Page 37 of Prey

Rolling my eyes, I take another sip of my coffee and Kadi drops on the stool next to me after putting his towel away.

“What’s the plan, Little Lioness?”

“Heading to Grams’. Two birds, one stone? We can see if she’s done the locator spell yet and Ethan can get a little immersion therapy at the same time in a less stressful situation than yesterday. I also want to take another look at the wand. If it isn’t messed up with black magic, I’ll add it to my collection of extra magic I have now,” I say, gesturing to my tattoo-covered wrist.

“Sounds like a good plan to me,” Ethan says, dropping a couple plates of bacon, fried eggs, and a couple pancakes in front of each of us and himself. He sits on the other side of me and we all tuck into our food.

Oh my Gods, these are possibly the fluffiest pancakes I have ever had in my life and I moan a little in enjoyment.

“Well,” Ethan clears his throat and adjusts himself in his pants, “if you’re gonna moan like that every time I cook, I’ll do it three times a day, maybe even five, or ten.” He winks. Cheeky fucker.

Kadi wags his eyebrows at me and takes another bite, licking his lips slowly as a payback for the moan. They are definitely going to be the death of me. But I must say, dying being pleasured with barbed peens like theirs isn’t a bad way to go.

Kicking my feet a little under the table, I enjoy this bit of banter and happiness. I have a feeling when we get to Grams’ and find out where my dad is, the day is going to get significantly worse.

Chapter twenty

Liars & Gods

SHASTA

Grams meets us at the door and gestures for us to step over to the porch swing. We all sit, me and Grams on the swingand the guys on the Adirondack chairs across from us. Grams looks at me and says, “I found him. But Shasta, you aren’t going to like where he’s at. Logan’s parents' hardware store. In the basement.”

“Funny you should say that because that punk showed up at the shop last night. He was there when we got back,” Ethan growls.

Grams looks from Ethan to me and raises her eyebrows. “I see you are feeling a little better about things this morning?”

Ethan nods and says, “I have a long way to go to be fully comfortable, but I’m sorry for the way I acted before. I know we didn’t get a chance to talk about this last night with everything else going on, but I’ve lifted the warlock ban for the club, so if any of your Coven are interested in joining, you can send them my way.”

She watches him closely for a moment before nodding. “I’m not a hundred percent sure I agree with the club on a moral basis. I’ve heard the rumors about your side business,” she says with a frown. “But I do know that you all do good for the most part. We will see how things go and if anyone comes to me to ask permission, I’ll give it.”

He nods and Grams turns back to me.

“Shasta, I’m going to warn you again. He’s in very bad shape, so I want you to be prepared for that. The father you have in your mind is what you remember from when you were a little girl and I don’t think you are going to recognize him the way he is now. I’m going to send you a picture in your head so you can see him. I want you to be prepared before you go so that you don’t get wrapped up in that once you see him there.”

She gathers my hands in hers and I swallow hard before nodding. Pushing the picture into my head, she watches me closely. I gasp in shock. The emaciated, battered, and bruised man looks nothing like the father that left here that day. Tearsstream down my cheeks. He looks broken, like he has no hope left, and is just sitting in the corner with his head in his hands in desperation.

I feel Kadi sit down at my feet and start rubbing my leg, as he and Ethan push comfort at me through the bonds. Grams squeezes my hands and I squeeze hers back too. She has been seeing this in her mind since yesterday. She loved my father too. So, it's hard for her to have to see him that way.

Taking a deep breath, I pull away and look up the address for Logan’s parents’ hardware store. I never met them while we were together. He always had some excuse that they were travelling or something. It always bugged me. Now it makes sense. They didn’t want me to know about the darker aspects of their lives. The full force of that realization hits me all at once when I realize that our whole relationship was probably a lie.

That. Fucker.

I’m going to kill him and his whole family for what they are doing to my father. That piece of shit was with me knowing they were holding my father hostage and torturing him. Living in my house, waking up in my bed. Well, when he wasn’t in someone else’s.

Shuddering, I bring my focus to Kadi and Ethan. Searching their faces I see compassion and understanding. They can feel my emotions and pick up on what I’m thinking. It’s no secret I’m just now understanding the true depth of Logan’s treachery and betrayal.

How can someone do that to another person? How can you look someone in the eyes every day knowing you are doing that? Or that your family is? How can you tell them you love them knowing you have the key to their happiness locked in your basement torturing them?

Only someone truly evil would have that ability.

I feel nauseous. The despair hits me hard and fast.

How could I have been so blind?

“Shasta.” Kadi says. “Look at me.”

I raise my face to his, hovering next to me.

---