Page 48 of No One’s Daughter

“This is what happens when you don’t listen,” I grunted into the shell of her ear. “I warned you.”

I had expected some venom from her lips, but instead she laughed. Manically. And that really didn’t help my attraction to her. I liked them a little unhinged. And she was exactly that and more.

But fuck, was she testing my patience.

I opened the boot of the car and simply shoved her inside. She barely had time to protest before I slammed it shut, cutting her off mid-breath.

I stood there for half a second longer than I should have, chest rising and falling, the burning along my skin sharpening now that I wasn’t moving. It crept up my neck and across my hands—angry, insistent.

Fuck.

I dragged myself back into the driver’s seat, slamming the door harder than intended as I settled in. My grip tightened around the steering wheel, jaw clenched as the sound of her kicking echoed from the back, the dull thud of her weight hitting metal growing more and more frantic by the second.

I exhaled sharply then slammed my palm against the wheel.

“Should have fucking listened,” I called back to her, looking down at my crotch. Great. I was hard as a rock again.

Another thud.

Another.

I scrubbed a hand down my face before reaching for the radio, flicking it on. Static burst though at first, then some half-tuned station crackled into life. Music spilled out loud enough to drown out the worst of it.

Not all. But enough.

I shoved the car into gear, tyres grinding against loose gravel as I pulled away too quickly, the engine responding with a low, strained growl as we shot back onto the road.

The countryside blurred past once more.

But still, she didn’t relent.

***

I punched in the numbers and sighed as I waited for the call to connect.

One. Two. Three rings.

Pick up Marlette, damn it.

​“Yes?” the voice at the other end of the receiver queried.

​“Why does it take you so long to answer the phone for fucks sake?”

​She let out a laugh. “I’m wonderful, Davien, thanks for asking, and you? Calling to check in on me? You know, I am capable of doing my job and covering for you.”

​“It’s hardly a time for jokes Marl,” I said with exasperation. I was so fucking tired. Tired of all of this shit.

“Why? What’s going on?” She asked, her tone much more serious now. “Did you get the blood analysed?"

“No,” I hesitated momentarily. I knew I could trust Marlette and I knew she wouldn’t willingly betray me, but I had to think rationally. They’d found my location somehow so I needed to be careful. I’d been careful to cover my tracks. Which left me to only one conclusion; someone had followed us by air, that someone being Zack—a true born with the gift of wings. “It’s better we meet. How about a coffee?”

‘Coffee’, being code for the line isn’t safe, move with care and meet at our pre-discussed safe location. I didn’t drink coffee. I grimaced at the thought. The stuff only gave me a headache.

“Sounds great,” Marlette said, her voice chipper again. “See you in, let’s see, how about an hour?”

I hung up the receiver without another word and dragged my hand down my face.

How had I landed myself in this position? I mean, I’d always known this would eventually happen—that had been the plan after all—but fuck, after so many decades, I was beginning to doubt the prophecy. Now, all those years of work were finally worth something. And I wasn’t sure how I felt about it.