Epilogue
Piper
Stalking into the house, I shouted, “Jack! Your Auntie Mizuki and Uncle Tristan are here!” I glanced over my shoulder at the two hunters and grinned. “Just wait until you see her. She’s gotten so big. She’ll be so excited to see you two.”
I jerked forward, my body propelling toward the ground. I landed on my knees, catching myself on my hands. Stinging pain went through my palms and I growled.
Shifting to the side, I shot a look down at the culprit. Scowling, I grabbed the offending object and pushed to my feet. “Jaqueline Agnes Durand! What did I tell you about leaving your toys in the doorway?”
“Dude, are you okay?” Tristan stopped beside me and stared down at the mess of toys on the floor. “Man, for a maid you don’t keep a very clean house.”
I glared at him out of the corner of my eye. “Don’t even start.” A pitter patter of little feet barreled through the house followed by a squeal of delight. I bent down and picked up the array of toys on the floor. “Jaqueline, I mean it. Get over here right now and pick this crap up.”
A moment later a raven haired little pixie demon came charging out of the living room. “Uncle Tristan! Aunt Mizuki!” Jack cried out with a beaming smile on her five year old face.
“There’s my girl!” Tristan reached down and picked the little hellion up, making her giggle and kick her feet happily.
Mizuki stood by with a small smile on her lips until Jack was done with Tristan and turned to her. Attention span of a gold fish, I swear.
“Auntie Mizuki,” she pouted, “Did you not bring me anything?”
The vampire hunter rubbed her chin and hummed. “I don’t know. What do you think?” She pulled something from behind her back, holding it out to Jack.
“Is that a...?” I gaped at the woman. “You aren’t seriously giving her a stake, are you?”
“Never too early for your first,” Mizuki winked at Jack, making her giggle.
Jack turned to me with a quizzical look. “Mommy, what’s a stake?”
I flicked a look at Mizuki and mouthed, thanks a lot, before turning back to my daughter. “Why don’t you go find Daddy Marcus and ask him?”
Jack pouted for a moment and then perked back up, “Okay!” She charged off once more shouting through the house, “Daddy Marcus! Where are you?”
I sighed and turned back to the two hunters. “I thought when you killed Vincent you wouldn’t be making my life any harder?”
Mizuki smirked, flipping her long black hair over her shoulder. “Why would you assume that?”
I locked eyes with her, crossing my arms over my chest and cocking one hip to the side. “We are not playing this game again. I’m done. I have other priorities on my hands now.” I uncrossed my arm to show her the toys in my grasp. “Clearly.”
“Oh, come on.” Tristan pulled one of the toys from my hand, squeezing it so that it made its obnoxious chirping noise. “Don’t tell me you don’t miss the rush of the fight? The adrenaline rush of slicing the head off a vamp?”
I snatched the toy back from him with a pointed look. “No.” Turning away from them, I walked into the living room dropping the toys into the box by the fireplace. “Look, was it fun? Sure. But that was then and don’t forget, it wasn’t like I wanted to be doing it. Your boss made me, do it.”
“Yeah, but now you’d do it ‘cause you want to,” Mizuki interjected, throwing herself down on the couch, her boots going up on top of the coffee table.
I flicked my eyes down to her feet before shaking my head. “And what would I tell Jack? Hold on while mommy goes and kill people exactly like your daddies?”
“Bad daddies,” Tristan pointed a finger at me with a grin.
I wrinkled my nose. “Don’t say that.”
“So, what are you going to do for the rest of your long, long, long, long, long life?” Tristan went on with a wave of his hand.
“I don’t know...be a mom? Be a good girlfriend? Then whatever the hell I want after that. I certainly don’t have to spend my nights risking my life and those I love.” My body twisted toward the doorway, feeling Antoine before he entered. “Hey, look who decided to visit.”
Antoine inclined his head at the two hunters in greeting. He stepped up next to me, placing an arm around my waist and kissing my neck. “Where’s Jaqueline?”
I pressed a hand to his chest, playing with the buttons on his shirt. “She’s looking for Marcus. Someone brought her a new toy...” I trailed off, leveling my gaze on Mizuki who simply smirked once more.