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“Coming to our house, putting your hands on my woman? What about that seemed like a good idea to you?” He tilted his head to the side as the old man tried to swallow, unintelligible sounds coming out of his throat as he stumbled over an explanation until Scythe decided he had heard enough.

“I’d offer you a chance to explain yourself, but I’ve already seen everything I need to know.” He let go of the old man, who dropped to the grass, grabbing at his throat dramatically.

Scythe looked like an avenging angel. The dark tattoos that covered every inch of his skin wove around his tense muscles, his chest heaving with anger as he stood over the group. The two women had dropped to the man’s side, fawning over him as if he had been in a prized fight.

“Why are you here?” Lilah finally asked, stepping next to Scythe, her hand on his back as she tried to soothe him.

The expression on her parents’ faces as they took in their position, the realization that they would have to face Scythe to get to Lilah, was epic. The younger woman stood up, brushing her clothes off before pasting a fake smile on her face.

“Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot. We’ve been very worried about Lilah and came all the way out here to check on her. We’ve heard…It doesn’t matter what we heard. Either way, we were concerned. Can we come in? Maybe talk in private?” Her eyes focused on Lilah. She looked far too smug and confident, and it made me want to punch that shitty nose job off her face.

“No. I don’t want you in my house. You guys don’t actually care about my well-being. You’ve never checked on me my entire life. So tell me what you want. Let’s just get this over with.”

“Lilah, really, people are watching.” The mother spoke this time.

“And they will continue to watch until you leave.” Our girl wasn’t holding back. I loved this for her.

“You have to talk to Kyle! He’s trying to destroy us!” the sister shrieked, her hand going to her mouth like she had accidentally said too much.

“I’ve said all I have to say to Kyle. This sounds like your problem, not mine.”

Scythe wrapped his arm around Lilah, pulling her into his side and pressing a kiss to the top of her head at her statement.

“Lissette, is it? Taking Lilah’s spot at home wasn’t as easy as you thought, huh?” Scythe said, looking at the sister, who flushed with anger.

“From what I’ve heard, baby sister has mismanaged every account you gave her, costing you far more than she’s worth.” The sister’s eyes flared in anger, her face flaming. But Scythe just continued, unaffected.

“That’s not what really put you in the shitter, though. There was no way you could recoup all those funds. Not with the way Kyle’s blacklisted the company. None of the vendors will work with you. That’s what this is about?” I covered my mouth so I wouldn’t laugh out loud.

They looked like cartoon characters, their eyes bugging out of their heads at having their secrets laid out so plainly. The higher they are, the harder they fall, and these people had been living way above their place for years.

“How did you…Are you spying on us?” the father blustered out, and Scythe didn’t respond.

“You’ll have to ask Gerald Kowalski about that.” Gross. That was the cry-baby PI Kyle sent to scare Lilah. Yeah, they recognized the name, if the sister’s reaction was anything to go by.

“Look, I don’t know why he’s so fucking obsessed, but Kyle will not move on from Lilah. You just…Come and talk to him! Tell him to leave us alone. It’s not our fault you broke up with him!” Ew. Adult temper tantrums were so unattractive.

“No.” Disgusting. Those people were trying to sell Lilah to an abusive cocksucker to save their own asses.

“With or without Kyle, the company was fucked. Gambling debts, suspicious settlements. You started this fire. It’s not her responsibility to put it out.” The sister reared back at Scythe’s no-nonsense statement.

“This isn’t your business! What the fuck does some low-life criminal know about the corporate world? You’re getting involved in something way above your pay grade, so just stay out of this. Lilah, get your ass in the car…”

SMACK.

“HOLY SHIT!”

“GO LILAH!”

Roxie and Match cheered from beside me, recovering from the shock of seeing Lilah slap her sister across the face with far more force than I thought the girl had. The sister’s cheek was red as she clutched it, shock and pain in her expression.

“You don’t get to talk about him! Never him. Go home before I call the cops and tell them you’re harassing me. After I press charges on Kyle for assault. I wonder if you’ll be accessories? I mean, you were the reason I couldn’t go straight to the cops in the first place.

“It’s all documented, by the way. Part of what made me good at my job, even though I hated it, was my organizational skills. How’s that going for you, Lissette? My filing system, too…complex for you?” The girl’s mouth opened and closed wordlessly before she stormed back to the car without a word.

“You’re done here,” Scythe said, the warning and threat in his voice clear. The mother pulled her husband away, none of us moving until they were all in the car and back on the road. Match was on his phone, texting as they came inside. I ran over and gave Lilah a hug.

“You were incredible!” In a softer voice, I whispered just for her.