Page 142 of Hunters and Prey

My father found out through one of his little spies and demanded I do the right thing. To him, the right thing was putting a bullet through his heart or head which I refused to do. So, he did it for me.

I could still see the ashes of what was left of him in my head. I hadn’t even been able to take him home, put him in the ground or in a goddamn urn on my mantel. I laughed a hard laugh.

“Adara?” Alec's voice brought me back to the present.

I turned the water off and pulled the curtain back. Alec stood in the doorway, his hands in his pockets. This time his eyes did dip down, they slid over my wet skin, and for a second, I saw desire. Raw desire.

Then it was gone. That mask clamped back down, and he turned his back on me.

I grunted and stepped out of the tub, grabbing a towel. I dried myself, the whole time glaring at Alec's back. “You know you can look. It's not like you haven't seen me naked before.”

Alec made a sound in his throat, half pained and half bitter laugh. He didn't turn back around. “Your father was taken from his office in the middle of the guild. No one saw anyone come in or out. There wasn't a sign of a struggle.”

“Maybe he took a holiday,” I suggested, shoving my toothbrush into my mouth. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he jumped ship to get away from all the hypocrisy and Spam. God, you guys ate a lot of Spam.”

“I didn’t catch a word of that, but he didn't leave on his own,” Alec continued. “His clothing was still there. His cigar still burning on the ashtray when I came to bring him his morning briefs.”

I spat and wiped my mouth. “Still at his beck and call, I see. How does it feel to have no life of your own? To jump when he says, to eat, sleep, and shit when you’re told?”

Alec snorted. “Not too long ago you were none too happy to do just that.”

I grinned and spun around, my arms out to my sides. “Yeah, and look at me now. Happy and carefree. I go where I want, fuck who I want.” My stomach growled. “And today, I want pancakes.”

I waved a hand at Alec to get his butt moving which did absolutely nothing. Popping my toothbrush out and pointing it at him, I growled, “If you waited this long to come to get me, then you can damn well wait until I’m ready.”

“Fine.” Alec crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the door frame.

I shoved a finger toward the front door. “Leave. I'll call you when I’m coming.”

Alec looked like he wanted to protest but did as I asked. When the door slammed shut behind him, I turned to the sink and sighed.

Fuck me.

I'd thought I was done with this crap. I wasn't a hunter anymore. Well, not officially. Alec was the last person I wanted to talk to about, well, anything.

Besides the history between us, he had been the one to tell my dad about the vampire I'd started to see in secret. He'd practically swung the sword that decapitated Bruce, even if that arm had belonged to my dad.

Part of me wanted to say fuck him. He'd made his bed, pissed off the wrong guy. This was his reward…

… but that was the hurt part of me still pissed about Bruce.

The other part, the part that still hoped we'd reconcile our differences was anxious to get moving. He was the only parent we had left, even if he was a douche bag supreme.

With a pitiful grunt, I rinsed my mouth and spit before heading into my room to dress, all the while wondering who had the balls enough to kidnap the director right under their noses.

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