Page 115 of Legion
Lou gave her a sulky look.“It’s occasionally discomforting that you know me as well as you do.”
“Just occasionally?I’d better put a little more effort into it.”
His lips curled.“That’s my girl.”His smile faded as he glanced from her to Luka.“So it’s a done deal?You insist on giving him a home?”
Naomi felt her brow crease.“He’s a person, not a pet.”
“He’s a man.Men are pigs.Pigs can be pets.Ergo ...”
“Oh my God, you are unbelievably ridiculous.”
He frowned.“Why do you always say that?”
“Because it’s so very true.”
“What’s ridiculous is you taking a legion as your mate.Come on, you’re smarter than this!”
Luka stepped closer to her, his attention on Lou.“You’re free to disapprove of me, but don’t raise your voice at Naomi.I don’t like it.”
She winced.Uh-oh.Her dad was going to flip his lid for sure.
Except ...he didn’t.He didn’t bristle.Didn’t get mad.Didn’t give Luka a load of shit.Hell, he didn’t even look her mate’s way.As if refusing to acknowledge not only Luka’s words but his very presence.
She heaved a sigh.“You’re going to pretend Luka’s not here, aren’t you?”
Lou shrugged.“It’s that or beat him bloody.He’s defiling my once-virginal daughter.”
Naomi scratched her cheek.“Uh, sorry to burst your bubble, Dad, but I lost my virginity years a—”
“La, la, la, la, deaf ears.”
Fuck this shit.“That’s it, I’m calling Jolene.”
Lou scowled.“Don’t bother, I’m leaving.I’m gonna smoke another joint, eat some munchies, and pray to the lunar gods that this was all a funky-ass dream.”
She tipped her head to the side.“Are there such things as lunar gods?”
“We’ll soon fucking find out.”He clicked his heels and disappeared.
Blowing out a long breath, she shoved a hand into her hair as she slowly turned to face Luka.He wore the look of someone who’d just been poleaxed.Sigh.Plenty of people wore that look after meeting Lucifer.
She cleared her throat.“So.That’s my dad.Quite a gem, isn’t he?”
“Hmm.”After a long moment of silence, Luka raised a finger.“I have a question.Why would he banish a turtle to hell?”
“Jolene gave Donatello to me as a birthday gift.Lou didn’t like that I was so delighted with it.He felt outdone and jealous.She made it worse by smirking at him smugly.And, as I’m sure you noticed, his thought processes aren’t normal.So in his head, it was a perfectly reasonable reaction to throw the turtle into an abyss, never to be seen again.”
Luka twisted his mouth.“Hmm,” he repeated.
She expected him to ply her with more questions, but he said nothing, just stared into the distance, his expression blank.“You’re still stuck processing him, aren’t you?Yeah, it takes most people’s brains a fair few moments to do that.You’ll snap out of it soon.Want a beer while we wait?”
“Hmm.”
She gave a nod.“Beer it is.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Heading home from the pizzeria the next evening, Naomi slid Konstantin a quick look.The bodyguard was walking beside her rather than behind her—a new practice that Luka had warned her would be typical from here on out.
