“It does seem strange. Mark, Darren, and I will wait out here for now. Let’s just see what he has to say. Nothing can happen in that room that we can’t stop.” He walks over to Harleigh and looks into her eyes. “You have the necklace, and I am right here. He has no powers to make you disappear. Call me if you need us.”
She nods and gives him a hug.
It’s really weird to see the Devil so affectionate, but the love he has for her is undeniable. And if my father is up to something, he has really picked the wrong people to come up against.
“Thanks, Gramps.” Her voice is a little shaky, and I’m extremely pissed off.
I hate that she’s afraid of him. I also love the fuck out of her for it because she’s basing this hatred and fear solely on the way he has treated me.
“We’ve got her,” I assure them, and the guys nod in agreement. No way in hell will we have anything happen like it did with Paul. We won’t let her be in any form of danger again if we can avoid it.
As soon as we walk into the room, I pull Harleigh against my front, and the other two flank me in a clear protective stance.
“It’s nice to see you again, Son. It’s hard to get in touch with you these days.” He waves his hand toward the conference table for us to sit down, but Harleigh hesitates before I guide her into Brian’s lap.
If anyone is going to keep her calm right now, it’s angel boy.
“Not really much to talk about, father.” I shrug and keep my voice cold as he scowls at me.
“You’re my son,” he spits out, and I nod.
“Just because I’m your son, doesn’t mean I want anything to do with how you live your life.”
He scoffs at me.
“You change everything about yourself for some…mediocre girl?” He looks Harleigh up and down.
I growl in response, but not nearly as loud or dark as Orion does. His intensity has my father taking a step back.
“First off, she’s not mediocre. You’d be surprised just how non-mediocre she really is,” I start, deadly calm in my voice while my insides are burning with rage. “Secondly, she’s not just some girl. She’s my soulmate, and I know I’ve been over this with you.”
I narrow my eyes at him, and he stares back at me for a moment, moving his eyes over all of us before holding up his hands in a placating gesture.
“Alright, I hear you.” He takes a deep breath, and sighs. “But when I hear that my son has gotten into some deep trouble and it all revolves around said girl, I have to question if you know what you’re doing.”
Harleigh’s breath catches, and I narrow my eyes further. This isn’t right. He never gives in this easily to anything. For Alexander Connerton, it’s always been his way, or no way.
Me: Something is wrong.
H: I don’t like this. Should I call Gramps?
Me: Not yet. Let’s see exactly where he’s going with this, but this isn’t like him. He gave in way too quickly.
O: I could just kill him.
It takes everything in me to not roll my eyes at him.
Me: No. We see where he is going with this. Give him guarded answers, and tell him absolutely nothing.
B: I agree. My phone is recording now, too. Whatever happens next, we can use it if we need to.
I nod my head in a gesture of thanks to him before looking at Harleigh, and giving her a soft smile.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I tell him.
No one knows about anything happening outside of our trusted group. No one but the angels who caused this and God the Father, and Dad is definitely not getting his information from Him.
We are a tight unit, so I know if he has information, it isn’t from us. But he doesn’t know that.
“The girl attacked a student last year, Colten! She burned him, and knocked him unconscious. Her best friend went missing and came back as a vampire. For fuck’s sake, you can’t be that dense! She’s trouble.”
Yeah, nope.
“Watch yourself. You’re on some seriously thin ice right now,” I growl at him, and he laughs.
“Please, you are nothing compared to me. Sit your ass down, Son.” So, he doesn’t know who Harleigh’s family is. The angels all know now, which means whatever my father is to them, he’s expendable.
“Stop attacking the love of my life. You have no idea what you’re dealing with.” I take a deep breath to try and calm myself, and I know Brian is working overtime on our girl right now.
I also know Orion is seconds away from slaughtering my father right here, and then we won’t get any answers. “I don’t know where you’re getting your information from, father, but none of that is public knowledge.”
He snorts. “I’m head of the school board. I own this school, Colten. Nothing, and I mean nothing, happens here without me hearing about it.”
“That explains how you knew about her hurting Darren while she was gaining control of her powers, but not how you knew about her friend. Exactly how did you hear about that?” His face freezes as a lot of the colour drains when he realizes he’s slipped up, and I feel alive.
Is this how Orion feels when he tortures and kills? Like he’s the hunter, and he can smell the fear of his prey, knowing he’s going to end them?
If it is, I totally get it now.
