The Vampire Hunter's Daughter: Complete Collection(50)

He backed away from me, toward the door. I was fuming, my hands were hot… they were just begging for me to bring on the fire.

“Go to hell,” I told him as he slipped outside the door and shut it.

I heard a lock click inside the door and voices outside.

Great. He probably had one of his goons standing outside the door, just in case I decided to try any “funny business.”

As soon as I heard the lock click, I rushed to the door and put my hands on the cold metal. I tried the door, even though I knew it wouldn’t open and then felt along the walls for gaps or seams. The only gap was the one where the doorframe was. I ran my fingers over it and then tried to get my fingers inside it but couldn’t because they were just a tad too big. Damn it.

Panicking, I racked my brain, trying to remember if I had anything in the room that would fit in that crevice. I spun around, rushed to the desk and rummaged through things on top of it, trashing the place in the process. My hands finally fell onto a wooden ruler. It would have to do.

I gripped it and ran back to the door. It barely fit in the tiny gap. I wanted to pry the metal away from the door and to see how pliable it was. Sadly, the ruler snapped on the first try.

“Piece of crap!” I screamed to the empty room and chucked the broken ruler half at the door.

How could he call me his daughter? Better yet, how could he call himself a father? Sick, daylight-obsessed, murdering vampire!

“Arrgggh!” I yelled and kicked the door several times.

Suddenly, the anger diminished. I’d never felt a change so sudden. One second I was kicking the wall, the next I was on the floor crying, really crying, not just tearing up, but tears drenching my face, snot dripping out of my nose and all the mascara I’d put on for the party smearing around my eyes.

Sitting wasn’t good enough. I fell to the side, laying on the floor and curled up as much as I could into the fetal position. I tried meditational breathing to stop the panic. Slow breath in the nose, exhale through the mouth. In…out. My little black dress was dirty and torn, but I had no desire to take it off. And my leg was stinging from where the stick had punctured my skin when I went over the wall.

I have no idea how long I lay there, bawling my eyes out, but eventually I heard the locks release again. I didn’t even move. I just stayed where I was, wishing Drew and Gavin and the rest of the Hunter’s would hear my mental plea and come for me.

I was in serious trouble.

When the door opened, someone slipped quietly inside.

Whoever was there must have just stood there watching me, because I didn’t hear anything after the door sealed again. After a few minutes of complete silence, I heard, “Chloe, are you all right?”

It was Oscar, the traitor.

“Go away, you phony. Just get away from me.”

“I just came to get my guitar,” he told me. Instead of getting his guitar, he crouched down right in front of my face. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block him out.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

There was no way I was going to let him get to me. He betrayed me.

“I didn’t know what Trevor had planned for you, Chloe, but I did know he needed you to become a day walker. I had no idea he meant to kill you.”

I opened my eyes. “How could you?”

He grabbed my hands and tried to pull me into a sitting position. I burned him for his efforts.

“Ow! Damn it, Chloe!” He yanked his hands away from me and stood. “Why did you do that?”

“Why do you think? You don’t get to touch me.” I rolled over and faced the other way.

“Damn it. You have to listen to me.”

I could hear the frustration in his voice, but I didn’t care. I was going to die here, and he had helped.

“I didn’t know the whole story. The reason I was called on to tutor you was to keep you occupied. To keep you from wanting to leave here.”

“Whatever, Oscar. You’re not that hot.”

I heard him pace the floor beside me a couple times. “I can make you do whatever I want, Chloe. Just as you are descended from angels and gods, I am descended from the ancient sirens.”

Seriously? Would the mythology and supernatural crap never end? I rolled back over and sat up. “You’re a what?”

“A siren. Mythological women who could lure men with the sound of their beautiful voices.” Sarcasm was thick on his voice.

“I know what a siren is, but you’re a… a guy.”

I am descended from the sirens, so I have traits. Just as you are a Hunter and have certain traits of the gods.”

“Ugh! This is completely insane. Why did you agree to this?”

“I don’t know if you noticed, but you’re father pretty much runs the vampire community. I’m not about to deny him when he asks me to do something.”

“You suck.” I moaned, planting my face into my hands. “How am I ever going to get out of here?”

“Look at me, Chloe.”

“No!”

“Look at me!” His voice didn’t become angrier, it softened.

“What?” I barely whispered.

“Give me a hug.” He held his arms open.

Even as I went to him, I was thinking, Why in hell am I hugging this jerk?

Then, his arms were around me and it felt good. I needed the human contact. There truly was some comfort in his touch.