Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
The darkness of the narrow hallway is suffocating. Kaya’s walking in front of me until we reach a metal door. Everyone else is either busy training or sent on some missions, since Aria wanted to make sure everything continues to flow smoothly without Arlo, Hudson, and Noelle present.
Kaya pushes the door open, then starts walking down the flight of stairs. The only light comes from the small lamps on the walls that are scattered around. The sound of her heels clicking echoes around us, and I follow suit, trying to keep up.
“How long has he been in here?”
“A while,” Kaya mutters. “Though, Arlo was probably waiting for the right opportunity to tell you. Given the recent events, I don’t blame him for forgetting.”
I’m not upset with him for not telling me. After everything, I would’ve been overwhelmed to know that he’s been keeping my biological father hostage. I would’ve wanted to confront him the moment I returned to Arlo, but that would’ve been a mistake. I wasn’t ready.
Hell, I don’t think I’m ready now. Yet, something’s different. Arlo’s not here to protect and shield me from the harm, and I’m forced to put on my big girl pants and deal with all of this on my own. I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing just yet.
“You know,” Kaya speaks, not stopping to look at me. “Your father is the monster that created all of this. You get the chance to be the last thing he sees before he dies, Blair. Make sure it’s a good one.”
I suck in a sharp breath, the gun in my hand weighing heavily. Kaya gave me one of her favorite ones, because for some reason, she prefers knives just like Noelle. The two have a lot in common, even though it might not be noticeable at first glance.
“Don’t worry. I have no intentions of wasting any of this.”
“Can you do it?”
“Can I do what?”
“Can you kill him?”
“Yes,” I respond, not missing a beat.
Kaya stops, then turns to look at me. Her face is illuminated by the soft glow of the lamps, eyes as sharp as ever. “We all think we can do something until we face the situation. When push comes to shove, will you be able to shove as hard as possible?”
“Yes,” determination and confidence lace my tongue. “I have to. Because this might be the only opportunity to get some answers.’’
“Don’t expect too much,” she advises. “Men like Alexander are often as sly as snakes. There’s a chance he’d rather die than give you the answers. What are you going to do then?”
“I’ll kill him,” I respond. “I’m past the point of needing closure. I want answers, yes, but if he refuses to give any, I won’t dwell on it too much. It’ll piss me off, but it’s nothing that I won’t be able to get over.”
“Good,” Kaya nods, then continues walking.
All around are doors that lead to what I’m assuming are prison-like cells. All the doors are closed, and an eerie feeling surrounds me. The lights start flickering, and an awful smell hits my nose. It’s between spoiled milk, rotten meat, and what I can only think is blood.
“Man, they need to hire cleaners for this place,” Kaya’s nose scrunches in disgust.
We stop in front of the last door that’s directly facing the entrance of the basement. On the side is tinted glass, and Kaya walks over, pressing a small button on the side. The dark glass turns translucent, and I see him inside.
For a moment, I don’t know what to do or say.
Alexander is tied to a chair with chains. His hands are bound together by metal cuffs, right in front of him, and he looks terrible. He’s conscious, though he’s staring off into the distance. His eyes are dead, as if he’s lost all will to live.
Good.
That’s the exact same look I’ve had for years.
The desire to see another day was diminishing with each passing day, and there was no one to help me.
Until I helped myself and killed my mother and stepfather.
A speck of satisfaction blooms in my chest at the sight of him in such a terrible condition, and a smile tugs on the corner of my lips.
“They’ve been feeding him, I’m assuming.”
Kaya nods, eyes glued to Alexander. Something flashes in her eyes, and I keep silent.
There’s darkness in Kaya’s gaze, the hatred visible.
It’s not directed specifically toward him, more like toward any men like him.
The sheer hostility radiates off her, and I’m surprised she’s keeping herself in check.
“Yes,” she responds, voice calm and steady. “Just enough for him not to die.”
“I’m going in.”
Kaya nods, and I grab the door handle. I take a deep breath, eyes closing for a couple of moments as I brace myself. I exhale, then push the door open, step inside, and let it slam behind me.
His attention snaps to me, and a look of surprise washes over him. He doesn’t speak; he just stares at me. I lean back against the door, arms folded in front of my chest, the gun neatly in my hand, ready to be used.
