She smiled at me and tilted her head just a bit. Her soft, brown waves were perfectly coiffed even in the middle of the night. "Johnny?"

My mouth hung open, and before I could ask her what she was doing here, how she had a key to Lily's apartment, Lily butt in. "I told you he was on his way over." She took a big toke off her joint and offered it to Gretchen.

Gretchen gave me a quick kiss, set her purse and jacket down, and took a seat, pulling my arm down so that I sat next to her. Then she reached over and accepted the joint. Confusion filled me, "baby?"

She smiled at me, the same smile I kept picturing in my head to center myself, to give me the will to go on. "It'll all be fine."

She turned to Lily, her voice hardening, "have you filled him in yet?"

I glanced between them both. "What's going on?"

Lily ignored me. "No, but I'd love to."

Gretchen waved at her to go on before stubbing out the joint in an ashtray. "Go ahead, but be nice. I'm going to go make some coffee." When she got up and left me sitting there alone with Lily, a deep sense of dread set in.

Lily was smiling like a cat that had already caught and killed its mouse, and was just about to feast. I remembered what she'd said before Gretchen had arrived. "Whose daughter are you?"

She grinned. "Mayflower is a cool last name, isn't it? Has a ring to it to have floral first and last names. I like it a lot better than Collins."

I felt like my stomach dropped into the floor. "What?!"

She rolled her eyes at me as though I'd missed the obvious. "Elias is my dad."

I sputtered, unable to process or understand the implications of what she'd said. She chuckled. "Damien was my cousin, and his father was my uncle. Now you know what happens to people when they fail Capricorn." She wrinkled her nose. "Even though we weren't close, I still feel a little bad about Damien." She shrugged. "Though he may not have been a rapist, he was definitely a spoiled asshole. Man, you sure are gullible."

Distraught, I instinctively called out for Gretchen. She came walking calmly back, two cups of coffee in her hands. I automatically accepted the one she offered me as she scolded Lily, "I told you to be nice, skank!"

Lily sneered, "I was just doing your daddy's work! Jealousy is a weakness, your fucking highness!"

I felt my brain threatening to snap. "Fucking explain!"

Gretchen looked stunned and hurt at my tone, but Lily lost her temper. "What the fuck did you think was going on? Why do you think you, a fucking nothing from Ohio, came to the attention of the Devil? Because his daughter is in love with you, you fucking idiot!"

Gretchen got up and slapped Lily hard across the face, "don't speak to him like that! I'll have you ripped apart!" I was shocked to see that Lily looked completely cowed and remained silent.

His daughter? "But you said you're Elias'daughter! What the fuck-"

Gretchen sat back down next to me and took my hand in hers. I turned to her,and my whole life changed forever. "No, Johnny. She means that I'm his daughter. Capricorn is my father."