Lumi cultivated book 3, p.23
Lumi (Cultivated Book 3), page 23
“Well, that’s the reason I called Jessie. I thought she was going out of her mind with worry. We’ve known John and his family for eight years, so it felt like the right thing to reach out. I tried to tell her to talk to John, but she wanted answers, and I didn’t blame her.”
I nibbled at a grape. “So, now his wife knows that he got fired yesterday?”
“Yes, I told her about the investigation and how Charles called him over here to place him on leave until we knew more. I didn’t have many details, except that incriminating emails were found yesterday, and that John showed up at your office and acted in a threatening manner, which ultimately made Charles fire him.” Liv sighed. “Jessie was as shocked as the rest of us that he would show up at Lumi’s home and get himself arrested. She told me to apologize to you on his behalf. But of course, I told her she’s not responsible for her husband’s actions.”
“I have a question.” River moved to the edge of her seat and looked first at Liv and then at Atlas and Jolene. “Is John White a psychopath?”
“Yes!” Nathan exclaimed.
“You can’t say that.” Liv protested. “Not every person with a low level of integrity is a psychopath.”
“But he cheated and took no responsibility when he got caught. Isn’t that a sign of a psychopath?”
Atlas held up a hand. “First of all, the term isn’t psychopath, but antisocial personality disorder. It’s not a diagnosis you should throw around just because people behave like assholes.”
“So, he’s not a psychopath?” River asked with her head tilted.
Jolene cleared her throat. “River, the thing is, psychopathy is a spectrum. We use a checklist called the Hare Psychopathy Checklist to go over twenty criteria. It takes a score of above thirty to be in the level of what you like to call a psychopath. What a lot of people don’t understand is that we are all somewhere on that spectrum.”
“Did you take the test?” I asked Jolene.
She nodded.
“Well, what did you score?”
“I scored five, which is normal for people with non-criminal backgrounds.”
“Does that mean you’re a bad person?” Saffron, who was sitting on Charles’ lap, asked.
I smiled at my sister, who was such a straightforward child.
“No, Saffron. It means Jolene is a good person,” Atlas clarified and looked back at the rest of us. “But don’t forget that while most serial-killing monsters are psychopaths, not all psychopaths are serial killers. Many are high achievers in important jobs.”
River crossed her arms. “I’m confused. You make it sound like it can be a good thing to be a psychopath.”
“It depends how you look at it. Their traits of not being controlled by emotions make them able to stay calm in frightening situations. That’s helpful in any job that involves high pressure. I don’t know about you, but I would prefer a surgeon who isn’t easily spooked or distracted by his personal life.”
“Atlas is making a good point,” Jolene said. “Psychopaths are great at taking risks and making bold decisions. They’re ruthless, goal-oriented, and they don’t lose sleep over other people’s opinion about them. That’s why many of them thrive in business, the army, or even politics.”
“Sounds like ye just described several of my colleagues. Say, how many psychopaths are there?” Damian asked.
“Statistically, only about one percent of the population,” Jolene stated.
I ran a quick calculation in my head. “Hold on. What do you mean by only? If one percent of the population are psychopaths, that means we have almost fifty thousand psychopaths in Ireland alone. That can’t be right.”
Kit chuckled and pushed at Damian’s knee. “How high do ye think we’d score on that test?”
Atlas raised his eyebrows. “As I said, most are doing well in society, and you wouldn’t know it unless you tested them.”
“This is fascinating.” River reached for some more fruit. “Jolene, do you know if there are more women than men?”
“I don’t know about Ireland, but in the US we have more male psychopaths. Some suggest that it’s because females are better at going undetected. They are less prone to violence and end up in prison less often than their male counterparts. Don’t get me wrong, though; female psychopaths are as scary as the men. At the core, they have the same lack of empathy and disregard for rules. But instead of outright threats, they might destroy someone who is in their way through gossip or ostracism. They want what they want and play mind games to get it.”
“What kind of mind games?” I asked.
