Demons Prefer Blondes (Demons Unleashed #1)(57)

“I’m fine!” She grabbed the compress and heaved it across the room. “Go away!”

Obviously her mom hadn’t heard about the new sex-demon status. Maybe Lucy had tripped on something and cracked her skull before she walked in the room. Maybe she imagined her mom and dad doing the horizontal tango.

Her thoughts jumbled and her head spun. That’s it! She had a concussion. Why didn’t her head hurt?

She kept her eyes plastered shut, wanting to stay in the darkness a little longer.

“I should’ve locked my bedroom door,” she heard her mother say. “I’m so embarrassed.”

“Trust me, I’m more embarrassed than you.” Lucy managed to peel her eyes open. With a swipe of her fingers, she rubbed her eyes. “I’m mentally scarred.” And not because she’d walked in on mom and dad in flagrante delicto, either. It was because she walked in on her mom and her dead dad. Her stomach roiled.

“I’d like to talk about what you saw, Lucy.”

Hell no.

“Let’s not and say we did.” If only she could have a lobotomy to remove that memory permanently from her brain. Alas, she wasn’t so lucky. Where was a neurosurgeon when you needed one? Oh that’s right—she broke it off. Not all neurosurgeons were as dreamy as the ones on TV. Dork with a capital D. He even had a T-shirt that read “Your Brain or Mine.” Not someone she wanted operating on the most important organ in her body.

“I… umm… didn’t see anything.” It was her imagination. Come on, her dad died over ten years ago.

“Let me explain.” Her mom’s gaze pleaded with her, like an injured deer. Oh God, that look was worse than the puppy-dog gaze she used in the salon.

She had to get out of there. “Where’s Rafe?” Obviously her mom was more than okay. She didn’t need for her to dawdle around here. Squeaky probably wanted relief from chest-watching duties anyway.

“He had to make a phone call,” her mom said, still wearing her robe.

“Where?”

Her mom blew out an exasperated breath of air. “He’s in the living room…” Her expression grew serious. “…with your father.”

“Father?” She wasn’t imagining it? What the hell was happening with her mother? Time to spread the sanity. “Dad’s dead.”

Sitting down next to her on her old twin bed, Lucy’s mom took her hand in a gentle grasp. “I know, I thought so too.” Tears dotted her eyelids and trailed down her cheek.

Despite the weirdness, it tugged at Lucy’s heart. And from all the crazy things that had happened since she opened that stupid chest, nothing surprised her anymore. Dad’s alive?

Realization sunk in. Dad was alive—meaning he’d never died. For ten years, he still lived while Mom and she mourned.

“Why?” Anger and frustration swirled insider. Why in the hell did he do that to his family?

“Your father should explain.” She brushed a wisp of hair from Lucy’s cheek.

Controlling her snort, Lucy propped herself up on the pillows. “I’d love to hear why he abandoned us.”

“Lucia Anne Gregory, is that any way to speak of your father?” Her expression stricken, her mother grasped her chest as if she’d slid a dagger through her heart and twisted it. “Your father has a good explanation.”

She crossed her arms. “The old ‘I’m a member of a secret government organization and had to go under deep cover for the last ten years’ excuse won’t cut it. Hollywood’s overplayed that story line.”

“That’s not it,” her mom ground out. She’d never seen her mother so angry. Even when she had dropped med school.

“The ‘I witnessed a serious crime and had to go into witness protection’ angle is washed up too.” There wasn’t any excuse that would appease her. Her dad had disappointed her—big time. Even getting grounded off the Nintendo for a week didn’t compare. Sure, going a week without Super Mario Brothers was hell, but she probably deserved it. But they didn’t deserve this.

It hurt more that he’d chosen to abandon them on her big day—the day she became cosmetologist. The Coif Academy of Cosmetology took graduation very seriously. Being the top beauty school in the area, they had a right to. Lucy didn’t like to brag, but she was the top student, as her instructors always pointed out. She was asked to give a speech. She hated speeches—still did. Just the mention of public speaking would send her running in terror. Dad promised to be there, to cheer her on.

He never showed. Lucy was devastated. It was the first time in her life her dad had promised and not delivered. Even her mom, as adamant as she was, came to the ceremony.

“Maybe he had to work late. He’s a surgeon, you know,” her mom had said, emphasizing the word surgeon. “Maybe something came up.” As if her graduation weren’t important. But that was the past, and she didn’t want to dwell on it, at least not where her mother was concerned. They’d turned a new leaf.

Later that night, they received the call. Her dad was in an accident. He lost his control of his car and slid into a tree. According to the police report, he died instantly.

Lucy ground her teeth. Instantly, my ass.

A tear dripped from her mom’s cheek and onto Lucy’s pillow. It was too much. “Fine, I’ll listen to whatever he has to say.” She jutted her chin up, her gaze stern as she tried to channel Rafe. She failed miserably. “But I can’t guarantee I’ll be forgiving.”