Chapter Twenty-Four

The lawyer didn't answer on the first ring. Or the second. Or the third. Chloe paced like a caged lioness, her shoes squelching through the drying puddle on the floor. For all she knew, it was three in the morning. She'd lost all sense of time, all sense of what day it was. On the fourth ring, Chloe opened her mouth to tell Bethany to try calling the governor directly, because obviously this lawyer guy wasn't—

"This is Josh Schulz, how can I assist you?"

Caught unprepared, Chloe fumbled to get the words out. "Hi, yes, um, this is Detective Chloe Decker with the LAPD. I've just uncovered new evidence that could clear your client Martin Collins in the murder of Rose Alvarez. You need to stop the execution immediately—they've probably already got him in the chamber."

There was a long pause, like it was taking the man an extra minute to process the information, and Chloe wanted to scream. Lucifer didn't have an extra minute. For that matter, neither did Martin.

"Detective," the lawyer said slowly, "Martin's execution isn't set to take place for another week—"

"What?!" Chloe roared.

"His execution is scheduled for next Friday," Schulz repeated. "Um…is everything all right?"

Chloe barely heard him. She was too busy taking loud, deep breaths and shooting fiery hot beams of hatred at the ceiling. A week? A freaking week? That bitch.

"Detective?"

She blinked, coming back to herself. "What? No. I mean yes. I mean, everything's fine, Mr. Schulz. I'm just…" Her eyes fell on Lucifer and the hatred softened into love. She stroked his forehead, watching him struggle for air. "I'm just trying to save an innocent man."

The lawyer laughed shakily, sounding as exhausted as Chloe felt. "You and me both, Detective. You and me both. Now, I'm going to need a little bit more information about this evidence you've uncovered…"

The next nine minutes were like individual circles of Hell. After relaying everything to the lawyer, Chloe then had to repeat her story to the lieutenant governor, and then to the governor himself. All while watching Lucifer's lips turn steadily bluer. By the time she neared the end of the last call, she was drenched in sweat, her hands fisted so hard her fingernails were cutting into her palms. If she had to say her badge number one more time, she wasn't sure she could stop herself from screaming.

After receiving the governor's word that Martin's execution would not take place, Chloe finally extricated herself from the call, and not one second too soon. She actually felt the last drop of civility drain out of her. When she looked at the ceiling again, her eyes were feral, her face twisted with a snarl.

"Thank you," Bethany's voice gushed over the speakers. "Thank you so much. You saved my baby boy. How can I ever—"

"Open. The. Door," Chloe growled, sounding very much like the Devil himself.

"I already entered the sequence," Bethany promised. "It'll just take a few seconds for the locks to—"

A loud clack echoed through the warehouse, and the far door creaked open. Chloe blinked, shocked by the suddenness of her freedom. Almost not quite believing it. Like a pet canary, unexpectedly presented with an open window.

Fly, her brain screamed. Fly!

Chloe took one precious second—just one—to plant a fierce kiss on Lucifer's temple. Then she raced for the exit like the hounds of Hell were snapping at her heels.

Just as she reached the open door, Chloe glanced back at Lucifer one last time…and immediately wished she hadn't. His eyes had fluttered open, and the expression on his face was groggy and disoriented. She could tell he likely had no idea where he was, or what was going on. He turned his head sluggishly and spotted her frozen by the door, caught right in the act of leaving him behind. A look of hurt confusion flashed across his eyes.

Chloe ached to run to him, to hug him and kiss him and explain why she had to leave. To reassure him that she would not be gone for good, that she'd never abandon him as his Father once had. The effort of holding herself back nearly tore her in two.

Her eyes filled with tears as she looked into his betrayed ones.

"I love you," she whispered.

Then she turned her back on him and ran out the door.