AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A shadow passed through his face. “He made the wrong choice. I would’ve spared him if he had made the correct one.”
“What, siding with you? That’s the correct choice?” I shot back, my voice edged with disgust.
His lips twisted into a cruel smile. “It’s always about survival, my dear,” he said, his tone chillingly casual.
I forced down the lump in my throat. He was still the same sick man who’d put his children in danger and thought nothing of it. The same merciless monster who’d held power over us for too long. The same fucking asshole who had killed my mother. But what he didn’t realize was that we weren’t the same scared kids anymore.
“Survival? What are you talking about? You kill people for fun,” I scoffed, shaking my head slightly. “No, it’s about control for you, isn’t it? You can’t stand the idea of Sam and me being out of your clutches.”
“I understand the two of you don’t see value in my hobbies,” he replied. “But that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. One can't deny the thrill of the hunt, the power that comes with being the predator and not the prey."
The coldness in his voice made me shudder. I swallowed hard, fighting back my revulsion and fear. His eyes, so much like my own, stared back at me with a chilling satisfaction.
"You're being hunted now," I retaliated. My voice was steady, unwavering even though my insides were a mess of boiling anger and frigid dread.
A surprised chuckle bubbled out of him, his smug grin reappearing. "By you? By your little group of misfits?"
"The others have nothing to do with this," I replied quickly, trying to steer him away from any suspicions about Stephen's true allegiances. "This is between you and me. You...and your family. How many people have you killed, Dad?"
He cocked his head, his eyes narrowing. “Are you just going to stand there? At least sit.”
“No, I think I’ll stand,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
He shrugged, reclining back in his chair. “Suit yourself.”
The room was silent for a moment, the only sound the steady ticking of an antique clock on the wall behind him. I took a deep breath, centering myself before speaking again.
“You didn’t answer my question,” I reminded him.
A sinister smile spread across his face. “Which one was it again?”
“How many people have you killed, Dad?”
His gaze flickered to the side, as though he were contemplating the question seriously. Then he shrugged. “I lost count a long time ago.”
Rage bubbled up inside me. “And how many more are you planning to take out?”
“That depends,” he replied nonchalantly.
“On what?”
His eyes locked onto mine. “On who keeps getting in my way.”
Goosebumps prickled all over my skin. “Why did you kidnap me? Why am I here?”
“Well, the answer to your first question is leverage,” he replied. “The second is that I’m hopeless. I kind of believed that you would want to run things with me if your brother wasn’t interested.”
I swallowed. “I would rather die.”
He shook his head, sighing heavily. “Shame,” he replied. “Don’t worry. I can accommodate that.”
Chapter Twenty-Four: Sofia
My heart pounded against my chest, each beat a drum of war ringing in my ears. The threat in his words was not disguised. This man, the only family I had left, would not hesitate to dispose of me if I became troublesome.
“You,” I began, my voice shaking a little, “are the most pitiful creature I have ever seen. You’re no father to us.”
His laughter echoed through the room. “I offered you and your brother the world on a platter and you spat in my face!” he retorted.