“Hmm… it could be anything from flirtation, sexual behavior, faking a pregnancy, feigning suicide, lying about someone close to them dying, or they might make up stories about being raped, robbed, or diagnosed with cancer. They have no qualms messing with people’s minds and no remorse when they get caught.”
“Can we talk about something else now?” Charles raised his glass. “We’re here to celebrate Lumi, and I don’t want this day to be about callous people when we have so much to celebrate. I, for one, would love to hear about the results from the experiment you and Damian did this week. But let’s start with a hearty cheer for our Lumi.”
Everyone raised their glasses and cheered for me.
“Thirty-years old. That’s a big day.” Nathan laughed.
“You wanker! I’m twenty-nine.”
“Tell us about the experiment.” Liv encouraged, and I noticed how Jolene and Atlas both leaned forward.
“We survived!” My laughter sounded a little nervous, even to me. “It was hard, but I would say that I overcame my fear of closeness. Damian was incredibly sweet and patient with me, but that said, we are both relieved to have our hands to ourselves again.”
“I agree. It was a countdown until the minute we could take off the handcuffs.”
“Let’s talk about the screwdriver,” Jolene said in a leveled tone.
Damian faced Jolene. “As we told ye in the videos, we needed to change clothes. You can’t complain because we kept the minutes apart to an absolute minimum.”
Jolene was quiet, but then she sighed. “Fair enough.”
“Here.” Atlas pulled two envelopes from his inner pockets and gave them to us.
Damian opened his and pulled out the seven thousand dollars with a wide grin on his face while River asked us, “When did you get the handcuffs off?”
“The time box with the key opened at one in the morning on Friday, so in eight hours it will be two full days.”
“But…” Saffron angled her cute face. “Didn’t you say that you were sleeping when the bad man came to your house last night?”
“Mhmm.”
“Then why was Damian still there?”
“Oh.” Damian and I locked eyes and smiled.
“Good point detective Robertson.” Nathan tousled Saffron’s hair with a proud smile before putting his attention on Damian. “Do tell; why were you sleeping at Lumi’s place after the experiment ended?”
Silence filled the room as everyone looked at Damian and me.
“Something is going on. Look at how scarlet Lumi’s face is.” Nathan stared at me. “What’s the craic?”
I gave a tiny nod to Damian, letting him know that I preferred for him to share the news.
“All right, ye can all stop staring at us like we did somethin’ wrong. The reason I was at Lumi’s place was that I’m overprotective. I didn’t like how John White showed up at her office, so I convinced her to let me stay the night just in case.”
“It was a good thing you did. I’m so grateful that you were there.” Charles raised his glass to Damian.
“Thank you, Charles. But the truth is that John White wasn’t the only reason I was in Lumi’s apartment. While we were chained together, we talked a lot and discovered that we both have strong feelings for each other. One thing led to the other and…” Damian paused for a second. “We’ve decided to be together.”
“Together how?” Saffron asked.
“Together like Jolene and Atlas,” Damian explained.
River grabbed my arm. “Is this true?”
“Yes, it’s true.” I flashed my teeth in a smile.
Charles was the first to get up and hug us. “That’s fantastic! Lumi couldn’t have picked a better man. I’m so happy for you two. Let me get another bottle of champagne.”
While Charles went to fetch more champagne, the questions rained down on us.
“I don’t know what to say. It just feels right,” Damian told the others and gave me a smile across the room.
“So, no Chicago for you this time, then?” Atlas concluded and gave me a warm hug.
“No, I’ll stay right here with Damian.”
“Are you still donating your seven thousand to Maximum's work with Indian street kids?” Liv asked me.
“Yes, I am.”
“Me too.”
I turned my head to Damian. “You are?”
He gave a single nod. “It was never about money to me. And besides, this experiment gave me something that money can’t buy anyway.”
My heart melted as Damian dipped his head and planted a tender kiss on my lips.
