Hailie was sitting in her car at the restaurant parking lot. She was still processing the conversation with Amy. She couldn't lie. It was tempting to invite both Declan and Jayson to her house and ask demons for a little help with that problem. But that was just wrong. She wasn't a murderer. Even if she doesn't pull the trigger, she will be guilty of the crime. It wasn't up to her to decide who lives, who dies. The demons already killed Jayson's parents. If they wish to bring down also him, then she won't stay in the way. Jayson isn't worth saving. But she also won't help demons, unless Jayson will try to kill her. Then it will be self-defense. She doubted that it could happen. Now Jayson doesn't have parents who can save him from trouble. Besides, it would be stupidity to attack her.

It was time to go back to the house. She felt safe with Shane, but after what he did, there was no way she was staying with him any longer. Once again he failed her trust. Secrets. Everybody had secrets.

She turned the music on and sang with the radio on her way back home. It helped her relax, even if it was for a moment. Stress and fear hit her like a thunder when she parked on the street, where she was living. Getting out of the car seemed like a dream. And there she thought this day cannot get any worse.

More than half of a dozen police cars were parked in front of her house. People from the neighborhood were standing behind the yellow line, staring at working policemen and whispering about another tragedy in the Bloody Mansion. Some officers were questioning Hailie's neighbors, while others were coming to her house and taking out boxes.

It felt like her heart stopped for a minute. Every bone in her body froze and then broke, leaving her shattered on the street. In her mind there were a thousand of the worst scenarios of what might have happened.

"No. No, no, no."

Hailie started running, not paying attention to everybody around her. She pushed through the crowd with her elbows, ignoring rude comments and unfriendly gazes. Nothing could stop her, even if fear filled her body more than when she saw Jayson at the library. She bent down and got through the police line.

"Hey, lady! You can't be in here!" yelled one of the officers.

Hailie ignored him and rushed to the house. Inside she felt more lost than ever, not knowing what's going on. Someone caught her arm and was talking to her, but she couldn't understand a word. She was looking around, until she saw him.

"Lucien!"

Hailie broke free and ran to him, falling into his arms. She hugged him tightly, taking a deep breath of relief. He had no idea what just happened, but he returned the hug, surprised by the feeling that took over him. He closed his eyes, happy to feel Hailie's body so close to his. Nothing mattered right now, only that sweet moment. While Lust was hugging Hailie, he heard her quiet cry. She caught him tighter like she was scared he might disappear.

"When I saw the police, I thought," she cried, not able to end the sentence at first, "I thought they're here, because you..."

For Lust it was both unbelievable and ridiculous. Hailie was scared that something might have happened to him, but it became more understandable when he remembered that she believed he was a human. For her it was obvious that demons could hurt him if he angered them. How stupid. He was a demon. He was the one to hurt others.

"I'm fine," he said, holding her closely.

The thing that was even more stupid, his feelings. The fact that Hailie was worried about him so much, it meant that he was important for her. That he mattered for someone. He had no idea what to do with that knowledge, but it was nice.

Lust slowly ran his hand through her smooth hair. He was way taller than Hailie, so he could watch her from above. She raised her head up, looking at him with her eyes glistening from teardrops. He wished so much to lean closer and kiss her, but at the same time his reasonable side tried to tell him to step away from Hailie. From the girl that brings only trouble for him.

"If you're safe, then-"

"Hailie!" someone called her. 

She quickly let go of him and moved aside, making the moment disappear into nothing. She turned around, noticing Shane, who wasn't very happy about her closeness with Lucien. He was filled with jealousy, but he managed to keep it inside and act indifferently.

"What happened here?" she asked, not sure why there were so many policemen in her house. If it wasn't because of Lucien, then it must have been something with Debra.

"I called the police," said Lucien, but he didn't seem worried. "After your fight yesterday, I wanted to make sure that Debra will move out. I came to her room, but she wasn't there. I admit, I was planning to search through her laptop, because it was turned on. I found a suicide letter."

"And Debra's body was just found in the lake near your house," added Shane.

"What?"

Suicide.

Yeah, like I was about to believe that.

This was demons doing. Hailie was more than sure of it. Debra was a liar, manipulator and a bitch, but she wouldn't kill herself. Not after the way she reacted yesterday, when Hailie confronted her.

The Bloody Mansion. Another dead body.

Maybe it was stupid of her, but she felt a little bit sorry for Debra. She was an awful person, but did she really deserve to die? To be killed by the demons and accused of a suicide?

She was sorry, but not enough to mourn for her. Not after all the things she has done. She wasn't going to look for an excuse for demons, but Debra kind of brought it on herself. They've let her live, until they've found out what she has done. And even if Hailie wanted to be mad about what the demons decided to do, she couldn't.

Because she knew they did it for her. Because one of the things that Pride swore to Hailie was to protect her. And by killing Debra that's what they were doing.

It's so messed up. It's basically my fault.

"Hailie, are you alright?" Lucien could feel her guilt, which was silly, because she had nothing to do with Debra's death.

Even if Hailie explained it to him, he probably wouldn't understand.

"I'm... I don't know. I think? Yes?"

"Where were you, Hailie?" asked Shane. "When I got the call to the Bloody Mansion-"

"You really calling our house that way?" Lucien laughed with amusement, but Shane just ignored him.

