I shrugged. “You know I’ve lived through a lot most people don’t. Most people live their whole lives and are never kidnapped once. Besides, who are you to judge? You want me to accept the fact that Tessa might be a part of our lives thanks to that baby. If I have to accept that, then you have to accept that I have more than one older boyfriend.”
What a great way to prime him for number three, but I definitely didn’t think my dad was ready to hear I was also seeing Kieran.
He leaned back in his chair and thought it over. I could see the wheels turning in his head as he stared at me, heavy bags beneath his eyes. After a few moments, he relented and said, “Fine. You’re right. If I’m asking you to do that, it’s only fair I accept your choices, even if they are unconventional, to say the least. I’ll never say I understand, but… as you said, it is your dating life. You’re almost twenty. I can’t control who you see.”
He was basically admitting his helplessness, and he didn’t sound too happy about it.
Thankfully, we left the talk of my dating life there, and we didn’t get into anything deeper. Soon enough, Fang was outside, ready to pick me up and take me back. My dad, weirdly, made it a point to come outside with me and wave at us both as we pull away.
“Odd,” Fang said, but he smiled and waved to my dad nonetheless.
“I think he’s just trying to distract himself from the whole baby thing by focusing on my dating life. He still doesn’t really understand why I’m seeing you and Mike.”
“He may never fully understand it, but I think that’s probably because he’ll never fully understand you.” He looked at me, and though it had gotten dark out, the passing streetlights still illuminated his gray, silvery eyes. “It’s not a bad thing, not necessarily. You’ve gone through things someone like him willnever. Those situations made you who you are, helped shape you.”
I nodded once. “Yeah, I kind of told him that. Whatever, it doesn’t matter. I don’t need his approval. I’m happy with you guys, and I wouldn’t change a thing.” I paused as something came to mind. “Well, maybe one thing.”
“What thing is that?”
A grin tugged at my mouth. “I think you already know.”
Fang matched my grin with one of his own. “I think I do. I did mention something to Kieran when he came over yesterday, so the seed is planted.” His matter-of-fact way of saying it made me giggle.
“I may have planted the seed with Mike, too,” I admitted, and then I lifted both hands and tapped my fingertips together like I was an evil mastermind in a movie. “My plan is slowly coming together.”
He laughed. “I think it might be, yeah.”
Fang was always able to lift my spirits. Something about him just made me so… content. Content and happy. It was what pulled me to him in the beginning. The man intrigued me from day one, and he was basically instantly obsessed. You couldn’t ask for anything more from a man. Instant obsession was such a turn on.
During the drive back to my place with Kelly, I tried not to think about Tessa or that baby. Thoughts of having all three of my men simultaneously were enough to distract me—and make my cheeks blush furiously. When we pulled into the short driveway of our rental house, I undid my seatbelt and leaned over to Fang, kissing him before thanking him and getting out.
“Keep me updated,” he said. “Sweet dreams, Princess.” And then he shot me a half smirk that went straight to the butterflies in my stomach.
I adjusted the strap of my bag over my shoulder and turned toward the front door. Fang waited until I was safely inside before he left, and it was only as I locked the front door behind me that I realized: I didn’t hear a single thing.
Not only that, but I also didn’t see any lights on.
I fumbled through the darkness until I found the switch to the hallway, and I turned it on, hesitantly stepping deeper into the house. “Kelly? You home?” By now, Kelly was always on the couch, either watching some mindless reality TV or working on something that was due at midnight. Sunday was never a go out and party night.
No TV on in the living room. No Kelly to be seen.
I ventured up the stairs, the silence of the house absolutely unnerving to me. Maybe she was in the shower? But, no—when I reached the second floor, I saw the bathroom door hanging wide open. I tossed my bag in my room and went to Kelly’s room, my hand roaming on the wall for the light switch. My fingers found the switch and I flicked the light on.
Kelly was here. Oh, she was here. She was on her bed, her limbs splayed every which way, fast asleep in the most uncomfortable-looking position known to mankind. A position that, the longer I looked at her, didn’t appear to be natural by any means.
My heart skipped a beat as I waited to get confirmation by a rising chest that she was, indeed, still alive. And thank God, her chest rose and fell evenly, as if she was lost in a deep sleep with not a care in the world.
Drugged? That was my first thought. I pulled out my phone and hurried across the hall to check out my room and make sure there were no intruders. I nearly tripped on my bag, of course, since I threw it in there without turning the light on first. Once the light was on, I went to call emergency services and noticed my closet was open.
It was a small closet, not at all like the one at my dad’s house. Still, it was a weird sense of déjàvu that overtook me right then, as I hesitated on calling and I inched across the room to make sure no one was inside.
My claw was in that closet, in a shoe box, at the very bottom. I wouldn’t have time to find it and put it on if someone was here.
Turned out, my closet was only a distraction. Someone was indeed in my room, but they were hiding behind my open door. The moment I was past the door, so focused on the open closet I didn’t anticipate it, the intruder made his move.
I saw flashes of all black before a strong arm wrapped itself around me and pinned my arms to my sides—just like they did when Kieran took me that night. A gloved hand brought a cloth to my face, and when I inhaled, I detected a fruity scent right before my world went black and I lost consciousness and the will to fight.
Shit.
