Chapter 48
brIANNA
“ H ello, father.” I smirk at him as I spin around in his office chair. The chair he never let me sit in, in the office he always forbade me to enter. “Miss me?”
He stares at me like I’m an inconvenience and a bug he wants to squish.
“Now’s not a good time, Brianna. If this is about your missed schoolwork, we can talk about it tomorrow.”
“No, I think we’re going to talk now.” I get up, keeping my face steady and calm. “Do you know what I’ve been through? Do you know where I’ve been?”
“I assume you’ve been off with that friend of yours, Ellie. But now that you’re home, I’m going to make sure you go nowhere without an escort. This doesn’t look good for your budding relationship with Peter.”
He doesn’t know? It’s almost like he’s been asleep this whole time. What happened to him?
“Oh, wake up, father. Peter’s a vampire. And you’re going to tell me all the details I want to know to take down your operation, before I rip your throat out with my talons.” I take a slow breath and let my claws out, smiling with just a hint of fangs showing. “Are you going to tell me the easy way, or do I have to make you talk?”
“He can’t tell you anything.” Peter Lee’s voice is cold, like any humanity he once had is completely gone.
My father bends his head and slinks back into the corner of his own office like he’s scared. He doesn’t move an inch.
“I’ve forbidden him to talk,” Peter says casually, gesturing at my father, who flinches at the hand moving toward him. Peter smirks. “He served his purpose once the fighting pits were up and running and Grey had you. Although, I must admit you and the doctor certainly threw a wrench in our plans when you disappeared. How did she break Grey’s thrall, anyway?”
I roll my eyes at him. “Do you really think I’m going to tell you anything?”
“You’re the one who wants information, am I right?” Peter moves a step closer to me. “I can tell you what you want to know, for a price.”
“Let me guess, my daughter?” I lunge at him before he has a chance to move, pinning him against the wall with my talons digging into his neck. “Tell me where the next fight is, and I’ll make your death quick.”
“This vampire threatened our daughter?” Declan’s roar makes the walls of the house shake as he steps out of the shadows, eyes glowing violet.
“That’s not all he did, my mate.” I squeeze a little tighter around Peter’s throat. “But he’s small time, compared to Grey. Save your rage for the real threat.”
He growls again, glaring at Peter and my father. I can’t tell which one he has more disdain for.
Peter grunts out an address, in the warehouse district, and before he has a chance to say anything else, I tighten my claws, letting them rip through his skin, his muscles, as easily as paper. Blood goes everywhere and I don’t flinch from it until I watch the light drain from Peter’s eyes.
“You could’ve made sure it’s the right location, my love,” Declan says as he watches Peter’s body crumple to the floor in two pieces.
“I know the address. It’s one of my father’s properties. Not one many know about.”
My father’s whimpers snag my attention. I look over at him still cowering in the corner. He looks up at me and his eyes widen with surprise. “Bri—Brianna?”
“Hello, Father.” There’s no longer any weakness in my voice or demureness. I hold his gaze.
“What—what are you doing in here?” I watch as he slowly comes back to himself. Peter’s influence must be wearing off now that he’s dead.
It’s only when he looks down and sees Peter’s corpse that he comes unhinged. “What happened?” His eyes zoom in on the blood on my face and all over the walls and floor. “Did you do this?”
I grin. “I did.”
“Why? Why would you hurt poor Peter?”
I scoff. “You’ve been under vampire thrall for a while, Daddy-o. You probably have a lot to figure out, but you should know that I’m taking you down. Your whole operation. And my sister-in-law is making sure you’ll never work in politics or ever again. You won’t even be able to get a job slinging fast food. You’ll be lucky if our home country will let you cross over the border without handcuffs.”
“What do you mean?” he asks, worry threading his voice.
“You’ll find out soon enough. By the way, you should meet my mate.”
My father sputters before he manages to get the words out. “Your what?”
I pull Declan forward from behind me. “You remember Declan, right?”
His eyes widen so much I’m afraid they’re going to pop right out of his skull. “You’re with that monster? Did you help him escape?”
“I did.” I turn and give Declan a very inappropriate kiss in front of my father. “And we have a baby together.”
That’s all I needed. To tell my father off to his face and not worry about the consequences. I grab Declan’s hand and step over Peter’s body and walk out of my father’s office and house for the last time. I look forward to reading about his demise, but he means nothing to me anymore.
“Are you sure that’s all you needed?” I ask Declan.
“Are you kidding? He may have held me captive, but it’s Grey’s blood I want.” He kisses me quickly.
“Come on, we’ve got a few more assholes to take out, and then I fully expect all the things that should come with being a dragon’s mate.”
“Oh, yeah? And what, exactly, are you expecting?”
“All the happiness in the world.”
Declan grabs me and tugs me in close. “I call dibs on burning them all alive. After that, I swear to you, nothing in the world can stop us from making our own happily ever after.”
With a grin, I grab the keys to my father’s armored BMW and toss them at Declan. “Gods help anyone who tries to stand in our way.”