Page 82 of The Ripper

“No shit,” I said as I stubbed out the cigarette under my boot and lit another. “Why did you do it?”

“I wanted to know who had you so tightly wrapped around her finger,” he sighed. “She’s too innocent, Grimm.”

His voice sounded pained, and I briefly thought about Amaliya and the brutal way he had lost her. I knew she was the first and last woman my father loved, in his own fucked-up way, and I also knew that he thought Arella could have the same fate given my life, but history wouldn’t repeat itself.

Not with her.

I would never allow it.

“I know.”

“She’s also hiding something,” he said matter-of-factly.

My father, the most observant being to ever walk the fucking earth.

“I know that too,” I sighed. “Anyway, that’s not why I called.”

“Oh?”

“Did you notice any strange looks when you were in the hospital?”

“You mean more than usual?” He laughed, and then I heard a woman choke and his groan.

“That’s disgusting,” I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, old man, more than usual.”

“No, but I can pull the surveillance from the entire day and send it to you.”

“Tell Hannibal to send them directly to me and try not to have a heart attack in the meantime.”

I heard his laugh before hanging up on him, since I didn’t want to witness the end of whatever he was doing, then threw out the cigarette as the first drop of cold rain touched me.

A storm was brewing, and not just literally, because I could feel the waves inside me getting restless as well.

~ I smell blood coming our way.

Cursing under my breath, I turned around and walked towards the entrance.

I found Arella staring in shock at Klaus, who was wearing a pink clown wig and a red nose as he tried to make balloon animals. The sole purpose of him making a complete fool of himself was probably that of cheering up his roommate. My gaze wandered briefly to the redhead, who had her bony knees hugged to her chest, looking at him with a blank expression on her face.

A claw opened around my heart and squeezed it in my chest as my gaze fell on the beautiful blonde who — just as my father said — had me wrapped around her finger.

“Ah, brother, come here.” Klaus sprinted towards me and enthusiastically pulled me in front of the girls. “Hold this, will you?”

He handed me a balloon that was supposed to be a dog, but it most definitely wasn’t, and I looked at Arella for help, but she enjoyed his shenanigans a little too much.

“I swear to fuck, you’re adopted,” I told him as he twisted and turned one of the balloons until he made it look like a dick, and before I could stop him, he smacked me in the face with it.

While Arella burst into the most melodic laughter, I started fuming.

“You just got dick slapped,” she snorted, and I raised an eyebrow in her direction.

Dick slapped, huh? We’ll see about that.

I heard a slight giggle from Fleur, and Klaus threw the dick at my face, then fell to his knees and raised his arms to fist bump the air.

How were we even related?

“Victory,” he bellowed at the ceiling, while Arella laughed louder than I’d ever heard her.

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