentle tone was odd to hear, but it was a much-welcomed change from his normal brooding.

“Is someone in love ?”

His content sigh said more than words ever could. “I have a show tonight, and I want to take her… do you think she’ll come?”

I leaned over to kiss his forehead. “I can’t imagine her saying no.”

His smile widened, and his hands crept back into his hair. He looked proud of himself, like he had just won the lottery after years of playing.

“Are you going back to sleep?” I asked.

Normally, that was a stupid question. Lucian was useless before ten in the morning—that was just part of his charm. But not today.

“I think I want to make breakfast,” he mumbled, dragging himself from the bed.

After showering and dressing himself, Lucian prepared a beautiful meal for us, with pancakes and hashbrowns and strawberry syrup. As he cooked, hungry creatures began to find their way to the kitchen one-by-one. Even Sebastian emerged from his hideaway. Seeing my beautiful little family around the table, praising Luci for his hard work, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride.

Lucian’s cooking was a rare treat, usually limited to Sunday dinners and special occasions. His schedule just didn’t allow him to be around or awake for most mealtimes. He was easily the best cook of the three of us, which made this the perfect way to start a perfect day—minus the fact that James Albright was halfway across the world, dying alone while his daughter was none the wiser.

Mason speared a strawberry with her fork as she offered it to Lucian with a smile, one he returned before taking the fruit between his teeth.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to tell Mason about her dad. I just didn’t know how. Keeping this kind of thing from her seemed wrong to me, and I was pretty sure Cameron felt the same way. But I couldn’t betray Lucian’s trust by telling her. For years, he was forced to exist without his other half, and I knew we couldn’t risk her leaving again.

Someday, Mason would learn about her dad, but it didn’t need to be today.

After we ate, the kids ran to their room to play, leaving most of the adults to sit with coffee and Mason with tea. But, while Luci looked happier than I had seen in years, Sebastian was obviously seething. Each time one of my boys doted on Mason, Sebastian’s expression soured further. I understood that jealousy was difficult to overcome, but literally zero people in this house were mind readers. If he had a problem, he needed to say it.

“Masie,” Lucian said her name like a prayer, and his face softened as she looked at him. “I’m playing at a bar tonight… Do you want to come?”

Mason smiled, but Seb rolled his eyes.

Nope. If I watch this any longer, I’m going to get mad at him. I needed a distraction, an excuse to get away from the table without voicing that I was irked. Dishes were done, and the table was clear…. There was a suitcase by the door.

Laundry .

I scooted out of my chair, drawing looks from everyone at the table. I quickly blamed the interruption on my need to take care of chores, and no one batted an eye... until I grabbed the suitcase.

“Sophia, that’s mine.”

I looked back to see Sebastian staring at me with no hint of a smile on his lips. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, and I wondered if he was nervous. Served him right if he was.

“That’s fine, you’re family. I’ll just do it!”

I held the luggage to my chest as I ran through the kitchen and into the laundry room. At first, I just wanted an excuse to get away from Sebastian’s negative energy, but now I needed to know what he’d brought into my house that he didn’t want me to see.

Rapid footsteps followed behind me as I dropped the suitcase onto the top of the dryer and unzipped it. By the time Sebastian opened the door, I had found the thing he was so desperately trying to hide.

“Sophia, I—” His words cut off when I held up a shirt caked in so much blood it should have warranted an emergency room visit… if it had been his.

“Shut the door. Now.” I ordered.

His eyes were wide as he complied with my request. As soon as the door was closed, he spun around to begin pleading his case.

“I can explain, I—”

“You’re messy,” I interrupted.

He blinked twice. “I’m... what?”

“Messy,” I repeated as I opened the washing machine. “That’s what my mom says, at least.”

Actually, she’d told me Sebastian was a cold-blooded killer who had more in common with a snake than a human. Apparently, he liked to stalk his targets for weeks on end before striking, and when he finally made his move, they always had to call someone to clean up after him.

Just like a man, to make a mess of an activity that should be pristine.

“...Your mom?”

I nodded, wondering which mom he was picturing, waiting for him to ask: Heather or Victoria?

Surely, he could figure out it wasn’t Heather. After all, she spent more time raising Seb than his mother did. Either way, I’d never tell him which. It felt dangerous for someone like Seb to know where he got his orders from, even if I knew he’d never get a chance to hurt either of my moms.

Not while I was around.

I tossed his shirt into the washing machine, along with a sizable dash of peroxide. Bleach and detergent worked okay, but peroxide was the only cleaner that could completely get rid of blood.

“I assumed she meant at work, but you’re not very neat at home either.” Honestly, he only cleaned when I asked him to, and even then, he was sloppy about it.

“At work?” Sebastian laughed, “Sophia, I work alone. I’m—”

“You’re a hitman for S.H.A.D.E.”

Strategic Homicide and Anomaly Deterrence Enforcement.

I couldn’t remember the actual title of his job, but hitman was close enough. He was hired to track, identify, and eliminate serial killers.

I turned the knob on my washer, set it to a quick wash, and turned it on. Once the blood was gone, I could throw in a full load.

Finally, I looked back to see Sebastian’s brow fused in a look of confusion.

“Why do you know that?”

I stepped closer, putting a hand on his chest. Again, just like a man, failing to listen the first time. I’d already told him my mom worked there. That, on its own, was enough for me to have a rough idea of what he did.

But I didn’t just have a rough idea. I knew every nitty-gritty detail, especially when it came to punishment for the hitmen who didn’t listen. But, if I told him I worked for S.H.A.D.E as well, Sebastian would have information he didn’t need.

Most S.H.A.D.E agents thought their sector was the only one in the company—silly of them, really, to assume that a clandestine organization wouldn’t keep secrets from its worker bees.

So, for his safety, I played coy. I leaned into his ear, letting my lips caress him as I spoke:

“Sebastian... I know everything .”

When I pulled away, Sebastian was pale and his eyes wide. Maybe I should hold this over his head a bit—just until he learned how to act, and then I could tell him everything.

“Now go out into the dining room and be nice. Remember, I know your secret.”

With that, I opened the door and headed back to the table. I had important business to attend to, like helping Mason get ready for Lucian’s concert tonight.