Five

"Where is she now?" Lucy asked, her legs tucked under her as she sat on her bed, watching Nelly pace back and forth in her room.

"Last time I checked, she was home. I really hope she is still there."

"And she's back to what? Apologize?" uttered Lucy as she stared at Nelly, her expression almost comical as she tried to absorb that fact. Moreover, she couldn't guess what was going through her best friend's mind. "Like that is suddenly going to wipe off what she did? Because apparently, that's what her therapist told her to do? Are we really buying into that bullshit?"

"Of course not. I'm not stupid, Lucy," she defended lightly, confessing in a clipped tone, "She wants me to take her to Conteou later."

"What?! And you're not, right? Cause that would be crazy," Lucy paused, waiting for a denial from her, but Nelly merely regarded her in noncommittal silence. She continued, "I have no doubt that the elites would set her on fire after what she did to Ben and Max. For fuck sake, Nell, don't tell me you're considering it."

"Do I have a choice? She said she would make a scene outside the club. That would make it worse. I would take her to Conteou like she asked, but I won't let her inside. She's going to stay in the car."

"Or you can go home now and send her packing." Despite the grimness of the problem, Lucy grinned at her own suggestion. Her grin faded, however, as the problem again came to the fore when Nelly voiced it.

"And let her fall straight to Max?" she echoed blankly. "I'm trying to draw her away from him. It hasn't even been that long, Lucy, and Maria is hellbent on bringing up the past again."

"Don't tell me you're incapable of making her disappear."

"She's my cousin."

Lucy pounced on that with ill-suppressed glee. "Who is a devil reincarnate. Have you forgotten what she did?" Nelly wasn't startled with her vehemence, after all, she understood where Lucy was coming from. "She turned Ben into a drug addict. She pushed him to jump off a building, Nelly, to commit suicide. She used Max to get to his father, whom she screwed and then blackmailed for two months. And you want to take her to Conteou to meet Max because she wants to apologize? Is a mere apology going to fix everything?"

"What the hell do you want me to do?" Nelly expostulated, clutching at her heart in agitation. She watched her very closely, waiting for her answer as if it were of momentous importance.

"Not do what she asked! Listen, before anyone gets a word that she's back, pretend you're taking her to Conteou and ask Lyle to meet you there. He's the only one who can restrain his anger and not physically harm her. Tie her up and put her in the trunk of his car. Lyle can drive her straight out of town."

"That isn't such a bad idea. Let me text him to come here." Nelly fished her phone from her purse and sent a text to Lyle.

Where are u?

Golf club. Why?

Can you come to Lucy's house? ASAP

Kay. I'll be there in 20

Don't tell anyone about this and come alone.

Oh, secretive. Should I get excited?

Just hurry up.

Your wish is my command.

She glanced up at Lucy. "He's coming."

It didn't take thirty minutes before someone was knocking on Lucy's front door. They knew it was Lyle because they saw his motorcycle parked outside her house. Lucy's parents were at work, so the girls went downstairs and opened the door for him.

Lyle stood there, tall, broad, and divinely put together and cleaned shaven, revealing every arrogant line of his stunning features. His unkempt hair was as black as pitch, his blue eyes, warm and playful. He was wearing a white shirt and khaki with converse. Nelly stepped aside before she let him inside, checking to see if he came alone and satisfied, she shut the door and the two of them crossed to the living room.

"Okay, don't freak out." One delicately arched brow lifted as she waited for his reply, and in spite of himself, Lyle nearly grinned.

He plopped down on the couch. "Are we having a threesome?" he asked, his smile sweet, yet unconsciously seductive. "I can tell you that won't freak me out."

"Maria is in town," Lucy put in, seeing the shocked look on his face before he lost his composure.

His eyes rounded, looking wild. "The fuck?!" He was mad as hell and his voice showed it.

"I said not to freak out."

He glared at Nelly's response. "What the fuck is she doing here?" he demanded bluntly.

"To meet Ben and Max. I lied and told her I didn't know where Ben was, but she's dead-set on meeting with Max. She wants to apologize."

"She wants to fucking what?"

