Page 43 of Bound By Blood

“I have come to take you home.”

“But I don’t want to go home!” she exclaimed.

“That decision is no longer yours. I am certain Nadiya is behind these attacks on you,” Drake said. “I am not sure what she intends, only that you are involved. My guess is she is planning to use you to get to me.”

“Why?” Kaitlyn asked, frowning. “You didn’t have anything to do with Daryn’s death.”

“I believe she means to avenge herself on me for Florin’s death, and also for Daryn’s. She knows the best way to hurt me is to harm you. You are not safe here.”

“I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

Stefan lifted one brow, as if to remind her of the man on the porch.

She glared at him. “I could have handled him by myself.”

“This is not a matter open to discussion,” Drake said. “My decision has been made. We are leaving here tonight.”

“I’m not …” Kaitlyn began, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door, and Zack’s voice, calling, “Hey, Katy, I know I’m late, but …”

Zack paused inside the door. Katy stood between Stefan and another man who could only be her father. “Looks like I picked a bad time to come calling.”

Kaitlyn blew out an exasperated sigh. “You have no idea.”

“Introduce us, Kaitlyn,” the taller of the two men said.

“Dad, this is Zack, the man who saved my life. Zack, this is my father, Drake Sherrad. And this is my uncle Stefan …”

“We’ve met,” Zack said.

“Oh? I didn’t know.” She had a feeling there were a lot of things she didn’t know.

“So,” Zack said, glancing from her father to her uncle, “what’s going on?”

“I have come to take my daughter home,” Drake said in a voice that left no room for argument. “If you will excuse us, we are preparing to leave.”

“Dad …”

“Tell him goodbye, Kaitlyn. We are going. Now.”

“You don’t have to go with him, Katy,” Zack said. “You’re over twenty-one.”

Drake glared at him. “How dare you suggest my daughter defy me! Get out of here, now!”

“Not without Kaitlyn.”

Zack reached for her, but the other vampire moved quicker.

Drake’s arm snaked around Kaitlyn’s waist. There was a rush of preternatural power, and Drake and his daughter were gone.

Stefan’s gaze locked with Zack’s for a brief moment, almost as if there was something he wanted to say, and then, he, too was gone.

Zack swore a vile oath. “This doesn’t end here,” he muttered angrily. “Not by a long shot!”

Chapter Eighteen

Kaitlyn glared at her father. “How could you?”

“I did what was best for you.” And in the worst possible way, Drake thought. He never should have used his preternatural power in front of a mortal, but it was too late to worry about that now, or wonder what Ravenscroft thought of their unusual leave-taking. But it didn’t matter. Even if Ravenscroft was foolish enough to tell someone what he had seen, no one would believe him.

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