AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“None of your business. Just like the rest of my life is none of your business.”
“You are my daughter.”
There was a pause that seemed to last a lifetime.
“But all you really care about is yourshellanand the war.”
“Where’d that come from?” Zsadist nodded at Nate. “Is he putting shit in your head?”
“What?You don’t know anything about me, do you.”
Dimly, she realized this showdown had been coming for a long time. She just could never have guessed the two of them would do theknockdown-daughter/dad-drag-out over the remains of a male she barely knew.
Those black eyes narrowed. “This male isn’t worth blowing your life up.”
“Well, first of all, he’s dead, so aren’t you relieved. And secondly, you’re not responsible for keeping my life together, and after this—I don’t even want your opinion—”
“He’s already tried to kill a buddy of his tonight, and now he’s working on getting his girlfriend into a grave. You might as well be dating a goddamn grenade—are youreallythis bored.”
“Bored?”she yelled up at him. “Maybe I’m just over being nothing but the footnote of an epic love story!”
“Is that what you think you are?” Her father glanced off to the left. And when he looked back, he was as grim as she’d ever seen him. “How long have you waited to share that little zinger.”
“Years.” She eased Nate’s shoulders to the side, and got to her feet. Because she wanted to be as close to eye to eye as she could get. “Every night you made me stay home as a matter of fact.”
Her father put his palms up, flashing that phone. “Inevertold you to do that. I never once told you you had to—”
“Your meaning wasalwaysclear.”
“There’s a fucking war going on here! Was he showing off to you? Being the big male, killing a couple oflessers, while he put you in danger—”
“I lured the first slayer in here. Nate was nowhere around. And I was the one who killed it and its backup. But I’m also the reason he—” Her voice cut out. “I’m the reason he’s dead. Are youreallythis cruel? To fight with me with his body cooling on the pavement between us?”
Her father’s mouth clapped shut, the fit of his teeth making the noise. Then he focused on the front of her parka.
“Yes, that’slesserblood.” She wiped her mouth and chin, and showed him her palm. “I bit one, too.”
“You didnot.” All of the color ran out of his face. “Nalla—”
“It sucks when the facts don’t fit your pattern, right?” She nodded at his phone. “You going to finish that text asking for an ambulance? Even though it’s too late? Or do you want to keep fighting with me because I’m not falling in line like one of your soldiers.”
“You shouldn’t be out here.”
“You trained me yourself.”
“That was for self-defense.”
“Yeah, well, it worked.” She brushed the bloody snow from her jeans. “I’m still here, aren’t I.”
What she wanted was to confess to him that he was right. She had made a mistake luring thatlesserinto an alley, and it had cost Nate his life.
But the last thing she needed was to feel worse, and somehow, any conversation she had with her father always ended up with anger in her veins and pain in her heart.
“You don’t belong here, Nalla.”
Bingo.
“But Nate does?” she ground out.