"Hailie?"

She gazed at Shane and remembered that she was still angry at him for his pointless and offending investigation of her entire life. The look on her face changed and he already knew that she won't be nice to him nor forgiving.

"Are you asking, because I'm a suspect in the investigation or because of your obsession about me? Should I be afraid that you'll start stalking me now?"

Lust blinked a few times, trying to figure out what just happened. He had plans to destroy whatever was going on between Hailie and Shane, but it seemed that somehow Officer Call-Me-Stupid ruined it by himself.

"Whoa, so that's how it's going to look now? Forget I've asked." Shane was clearly touched by her words and she thought that maybe what she said was an exaggeration.

"I was at the library," she answered the question, but for him it didn't matter anymore.

He wanted to walk away, but his good side just couldn't give up so quickly. He wouldn't forgive himself if something happened to Hailie, because he was full of pride and anger. He didn't even know where these emotions came from. Hailie did nothing wrong. It was his fault. It was him, who shouldn't violate her private space, even if he had a reason for it.

It was this house, making him freaking crazy. He had to be above it. He had to beat it.

"I don't want you to stay at this house," he stated it with all seriousness. "It's not safe here. I don't expect that you'll come back to my place, but please, go live with your sister for a while. This house is dangerous."

"Tell me, how the house can hurt Hailie? You speak about it like it was a living thing," Lucien started mocking Shane. "Don't worry, officer. Hailie will be perfectly safe here, because she'll be with me."

"It's just another reason for her not to stay here." Shane moved closer to Lucien, looking at him like he was some kind of criminal.

"Oh, really?"

"As much as I know, you were the only person in this house with Miss Aliso."

Knowing the history of the house, Shane was sure that there must have been something more into Debra's suicide.

"I didn't know I was a suspect, but you can ask about whatever you want." Lucien was acting like it was a joke. He didn't take Shane seriously and that made the police officer even more distrustful.

"Let's start with your full name and that ID, which you haven't shown me last time."

Lust didn't like being questioned, especially by a human, who was like a bug on the floor to him.

"Lucien Tuls," he introduced himself by his human name. "And again, my ID is upstairs."

"Then go get it, boy."

Lust was trying really hard to keep his emotion in the bay, but with every word coming out from Shane's mouth it was getting harder. This guy was practically begging for trouble. Unfortunately, they were always meeting when other people were around. Otherwise, Officer Annoying wouldn't be breathing anymore.

"Get it yourself," he snapped at him.

Hailie sensed an upcoming fight, so she stepped between them, before anything bad could happen.

"I think that ID won't be needed, right?" She looked at both of them with a subtle request in her eyes.

"Yeah, I already know everything I need." Shane partly let it go.

"I'd say you know nothing but believe whatever makes you happy."

Hailie sighed and started staring at both of them. She had a good chance to observe and think about the differences between Lucien and Shane. They were both tall, but it seemed like Lucien was just a little bit taller. Everything about him was dark – dark eyes, dark hair, dark outfit. It was making him look mysterious, like a handsome stranger, who holds a secret. His posture and chin raised in a rebellious way showed that he's a confident guy. But Hailie knew that Lucien had also a sweet side. He was caring and brave, just as Shane, even if the police officer had a tendency to be too curious. If talking about the looks, Shane was completely different from Lust. His eyes were bright and green, always filled with joy, when she was around. His hair was also much brighter and sometimes disheveled like he forgot to arrange them in the morning or like he was running a lot. Despite so many distinctions, Hailie was attracted to both of them. While spending the whole week with Shane, she started thinking that maybe they could be together. But when she arrived at the house today and thought that Lucien might have been hurt, it was like her whole world had shaken.

"Hailie, please, can I drive you to your sister, Molly?" Shane pleaded.

She could understand why he was scared, but unnecessarily. For a moment she put her anger aside and caught him by the hand.

"I'll be fine." She climbed on her toes and whispered, "remember what I said about this house. I'm safe here. It's everybody else, who are not, including you."

He caught her slightly tighter, before she moved.

"I know I have no right to ask that, but please, could you write to me tomorrow that you're okay?"

Seeing him concerned that much, she just couldn't turn him down, even if he made a huge mistake.

"Sure." One message. That wasn't a problem. "You should also know... Jayson is in the town."

Lucien got interested, but he said nothing, because then Hailie would think that he was eavesdropping, which was actually the truth.

"How do you know?"

"How do you think?"

The frustration grew inside him, along with the desire to hit Jayson. That he couldn't do, but maybe if he worked harder, he would finally find a way to put him in jail.

"Are you-"

"Yes. I'm fine."

"And you don't have to worry about Hailie." Lucien decided to join in the conversation. He put his hand on her arm, like he was showing Shane that he wasn't the only one in Hailie's life. "I'm sure she can take care of herself, but if she needs it, I'll be here too."

"Wonderful," Shane snorted. "Now sorry, but I've got to work." He checked something on his phone. "And Lucien, give your statement to one of the policemen. I want to know exactly what you were doing since yesterday up to this moment."

He had a feeling that there was something more into Debra's suicide.

And that Lucien was not the guy he wanted everybody to believe he was.