“I would too,” Abby says.
“Whatcha driving today?” Phil asks Lucas, who slowly turns, sniffing the air for blood.
“A ’69 Chevelle.”
“Ahhhh, I was hoping that beauty was yours!”
“It is nice,” I note, crouching down to pet Scarlet, watching her interact with Penny. She’s so gentle and careful with her. Phil asks Lucas more about the car and is impressed that Lucas has been the only owner. I run my hand over Scarlet’s head and stand. “Ugh.”
“Still feeling nauseous?” Abby asks, and I nod. “I’ll get you another Zofran and I’ll write you a prescription. You can fill it at your pharmacy in Thorne Hill.”
“I’ve never gotten a prescription before,” I admit.
“That is so weird,” Abby laughs. “Do you have insurance?”
“I do, mostly in case I get hurt demon-hunting. Though the only times I’ve broken a bone or needed stitches, I was still at the Academy and the school nurse took care of me.”
“With magic?”
“My broken arm was in a cast for a few weeks, but yes, magic helps speed up the healing process.”
Abby waves for me to follow her into the kitchen so she can get her prescription pad. I reach behind me and take Lucas’s hand. He needs to check the kitchen for traces of blood too. He meets my eyes a few seconds after we’ve been in here and gives me a tiny nod.
It’s clean in here too.
Abby quickly writes out the prescription and hands it to me. I hug her goodbye, Penny cries when Abby picks her up, reaching her little arms out for my hellhound, and Phil walks out with us to check out the car.
“Finally,” I say with a heavy sigh when we pull out of the parking spot. “I just want to go home.” Lucas puts his hand on my thigh and Scarlet curls up in my lap.
“Do you want to stop for food on the way?” Lucas asks.
“Yeah, French fries sound good right now. I’ll watch Star Wars with you while I eat.”
“And then you’ll put your Princess Leia outfit on?”
“Hah. I forgot about that.”
He turns his head to me and wiggles his eyebrows. "I didn’t.”
“Assuming I don’t puke after eating the fries, I’ll dress up for you.”
“Sexy, Callie.”
I bite my lip and give him a coy smile. “Right? I’m going to rock your world, as long as I don’t throw up.”
Lucas laughs and intertwines our fingers. We make it a few miles in silence before he pulls his hand out of mine, merging onto the highway.
“We need to talk about something,” he starts, flicking his eyes from the fast-passing traffic to me.
“Okay?”
“You killed two humans. Ruth and then Roger. While I’m no stranger to it, that’s a first for you.”
“But is it?” I ask slowly, mind going back to my days imprisoned at the laboratory. Dr. Howard would lock me in a room with someone that scared me, forcing me to use my powers to protect myself. I never knew what happened to the people after I left the room. Most were unconscious or bleeding.
“I’ll rephrase then: the first time you weren’t tricked or bullied into it.”
I swallow hard, knowing that Lucas is right. We do have to talk about this. I’ve mentally suppressed enough emotions and memories to scar me for life. Refusing to deal with hard topics is kind of my thing, and it comes back to bite me in the ass.
“I guess I could have stopped Ruth. Magically bound her hands and turned her over to the Grand Coven. But they fucked up and let her go once, and she’d already attacked the coven and cursed you. Honestly…” I bury my fingers in Scarlet’s thick fur. “I don’t trust them to handle something like that.”
“I agree, and if I’d gotten there first, I would have pulled Ruth’s heart out with my hands and sucked the blood out of her aorta.”
“I would have enjoyed watching that,” I admit, not sure if I should feel ashamed or not. “And with Roger…I…I didn’t think. I just threw him back. Killing him wasn’t my intention, but not killing him wasn’t either, if that even makes sense.”
“It does. It was self-defense,” Lucas takes my hand again and brings it to his lips. He presses a kiss against my fingers. “You know I don’t hold anything against you.”
“Just yourself, right?” I joke, and Lucas chuckles. “And I do. That’s why we’re perfect for each other. You don’t judge me, and I don’t judge you.” I give his hand a squeeze. “I love you.”
“And I love you. Always.”“Good morning, my love.”
I slowly sit up, smiling when I see Lucas coming into the bedroom carrying a tray with a plate of bacon and pancakes, a small bowl of freshly cut-up fruit, and a cup of coffee. The sheet slips down to my waist and Lucas’s eyes immediately go to my breasts.