Knockemout, #3
Things We Left Behind
by Lucy Score
Contents
18
Overview
Sloane confronts Lucian at his house about his FBI involvement and their unresolved tension. Over sharp banter and a shared pretzel, she admits she wants a family; Lucian warns her not to settle and reveals he had a vasectomy. Their argument deepens when Lucian discloses his abusive father died months ago and Sloane reveals she testified at his parole hearings. They part furious, underscoring the danger of Lucian’s vendetta against Hugo and the fracture in their bond.
Summary
On a bleak Saturday night, Sloane drags Lucian’s recycling bin up and confronts him at his door, intending to scold him about working with the FBI and their escalating push-pull. He pulls her inside to avoid public argument. The sterile house contrasts with cozy touches and unexpected Shania Twain, setting a tense, intimate tone.
To change the subject, Sloane thanks Lucian for the attorney referral on Mary Louise’s case, then, bribed by a Stucky’s pretzel, recounts a disastrous app date with “Gary,” who faked an accident, coma, and death to solicit money. Sloane exposes the scam, reports him, and sends funeral flowers to his workplace, a predatory debt collector. Lucian asks why she keeps dating; Sloane admits she wants a family and is ready to make it happen.
Lucian cautions her not to settle, insisting she wants a partner worthy of her. Pressed, he reveals he had a vasectomy in his twenties after a scare and never intends to have children. The moment turns vulnerable, then brittle, as Sloane challenges his certainty and the emptiness of his meticulously controlled life.
The argument pivots to Lucian’s vendetta against Anthony Hugo and his FBI ties. Sloane warns he’s courting retaliation and demands answers about the investigation, citing Felix Metzer’s death. Lucian refuses, asserting it’s none of her business. When Sloane suggests his father’s abuse drives his need for control and payback, Lucian orders her to stop—then reveals Ansel Rollins died the previous summer.
Shocked, Sloane says she and her father testified at every parole hearing and should have been notified. Fury and grief erupt as she laments her good father’s painful end versus Ansel’s peaceful death. She tells Lucian that Ansel ruined him, making him believe he can’t have happiness or a family. Lucian rejects that, claiming Sloane ruined “them” through past betrayal and present mistrust.
The confrontation ends with both wounded: Sloane condemns Lucian for letting Ansel “win” and for his dangerous crusade; Lucian stands firm in his choices and distances himself. Sloane leaves, slamming the door, their rift deeper and the stakes of Lucian’s war with Hugo looming.
Who Appears
- Sloane WaltonConfronts Lucian about the FBI, shares a scam-date story, declares she wants a family, and challenges his trauma-driven choices.
- Lucian RollinsBickers and bonds with Sloane, warns her not to settle, reveals a vasectomy, discloses his father’s death, refuses FBI details.
- Ansel RollinsLucian’s abusive father; revealed to have died last summer, igniting Sloane’s rage and grief during the confrontation.
- Anthony HugoCrime boss target of Lucian’s campaign; his potential retaliation heightens the danger Sloane warns about.
- HollyLucian’s young employee previously chased by enforcers; her danger is cited in Sloane’s argument.
- Nash MorganSloane’s friend and ally; skeptical of Lucian’s FBI ties and backed Sloane during the scam date.
- Lina SolavitaLucian’s hire and Sloane’s friend; accompanies Nash as backup on Sloane’s date and factors in potential risk.