Page 130 of Prodigal Son

Destiny stood paralyzed, listening to the stream of lies pour out of her ex’s mouth. When he clicked off his phone, he tossed it aside and smirked pointedly at her. As if nothing had interrupted them, he pulled back the sheet over his lap and said, “Come to papa.”

She didn’t think. Her hand just picked up the first object within her reach, which happened to be a five-hundred-page, hardback, Dean Koontz novel, and hurled it at him. “Get the fuck out of my house!”

Adrian protected his manhood and his face when the book hit him in the chest. “Yo!”

“Get out!” She hurled another hardback at him. He scrambled out of bed and ducked as a paperback whizzed past his ear. She landed a nice shot with a copy of a Western romance just as he started hopping in his pants.

“I’m so sick of your bullshit!” She fisted a handful of change from the jar on her dresser and lobbed it at him. “You’re never going to change!” She threw another book. “I can’t believe I slept with you!” She picked up a lamp.

“D, wait!” He held up his hands in surrender. “We didn’t sleep together!”

She froze. “We didn’t?”

Out of breath, he rushed to explain. “No. When I picked you up, you could barely walk. You puked on the ride home and passed out as soon as we got here.”

“Are you lying?” Adrian was the biggest bullshit artist she ever met. Only an idiot would trust him.

“I swear, I never touched you!” She lowered the lamp. “See, I’m different now. You can trust me.”

“You’re dating someone and naked in my bed!”

“She’s…” He shrugged. “We’re not serious.”

“I just heard you say you loved her!” She smashed her face into her hands and dropped onto the edge of the mattress. “God, just get out. Don’t call me or text me or bother with a Christmas card. I just want you out of my life. For good this time.”

She didn’t look up from her hands until she heard the front door close behind him. Then she fell back and whimpered in disgust. Perhaps it was time to swear off men all together.

CHAPTER 38

Cain heard shouting and left the safe house, following the sound of the ruckus only to find Dane being forcibly dragged against his will by David toward Council Hall.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Cain hopped off the porch and grabbed hold of Dane’s other arm.

“I’m following the bishop’s orders.”

“He told me I had to come with him for testing,” Dane snapped. “When I refused, he grabbed me.”

Cain scowled at David. “You couldn’t compel him?”

“Fuck you, Cain! That’s no better.”

“All right, relax.” He held up his hands. “What kind of tests does the bishop want to run?”

“That’s not your concern.”

Irritated, Cain rolled his eyes. “Fine. But you’re not taking him anywhere until I speak to Eleazar. Wait here.”

He ran into the house and found the bishop lecturing Moriah about pulling books off the shelf.

“What’s your intentions with Dane Foster?”

The bishop arched a brow. “I know you’ve been our house guest for some time, Cain, but that doesn’t give you the right to question my authority. I’m still your bishop.”

“That kid is my responsibility.”

“He’s not a kid. He’s an adult male and possible half-breed immortal living among our order. I have a greater responsibility to our flock.”

“Oh, come on, Eleazar, you know he’s not a threat to us.”

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