Page 10 of These Dangerous Fates

Silence greets my statement, then Allie explodes. “What the fuck? Is he dead? Do you need me? Are you hurt?”

“I’ll be okay, I think,” I wince, not entirely sure that’s the truth, but not wanting to freak her out either. “And I don’t think he’s dead. He’ll be able to heal himself enough to get to a hospital.”

“Okay, okay.” I hear Allie pacing through the phone. “That’s good. He’ll be okay, then. And you’re sure you’re okay?”

“Good?” I exclaim. “Allie, that is the worst possible thing that could happen. I should have made sure he was dead. Can you imagine what he is going to do to me now?” My voice cracks as the reality of my situation sets in. I have royally fucked up.

“Shit,” she mutters. “What do you need me to do?”

“I need some place to hide. I can’t stay here. I have to get away.”

“Come over here. You can stay here for the night and we’ll figure something out tomorrow. I’ll get you out of there, Ellis. I’m not leaving you to him anymore.”

Despite my fear, warmth blooms in my chest. At least I have one person in my corner. My wild heart rate calms a little at the realization.

My bedroom door slams open, cutting off my reply. Wood splinters and flies everywhere. I jump, pain radiating from every part of my body. Dread curls in my gut when I see my dad standing in the now open doorway.

My dad is positively livid. His neck is suffused with blood and I can see it steadily creeping up to his cheeks. “In my office. Now,” he snaps. His fists clench and unclench as he turns around and heads toward the stairs.

“Ellis?” Allie asks over the phone.

“I have to go,” I whisper.

“Ellis, wait …”

I hang up before she can say anything. There is nothing either of us can do at this point. I quickly, but gingerly, put on a pair of shorts and tank top and pad down the stairs to my dad’s office. My ribs are killing me, and a tiny construction worker has taken up residence in my brain, drilling holes in my skull. My right eye is completely swollen shut now, and my rapidly quickening pulse throbs in each bruise and cut on my body.

Outside of my dad’s office, I pause and take the deepest breath I can manage. It’s not much, and it does nothing to calm my racing heart. I clutch my phone tightly in hand, like it can protect me from what’s coming. Distantly, I notice my fingers shaking as I turn the knob and push open the door.

I was expecting to see Sam, bloodied and angry, sitting in the office. He isn’t, thank the gods. My dad is alone, sitting behind his massive mahogany desk, framed on either side by bookshelves filled with thick tomes and ancient scrolls.

Thomas Kennedy has aged since his wife and daughter’s murder ten years ago. His black hair is graying at the temples and fine wrinkles surround his eyes and mouth. His mind is still sharp, though. Maybe even sharper than it was ten years ago. His brown eyes drill into me, and only the pain in my body keeps me from shifting back and forth on my feet.

He crosses his arms over his chest and leans back in his chair. A cursory glance at my injuries is all he does to acknowledge what just happened to me in his house.

“What the hell were you thinking?” he barks.

“Oh, I don’t know,” I snap at him. “Maybe I was trying to stay alive?” Sarcasm laces my words. I know my dad won’t hurt me physically, so it’s safe enough to push the boundaries with him.

“Sam wouldn’t kill you,” he snorts. A vein has popped on his temple, and it pulses with each beat of his heart.

“No, he would just beat and rape me to within an inch of my life.” The disgust is plain in my voice, and my dad’s eyes darken in anger.

“Lose your tone with me, girl. I won’t put up with your shit anymore,” he growls. “You cost me a lot with your little stunt today.”

“Gee, I’m sorry Sam almost beat me to death.” If I didn’t hurt so bad, I’d roll my eyes and shake my head. As it is, I can barely draw in a breath without crying.

He slams his hand down on the desk making me jump then groan in pain. “Enough! I have done everything in my power to make sure you have a nice life. You have a house to live in, food to eat, clothes to wear. I made sure you would be comfortable when you move out by arranging a marriage with someone who would provide for you like I have. And this is how you repay me? How you repay Sam?”

“You can’t be serious?” I breathe. “You expect me to lay down and quietly take everything Sam does to me?” The disbelief quickly turns to anger, igniting in my veins like a wildfire. “You know what happens behind my bedroom door. There is no way you can deny it!” I gesture to my body, bruised and broken. “Look at me! Is this what you want for your daughter? To live a life of torture and abuse?” Tears prick my eyes, but I’m so angry, so bewildered, they don’t fall.

He ignores everything I said. “If you think someone else will treat you any better, you’re sorely mistaken. The daughter of a prominent mage born with no powers has no place in this world. I am going to make sure you fall in line. You don’t want to marry Sam? Fine. You want to play games? Even better.” His lips pull into a malicious grin and my heart stops in my chest. “Let’s play.”

Malakai

I grunt as my shot goes wide. I’ve been off my game lately. Rarely does Cade beat me at pool, but the past few days he’s whooped my ass. Cade chuckles darkly and approaches the table with a calculating eye.

This is the one place I can let my guard down, the library-turned-man-cave in my dad’s estate. Hell, it’s the one place Cade and Sterling can let their guards down as well. I glance around at the shelves full of books that have been shoved to one side of the large room. There is still plenty of space to walk between them and browse the titles, but now there’s room for more entertaining stuff. Stuff like the pool table, a small bar, black leather couches, a giant flat screen TV complete with gaming systems, and workout equipment.

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