Page 240 of When We Fall: Part One
He grunted but kept his arm around my waist, leading me to the warm night air. I couldn’t even see straight, but I felt good. Way too good.
“Give me your keys.”
I handed them to him wordlessly, and he stuffed them into his pocket before he opened the door to a blacked-out luxury car and helped me into the passenger seat before getting behind the wheel.
“You smell nice. Not at all like blood and guts like I thought you would,” I mumbled as he leaned over and latched my seatbelt.
He let out a soft huff of laughter before pulling out of the parking lot.
“Are you taking me home? I don’t want to go home,” I mumbled, staring at the passing city.
“No, I’m not taking you home.”
“Are you taking me out to the desert to kill me? Bury me in a hole so the caterpillars eat me?”
He chuckled again. “We’re in Chicago, little hummingbird. There are no deserts here.”
“Then Lake Michigan to make me sleep with the fishes.” I tutted. “You’re going to piss off my boyfriends, but you’d be doing me a favor if you just killed me now.”
“You’re the worst hostage,” he said, turning left. “You don’t even try to fight to get away.”
“What’s the point, Mr. Seeley? You’d find me some other day and whack me.”
He let out another huff of laughter. Either I was funny, or Klaus Seeley wasn’t such a grouch.
“Call me Klaus.”
“OK, Santa boy.Santa Klaus. I heard you’re an asshole.”
He let out a loud laugh. “Did you now? I suppose you heard that from my son?”
“Yep.” I laughed. “And others.”
“I will admit I am not a good father. I have no excuse in that, but I suppose if I did have to have one, I’d say life hasn’t always been kind.”
“So you’re a jerk to make things better for your kid? You sound like my dad.”
He sighed and made another turn. “Levin is strong-willed. Stefan was easier to raise.”
“Do you hate Levin?”
“No.”
“Then why are you so mean to him?”
“To make him stronger.”
“Yuck. I hope that’s not my dad’s excuse.” I looked over at him to see his hands tight on the wheel.
“Your father sees potential in you, little hummingbird, as I see in my son. You’ve aligned yourself with men who could get you killed. How do you want him to treat you? Perhaps being cruel is his way of making it hurt less. A way to prepare himself in the event he loses you.”
I was quiet and way too drunk and high to think correctly.
“Do you think people are cruel for that reason?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I frowned. “I turned down my record deal today. To stay with my guys.”
