Hideaway (Devil's Night 2)

I looked at Marina. “Get in the Jeep.”

She nodded and walked ahead, not looking back.

I twisted around. My father stood in black pants and no shirt with about four men standing behind him. He was masking his snarl, but I could still make out a hint of it.

“Get a new cook,” I told him, clutching the faunariums. “And don’t get any more dogs. I’m extremely difficult to deal with.”

He laughed bitterly. And then he inched toward me, his men staying back.

“You’re not taking my shit,” he growled low.

I tipped my chin up. “Consider it my severance package,” I said. “And be thankful I don’t take more as payment for keeping my mouth shut about everything that goes on here.”

His gaze narrowed on me. He knew what he was capable of, and he knew I knew. But my father was a smart man, and he knew I wasn’t alone anymore. Was it worth the trouble?

A sick smirk curled his lips. “I heard about the episode at Kai’s house last night,” he said, biting out every word. “Tell your brother I want to see him. And if you fail to keep his behavior in check from here on out, I will have him hog-tied and dragged to Blackchurch. Without hesitation.”

I clenched my teeth together. Damon had come out of prison far more hateful and distanced from reality than he’d ever been growing up. The last threads of everything I loved about him were thinning. Blackchurch would make him an animal.

“He’s got one more chance,” my father threatened. And then he cocked his head at me. “But maybe that’s just what he needs. A year, or five, to think about that temper of his.”

Anger poured in and out of my lungs, and I glared at my father.

“And if that happens…” He stepped closer, dropping his voice. “It’s open seas

on on you and your new little crew. Now get the fuck off my property.”

I backed away, not hesitating and not taking my eyes off any of them. It was unlike him to let me off the hook and just leave, having gotten the better of him, but he had enough problems. He had Damon to worry about.

Running into Will, I shoved my elbow at him, and we both moved, climbing in our cars and speeding off.

I kept my eye on the rearview mirror the entire way home.

“What the hell?”

I heard Kai bellow, and I winced.

Slamming the car door, I turned around to see him, David, and Lev barreling across the threshold of the house and across the gravel driveway toward us.

“You’re dead.” Kai pointed to Will.

“Come on, man. Damn.” Will opened the back of the Jeep. “She’s your chick. Not mine.”

Four of the nine dogs jumped out of the back of Kai’s Jeep, and I tried to shield the small faunariums behind me, but it was no use. Kai narrowed his eyes on the dogs and then he snapped his gaze to my right to where Marina was rounding the front of the car.

“What is this?” he blurted at me. Then his eyes fell to the snakes, turning even more alarmed.

“We went to Gabriel’s,” I told him. “And I, um…I got some dogs?”

“You went to Gabriel’s?” His tone sounded like I was in a lot of trouble. “You just snuck off after the conversation we just had about loyalty and honesty and…”

“And I needed to do this on my own,” I cut him off. “Not like ‘Hey, here’s my man, and he’s going to fight you if you hurt me, so back off!’ I needed to face him on my own. I’m fine. See?”

He crossed his arms over his chest. His biceps flexed, stretching his black T-shirt, and my stomach flipped.

I cleared my throat. “I won’t go back. I promise. I just needed to handle this.”

The wrinkles between his eyes grew deeper. I knew he wasn’t mad I faced my father. Kai didn’t treat me like a fragile flower. I think he was angry I went without him, though, and I understood that. I’d be mad, too.