LUMENI NEEDED TO GET A FUCKING CAR!“For the third time, I don’t know what happened!” I practically shouted at the phone. I’d set it on the floor after dialing 911, and now it was on speaker, so I didn’t really need to yell, but the operator was pissing me off.Fortunately, she was good enough at her job that she wasn’t taking offense. She was clearly used to desperate, terrified people.“Is she still conscious?”“Soleil? Soleil, it’s Lumen.” I wanted to shake her or touch her face or do something that would give me a better idea of how aware she was, but she looked so horrible that I didn’t think it was a good idea to do any of that. What if she had internal bleeding, and I made it worse? “I think her eyes are open, but she’s not responding to anything I say. Her face is so swollen, I can’t tell for sure.”“Okay. Keep talking to her. Give her something to focus on.”The sound of sirens sent a rush of re

LUMENI WAS IN A SERIOUSLY SHITTY MOOD, AND THE WAY THAT THINGS WEREgoing, it didn’t look like it would be getting better any time soon.Sleeping in the hospital chair had been nearly impossible, despite how thoroughly exhausted I’d been. And still was. Besides the fact that the chair was one of the most uncomfortable things I’d ever sat on, our surroundings weren’t exactly quiet. I probably could’ve dealt with both of those things, however, if it hadn’t been for the nurses coming in and out every hour or so to check on Soleil.Then, around dawn, Soleil had woken up, agitated and thrashing around. I’d helped calm her down, assuring her that she was safe, and she wasn’t alone. She’d managed to say something about how “she’d never be safe,” but before I could get any additional information from her, she’d passed out.While waiting for Soleil to wake up again, I’d finally gotten ahold of Brie. She’d had to take Lorelai – a special needs foster child with both mental and physical issues –

LUMENI’D NEVER BEEN THIS  TIRED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.Seriously.I’d almost fallen asleep taking the elevator down to the hospital lobby after Brie arrived to take Soleil home. If the ride had been any longer, I might’ve given someone quite a shock, thinking I’d had a heart attack or something.Soleil had barely even looked at me when I left, and she hadn’t spoken a word to Brie either. If neither of us could get through to her, the man – or men – who’d hurt her would get away with it. There was always a possibility of physical evidence, especially since she’d allowed a rape kit, but if she refused to follow through on pressing charges, it wouldn’t matter.The thing was, I didn’t think she was refusing to talk because she wanted to be di cult.  My  gut  said  that  she wasn’t being sullen or rebellious or  just  being  a  teenager. She was scared. Not just of what had happened to her, but who had done it.But until s

LUMEN“YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.”When he’d kissed me, a thousand things had gone through my head at the same time, not the least of which was how good it felt, how right. But following quick on that thought had been the taste of alcohol, and it had been that more than anything else that had cleared my head.It became clear rather quickly after that the real reason he’d come. Not to apologize or ask about Soleil.  He  hadn’t even really come to tell me about Evanne. He’d come because he was drunk and horny, and that had somehow made him think I’d fall into his arms and then into bed.“Shite. Sorry. I’m such a fuck up.”His voice broke on the last word, and my anger gave way to sympathy. Our fight hadn’t meant  that  I’d  thought Evanne’s situation wasn’t stressful or problematic. I was worried about her too and hoped that Keli would come to her senses and see that what she was doing wasn’t good for her daughter.

ALECI FOLLOWED LUMEN  TO  THE  DOOR. WHO  WAS  KNOCKING  ON  HER  DOORon a Saturday morning? A spike of something too close to jealousy went through me. I had a vague memory of her saying that her roommate had stayed elsewhere last night, which meant it likely was someone for Lumen.When the door opened, however, I realized that the people on the other side were actually here for me.“What are you doing here?” I asked.Lumen turned and looked at me. “Your brothers?” “Aye. Eoin and Brody.”“I remember that one.” She pointed at Eoin as she turned back to them. “Good timing. Get your brother out of my place.”“I should beat your ass for leaving without telling me,” Brody said, looking over Lumen’s head at me. “What the hell were you thinking?”“He wasn’t,” Eoin answered for me. “At least not with his big head.”His gaze slid to Lumen, and I gritted my teeth. I didn’t want him looking at he