Page 8 of Tainted Hearts

His brow raises higher. “Yes.”

Letting out a sigh of relief, I relax back into my chair.

“Why are you so concerned with my daughter, Francesca? Because that is not a reaction one might have to a stranger. Do you know my daughter well?”

“No, sir.” I shake my head. “I’ve only met her once. The last time she was in Hell.”

Okay, so I only talked to her once, but I’ve been watching her behind the scenes for years now.

“Very well,” he continues. “As I was saying before, Abigail is on earth. She is staying with her mother and her sorry excuse of a husband.” The way he curls his lip, I can tell he despises both of them. “I’m not one to give personal information away, but seeing what I’m about to ask of you, I feel like you should know as much as you can.”

“Okay...” My brows furrow in question. What is he about to ask of me that would require me to know about Abby’s life?

“My daughter was supposed to go to earth to enjoy her freedom before ruling alongside me when she turns twenty-one.” I know this because everyone knows that the Princess of Hell will rule with her dad. “That is no longer the case.” My eyes widen. “You will keep this next part to yourself, do you understand me?” I give him a firm nod. “Abigail has found her mates. Five, to be exact.” His jaw ticks, and I’m almost positive I see smoke coming from his nose. “Three, I am not a fan of. One, I’d like to snap like a fucking twig.”Oh, boy. “But he’s not the issue. I just got a call from her. Michael, that slimy little shit, has been up to something. Something big. I always knew he was a fraud. Yet, I’m the one who’s made out to be the monster.” He rolls his eyes. I mean, I've seen first hand the things he does to those in Hell. He’s not innocent by any stretch of the imagination.

“I’m getting off-topic. Long story short, I’m sending you to earth. Your job is to keep a close eye on Abby. Make sure no one is planning to take her by surprise, and keep her mate, Isaac, in line. He’s lucky he’s not dead,” he growls. “I already sent Leo up there, but that boy is so smitten with her, that he’s useless in regards to sending information back to me.”

“I’m going to earth?” I ask, needing to see if I heard him right.

“Yes. I’ve enrolled you into Angelic Academy, so you will be able to keep a closer eye on her. Make sure none of those Pure Blood assholes fuck with her anymore. She acts like nothing can get to her, but I don’t like anyone thinking they can fuck with my daughter and get away with it. She might be nice, but I’m not. You are to report anything concerning that would affect her safety. She already plans on telling me anything she finds out about the archangels, but the more eyes the better.”

“I thought that school was for Pure Bloods only?” I’ve been top side a lot in my teenage years, but I’ve never been anywhere other than Dark Night. I never dared to step foot on Pure Blood soil.

“They have a scholarship program. They have been letting people from other realms into their school. Leo has taken the demon spot, but I’ve managed to find a loophole. You are a vampire and not originally from Hell. They didn’t plan on letting vampires in because of how out of control they are in their realm. But seeing how you’ve been trained not only by your father but by me, and can control your bloodlust, they have agreed to let you in.” I wanna ask how he’s managing to get Pure Bloods to do anything for him since they should despise him, but I know when to keep my mouth shut.

“When do I leave?” The idea of going topside excites me. It’s been years since I was able to leave Hell. I love my job, don’t get me wrong, but I miss the freedom I used to have. In Hell, being on the King’s guard is the highest honor and best paying job, but it’s also time-consuming and draining at times. This little break is something I need.

But being around Abby isn’t going to be easy.

“Today. I’ll give you an hour to pack.”

He tells me everything he expects of me before dismissing me. As I put my hand on the knob, I know I need to tell him, because if I don’t, this could turn into something bigger, and I might get in trouble.

“Sir, there’s something I need to tell you about Abby.” I look at him over my shoulder, and my poker face must suck this morning because he takes one look at me and lets out a deep sigh.

“You too? How long have you known?”

“Since she was sixteen.”

“Does she know?”

“No.” I shake my head. “Because vampires can tell who their mates are through the scent of their blood, I didn’t need to touch her to know she was mine. It was by random chance back then. I planned on keeping it to myself, not sure how mating would go with the Princess of Hell. I didn’t want to mess with anything you had planned.”

“So you were willing to go your whole life without your mate because you were worried about how it might affect me and my plans for Hell?”

“Ah, yeah, I guess.” I hate the blush that takes over my cheeks right now.

He smiles. Holy shit, the Devil is smiling at me, and it’s not one of those creepy ones that make people shit their pants. “I knew I liked you.” He chuckles. “I respect you, Francesca. But no more secrets. Abby is allowed to be with any and all of her mates. I just want her to be happy.”

Air leaves my lungs as joy fills me. “You're alright if she knows?”

“I’m gonna hate to see one of my best guards go.” He shrugs.

“That’s if she even wants me.” I chuckle nervously. “She already has some amazing mates.”

“Two good mates. The others are questionable, at best. Trust me, I think you will be alright.”

“I think I’m going to give her some time though. She already has a lot going on. With her just finding out about her newest mates, I think it’s best.”

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