“Well, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
The man’s expression changes at least five times in a span of half a minute. His mouth opens, as if he wants to speak, then he closes it shut. He glances at the gun, seemingly thinking of what the odds are of him leaving this place alive.
“You,” he utters, looking back at me.
For the first time in my life, I’m getting the chance to see my father. We look alike, and that irks me. He has the same freckles dusted over his nose and a bit underneath his eyes. The exact same shade of brown eyes, and even our Cupid’s bows are too similar.
His hair, although it has some greys on the roots, has the shine that mine has.
Thick, wavy strands. The more I look at him, the more I’m filled with disgust. It’s one thing that he wanted nothing to do with my mother, but I could never, ever imagine doing the things he’s indirectly done to me to anyone, let alone my own child.
Blood may tie us, but it’s time for those ties to be severed, once and for all.
“Yes, me,” I drawl out, pushing myself off the door and striding toward him until I’m looking down at his tied-up body. “How does it feel to see me in person, Father?”
The mockery I’m using with the title doesn’t go unnoticed by him. His brow twitches; whether it’s in annoyance or disgust, I don’t know, but getting a reaction out of him sure feels satisfying.
“You look exactly like me,” he mutters.
“Unfortunately,” I scoff and pause for a beat. “Then again, I don’t know whether it’s worse that I look like you or if I were to look like Sabrina. All in all, I want to rip this face off me.”
He leans back in the chair, the chains jiggling with his movements. I don’t take my eyes off his face, and right now, I realize how much stronger I am than I thought. When I used to think about meeting my biological father, all I thought about was the pain, the anger, and the hatred I’d feel.
But I don’t feel anything.
Pure fucking indifference.
It’s like I’m staring at dirt underneath my shoes, not a person. I’m no longer angry that he didn’t protect me like a father should, because this man isn’t my father. He’s nothing but a sperm donor, the lowest of the low. He deserves everything I’m about to do to him.
“Don’t say that,” he hums. “I’m proud that both my daughters look like me.”
That whole sentence makes me freeze. I blink once, then twice, trying to comprehend what he just said. I take another step forward, eyes narrowing at him. He seems to be regretting the decision to open his filthy mouth right about now.
“Both?” I repeat. “What do you mean both?”
“Ah,” he chuckles, but the sound comes in anxious, nervous waves. “I have another daughter.”
“What?”
“Her name is Theodosia. She’s fifteen.”
Immediately, my mind starts doing math. “Let me just ask, is she by your wife?”
A look of guilt flashes across his face, to which I laugh.
Of course it’s not by his wife. The man doesn’t have a single loyal bone in his body. Given what he put me through, I shouldn’t be surprised that I’m not the only affair child he’s ever had.
“You’ve been busy, huh?” I shake my head. “Two kids in one year by two different women. Is that your personal record?”
He doesn’t respond. After all, there’s nothing he could say to make him at least look any better.
“Where is she?” I ask.
Somehow, the way he spoke of her made me afraid for the girl. I’m not too scared for his son, because it’s the child he actually chose. But Theodosia is a girl, too. The mere thought of putting her through what I’ve been through makes me violently ill.
“With her maternal grandparents.”
“Where?” I press further. “Where’s her mother?”
“She died in labor. As for Thea, she’s currently in Greece. She’s been living there, but she does come to the States to visit her maternal family often.”
“You’ve been keeping tabs on her.”
He nods. “I keep tabs on all of my kids.”
“And that’s exactly why I’m here, Alexander.”
“Pardon?”
I take in a deep breath, then step back, looking at him through thinly veiled hatred in my eyes. My hand shakes a little, then I force myself to straighten up, holding the gun tightly in my hand.
“I’m not here to ask you to explain yourself.”
He blinks, taken aback. “You’re not?”
“It doesn’t matter, anyway. There’s not a single explanation that’s even half-good to justify what you’ve done to me.
So, no. I don’t care about closure, that would be more for you than for me.
What I care about is revenge, daddy dearest. And I’m starting with you.
Nelson is Noelle’s to kill, but once I’m done with you, I’ll go straight to Paul. ”
“You can’t kill Paul.”
I tilt my head to the side. “Who said anything about killing him? My plans for him are too great. Killing him wouldn’t bring me the satisfaction of seeing him crumble, to be reduced down to a fucking pest, because that’s what he deserves.”
“What are you going to do?”