"Exactly my reaction," countered Lucy as she rolled her eyes at the absurdity of it all.

"Snap out of it, Lyle." Nelly was angry with herself for her inability to control her facial expression. "She wants to go to Conteou but–"

"Does she have a death wish?!" he began, but Nelly's snappy tone, which had never been directed at him, interrupted his exclamation.

"Stop interrupting me! I said I was going to take her–" He shot a glare at her again. "I'm not stupid enough to take her there! That's where you come in...you have the keys to the back entrance, don't you? I know you do. You and Dean aren't as secretive about that as you think you are." She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, you're going to open the back door and we are going to get inside with Maria. Make sure you bring duct tape and robes with you."

Lyle lifted his brows and his smile widened, a sadistic look taking over his face. "Are we going to hold her hostage? Cause I'm up for that."

Nelly hesitated and then reluctantly shook her head. "No. We are going to tie her up and put her in the trunk of your car. You're going to drive her straight out of town to the nearest bus station. Make sure you threaten her good. If you scare her a bit, she will not make the mistake of coming back to Moondale."

Lucy stood back in a pleasing silence, watching Lyle react to their plan exactly as they had hoped he would.

He was frowning at her astute assessment of what had already become a very complex, trying situation. "Why me? Why not ask Nate or Boone?" He paused to glower accusingly at an amused Nelly.

"Because you're the only one I know who won't resort to violence," she responded.

"That's true."

"So, will you do it?"

Faced with Nelly's piercing stare, Lyle shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed. "Is that even a question? Just text me when you reach Conteou and I'll have the backdoor open for you."

"Thank you!" she replied, looking satisfied. At least, that one big problem was solved quietly and no one needed to know about it.

"I'm not doing it for you, Nell. I'm just doing it for my boys."

——-

"Nothing has changed," Maria said, looking out through the window and gazing at the town of Moondale. Then, she turned her head and gave Nelly a stern look. "Why are you really doing this?" she demanded. She was referring to Nelly gladly accepting to take her to Conteou.

Nelly continued to drive, not sparing Maria a glance. If she did, her cousin would notice something she wasn't supposed to see. Nelly couldn't foil with her plans, not when she had texted Lyle before they left home that they were on their way.

"I don't get why you have to sit at the front," Lucy spat at Maria from behind, glaring at the back of her chair, feeling the need to strangle her until she couldn't breathe. "The perfect place you deserve is at the trunk of the car."

Maria smiled and turned around to face Lucy. "How's Kyle?" she taunted with a sly smirk. "He was a good lay last year. Figured I should ask you if you're still together so you wouldn't feel bad if I sleep with him again."

"Maria, enough," Nelly stepped in, sounding agitated. "Can you just shut up? Don't think I wouldn't drop you here and make you walk all the way there. You definitely know I can."

"You used to be fun, Nells."

"She still is," Lucy quickly defended with clenched fists, narrowing her eyes at Maria. "You're just the problem."

"Funny how you guys think you're innocent people. At least, I don't change colors. I embrace myself and I'm not ashamed of it."

Nelly tightened her hands on the wheel, keeping her mouth shut and her eyes focused on the road. It was Lucy who grew curious at Maria's words, enough to question it.

"What's that supposed to mean? But I guess it's in your nature to spew bullshit."

Maria shot her a smile. "Do you really think so, Lucy?" she returned with almost a purr. "Funny how you can know a lot about things when you socialize and poke at the right people. Some things can never stay hidden."

A chill ran up Nelly's spine and she knew, she knew as surely as she drew a breath that Maria knew something about certain people, something she wasn't supposed to know and something that could hurt them.

"You know something we don't?"

Maria's smile widened. "Only here to fix my problem."

Lucy snorted. "And you think apologizing for what you did to Ben and Max will solve your problem? Does your therapist know what you did? Does she know what an awful person you are?"

"Like I said, I'm the only person embracing what I am."

The conversation was caught short when Conteou came into view. Instead of stopping in the building, Nelly kept driving until she turned into the next street, then drove up an empty lane. Maria didn't question it and didn't look suspicious.