Rogan doesn’t understand.My father’s trying to get in touch with me.His blood is calling to my blood, even though my heart is still pounding from the nightmare and my body is weak from the flaming arrow.
The fucking vampire king waits for no one.
“Rogan.A phone.”
“For God’s sake, princess.Lay your ass down.”
“Don’t you understand?I have to contact my father.I don’t have a freaking choice.”
Victor finally nods and brings me a cell phone.“It’s a burner.”
“Good enough.”I punch in my father’s number.
“Hannah?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“I’ve been trying to reach you.”
“I’ve been a little busy, Dad.Why didn’t you tell me my stepfather is the damned demon king?”
“That’s why I’m calling.I hear you had a run-in.”
“You didn’t think that little piece of information was relevant?”
“Richard and I made a deal,” my father says.“When he married your mother, he and I promised to stay out of each other’s way, as long as we both met certain conditions.”
“Great.That’s just great.”
“Yeah, but he reneged on that deal.”
“He did?How so?”
“My condition to him was that you, your sister, and your mother would never be harmed.He broke that promise.”
“He broke that promise a long time ago, Dad.”
“I’m talking about physical harm, Hannah.”
“Right.Because emotional and mental harm is no big deal.”I scoff.
My father doesn’t say anything.Until—
“I’ve made some mistakes.”
“You think?”
“Perhaps I shouldn’t have married your mother, but if I hadn’t, you and your sister wouldn’t exist.”
He’s got me there.I may bitch about my life sometimes, but I’m damned glad I have it.
“Your stepfather, on the other hand,” Dad continues, “procreated only with his first wife.”
“How does this even happen, Dad?I don’t get it.The vampire king?And the demon king?Did I win some kind of contest in hell?I get the king of hell himself as a stepfather?”
“The demon king isn’t the king of hell, Hannah.”
“What the fuck is he then?”