“What did I miss?” Charles asked when he returned with more champagne. Liv filled Charles in, while he refilled our glasses.
“I’m good,” I said and held my hand on top of the flute when he offered me more.
On Monday, Damian had bought me prenatal vitamins, and every time I’d taken a pill these past five days, there had been a soft smile on his face.
“Here.” Smiling at Damian, I gave him my glass and whispered, “You better take this, just in case.”
His eyes fell to my stomach. “Ye sure?”
“I don’t like champagne that much anyway. I’m getting some of Liv’s homemade lemonade.”
There was a warm expression in Damian’s eyes as he stroked my shoulder and whispered in my ear. “Ye have no idea how much I love and respect ye.”
“Ditto,” I whispered back and pinched his behind. When I moved to the kitchen, River came over and spoke in a hushed voice. “Lumi, promise that you’ll be smart about this. If you ever decide to marry Damian, make sure you have a prenup.”
I twitched my nose and pressed my lips together.
“I mean it. I love Damian, but he doesn’t have much money, and I couldn’t bear to see you lose half of yours if it doesn’t work.”
“Damian is the most loyal person I know. I trust him one hundred percent, and don’t forget I wouldn’t be a millionaire if he hadn’t saved my life.”
River sucked in a deep breath and looked down. “You’ve never taken advice from me before, so I’m not sure why I thought you would now, but I’m trying to watch out for you.”
Placing my hand on her elbow, I softened my tone. “I know you mean well. You’ve never been in a relationship that lasted, and neither have I, but Damian is different. I’ve loved him since I was seventeen, and we’re serious about making it work.”
River looked perfect as always with her fashionable outfit, hair extensions, flawless make-up, and long manicured nails. Removing a long blond hair from her shoulder, I smiled at her. “It’s going to be fine. Don’t worry about me.”
She caressed my cheek. “I’ll try not to.”
Instead of walking back to Damian, I took Atlas by the elbow and moved him to the side. “When are you and Jolene sharing the news about your proposal?”
He glanced over my head to the others as he spoke in a hushed voice. “I was going to tell them before we go back to the States, but now I wonder if it’ll be more fun to just send you all invitations to the wedding.”
“No! You have to tell everyone in person.”
“But it’s your birthday, and we don’t want to take away from everyone celebrating you.”
“Nonsense. There’s enough champagne to go around for several celebrations. You should tell them.”
“You wouldn’t mind?”
I pushed my hip to one side. “Atlas Robertson, do you know me at all?”
He grinned and let his head fall forward. “All right. I’ll share the news.”
“Promise!”
“Yes, I promise.”
We walked back to the others with our elbows linked.
“You all just continue talking while Charles and I prep dinner,” Liv said and gave Atlas and me a curious look. “What are you two up to? I’m sensing an aura of mischief around you.”
“Not at all. We’re just very pleased with ourselves.”
“Ye look it. Did ye put yer fortunes in the right stock and make another trillion in pocket change?” Kit laughed at her own joke.
“No. We found something superior to money,” I said and let go of Atlas to take Damian’s hand. “We found love.”
While Damian kissed me, Nathan threw a couple of grapes in my direction. “Who are you, and what did you do to my pragmatic sister? You used to be the most rational and least romantic person I knew.”
“People change.” I cuddled up against Damian, who placed his arms around me.
Nathan grinned but made a dismissive wave with his hand. “Kit, can I sit next to you at dinner? My eyes are hurting from the way they glow with love. I need a fellow single to remind me that I’m not a complete loser.”
Kit pushed her red hair behind her ears and gave one of her characteristic carefree laughs. “Tell ye what, Nathan; just for the balance of it, I could make yer ears bleed as much as yer eyes.”
“What do you mean?”
“Awk, I can tell ye all about how Lumi pushed me to get back in contact with my first love, Owen, this week. I could read out some of our flirtatious text messages for the craic of it.”
Nathan groaned and gave a mock pout. “That’s it! I’m calling Maximum and asking him to come home. I don’t want to be the only single here.”
