“Was she such a good girl that you justhadto abuse her?”
He grins. It’s weak, but it’s there. “She doesn’t know.”
“What made you burn her skin with cigarettes?” I snap, forcing his words to go over my head, but he refuses to give in.
“You can’t get to me. Like you said, I’m already a dead man, but you? She’s never going to forgiveyou for this.” He says it like it’s a promise he knows he can keep, but he really doesn’t understand who he is dealing with.
I let my eyes darken and my teeth elongate as my vampire senses ripple to the surface with urgency, and he gulps, nerves getting the better of him as I crowd his space once again. “This is where you fall short. I don’t want her forgiveness. I don’t care if she knows; this is about you and me now, no one else. So, let’s skip to the part where I grab my weapon of choice.”
Turning away from him before I sink my teeth into his flesh, I stride toward the far side of the room where my blades are lined up. They are all coated in his blood already, making each of them enticing. “Let’s have a little negotiation,” I decide, opting for the smallest blade as I turn back toward him.
“What does that mean?” he asks, his gaze on the weapon in my hand as I twirl it excitedly. I wonder if he would be more scared of me if I actually let myself sink my teeth into his flesh. The only thing that’s stopped me is the lack of desire to eat trash, but I’d do it just to prove a point.
Dragging the stool a little closer, I take a seat so we’re almost knee to knee before I tap the blade under his chin and force him to look at me.
“If Elodie isn’t your biological child, how did she come into your care?” I didn’t forget that little tidbit of information he provided last time, but the way he snarls is as if I’ve caught him by surprise.
“Fuck you, I?—”
Before he can finish whatever bullshit he’s about to say, I aim the blade down and add a little force, stabbing his thigh.
“Arghh! Fuck,” he screams, breathless as pain vibrates through him. Eager to proceed, I yank the blade from his flesh and clear my throat.
“Let’s try again. How did she come into your care?” I repeat, and he glares at me with clenched teeth.
“I’m not telling you shit,” he bites, sweat beading at his temples as the veins in his neck protrude.
I shrug, aiming the knife in the exact same direction again, only this time, over his other thigh. It slices through his skin with ease, and the scream that tears from his lungs this time is wracked with pain. I grin like a fool, opting to leave the blade deep in his leg, adding a little pressure for good measure, and he howls.
“She was just there,” he splutters, and my eyebrows gather as I lean in a little closer.
“Sorry, what was that? I can’t hear you.” I twistthe sharp blade inside his leg, watching as he trembles from the agony it’s causing. His despair is muted on his tongue as his face reddens.
I hold patiently, minutes rushing by as blood pours from his wounds, waiting for him to explain. When he can finally make use of his tongue, he groans.
“She was a baby, wrapped up in a blanket on the doorstep of our trailer.”
“And you just kept her?” I clarify, and he nods. “Why?”
He wets his dry lips. I should probably offer him some water, but I’m not really the hospitable type. “Do you know how much money you can get for a child from the system?” he asks, and understanding washes over me. With it comes the burning desire to finally bring this man to his end.
“So she was a paycheck and a punching bag for you, nothing else?”
He shrugs and I move on instinct, rearing my hand back to slam my fist into his face. Blood splatters from his nose, adding another layer to the floor, when my cell phone vibrates in my pocket again.
Reluctant to walk away from him, I move one step, eyes focused on the blade still planted in his leg to see who it is. A text highlights the screen.
Elodie: Are you free?
Kael: Why?
Elodie: I need to learn to fight while controlling my magic.
Finally, this girl is willing to listen. I need to make the most of it before she changes her mind.
Kael: Give me ten minutes.
Without a word, I yank the blade from his leg and place it neatly back in line with the others and head for the door, making sure to lock it behind me before I trail upstairs. My stride is long and determined, my mind laser focused on getting back inside the institute, where I race up the stairs before barging into my dorm to find Rion relaxing on the sofa. He takes one look at me and raises an eyebrow.