“I’m single!” River called out from the kitchen, where she was getting a mineral water from the fridge.
Nathan scoffed. “For five minutes. I’ll bet my mixed-colored ass that you have a whole harem of men pining for your attention and that you’re just shopping around to find the best candidate.”
“Nathan, language!” Liv called over with a raised eyebrow while River came to join us.
“Why wouldn’t I shop around?” she asked. “I find that getting spoiled by men is the best cure to overcome heartbreak, and it’s not like I’ve committed to anything serious with any of them.”
“How many have you dated this year?” Nathan wanted to know.
“You mean after Storm and I broke up?”
“Mhmm.”
“Officially, I’ve only dated Isaac. The press found out about us in late March, and then we were together until he ghosted me in June.” River flicked her hair back. “Isaac might be a star race driver and all, but if I’m honest, he was nothing but a distraction from my heartbreak with Storm.”
“What about Tyler. I saw you together at some red-carpet event a few months ago,” I said.
“Yes.” River sighed. “It was nothing really. We gave each other a polite hug and it made the press speculate if we were getting back together, but no. Tyler is my ex for a reason. I’m never dating a soccer player again.”
“Who are you seeing now?” I asked.
“I’m not seeing anyone specific. But I’m flirting a little with a movie producer from LA, and a celebrity whose name I won’t mention.”
“Why not?”
“Because then you’ll all freak out.”
“Now, you have to tell us.”
“No, but I can tell you that I’m also flirting with a banker with an enormous yacht.”
Kit wrinkled her nose up. “Are ye sleepin’ with all these men at the same time?”
River gave an offended huff. “I’m not sleeping with any of them.”
“Well, maybe that’s the problem then.” Kit shrugged. “Your problem isn’t to attract the men but to make them stay. Could be that your men would stop straying if the milk bowl wasn’t empty at home.”
“It’s different when I have a boyfriend, and please don’t insinuate that it’s my fault Tyler moved on or that Storm cheated on me. That’s on them!”
“I don’t know.” Kit chewed on her lip. “Other people’s infidelity is my profession, and I know you don’t want to hear this, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there are always two sides of the story.”
Nathan spoke up. “That’s not fair, Kit. I went on a survival trip with River and Storm in January. River was loving and sweet to him the whole time. And still, he let Serena seduce him.”
Kit gave River a sympathetic sigh. “I’m sorry, lass.”
River’s eyes turned moist, and her lips quivered a little. “I don’t know why you’re hard on me. It’s one thing to be dumped, but if you had to see your ex on every magazine cover for months, your heart would be crushed too. Each time I think I’m doing better, there’s something new. Like a stupid poll to determine who’s prettier, Serena or me.”
“For what it’s worth. I think ye’re much prettier than her,” Damian said in support.
“You do?” River blinked her wet eyes.
“Absolutely. Serena is beautiful when she’s styled up, but in some of the pictures I’ve seen of her, she looks very ordinary. Ye’re always stunnin’, even without make-up.”
With a hand to her chest, River’s face melted. “Thank you, Damian. That means the world to me. You want to know the weirdest part? She left me a voice message yesterday.”
“Who, Serena?” Nathan asked.
“Yes. It’s like she thinks we can still be friends. She said that she’s in Dublin this weekend and invited me to have brunch with her tomorrow or swing by for a drink after nine tonight.”
Nathan scrunched his face up. “Is she out of her mind?”
“She must be. As if I would ever want to see that phony bitch again.”
Nathan snorted out loud. “I’m baffled why she would invite you. Doesn’t she know what a bloodbath it would be?”
“I think you should go meet with her.”
We all turned to Jolene, who was sitting on Atlas’ lap.
“You’re joking?” River said in disbelief.
“No. It’s better to talk to people instead of about them. It could be therapeutic for you to face Serena and direct your disappointment and resentment at her. Maybe she’s unaware of how much pain she cost you, and by calling her out, you could help her in her growth as well.”
