Page 68 of His to Possess

I reached my hand up to touch her, hissing as I heard the knock on the door.

Her hand immediately went to the gun she’d placed on the table. I placed my fingers on top of hers, shaking my head. “You forget, no one knows about this cabin outside of members of this community.”

She nodded, swallowing hard before moving away.

I took a sip of my drink before taking long strides toward the door. I was almost surprised seeing my father standing on the front porch.

He immediately looked past me, taking a deep whiff. “The woman is here.”

“Yes. It was necessary.” I noticed he was alone, his face pensive. “You have news?”

He nodded, darting another glance. “We need to talk.”

“You can come in.” I held the door open, sensing his concern at talking in front of her. “Detective Kathleen Kelly, this is my father, Blackhawk Cordero.”

She eased her drink onto the table before walking forward, her arm extended. “Sir, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

In my father’s typical fashion, he merely gave her an obligatory smile before turning his attention in my direction. “As I said, we need to talk, son.”

I exhaled, lifting a single eyebrow as I gave her a look. Whether or not she was offended was difficult to tell, but I was angry. I nodded toward the kitchen, heading in that direction then noticing he’d remained where he was, even inching closer to her.

“You are… special to my son,” my father said.

“I am merely his partner,” Kathleen answered.

“That is not accurate.” My father took a deep whiff before finally walking toward the kitchen. There was no sense in chastising him. He was from the old ways.

“Has the council decided?” I asked, keeping my voice low.

“They have been unable to come to a conclusion.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“They are deadlocked.”

I snorted. “Unless you give the deciding vote. You are well aware of what needs to be done.”

He didn’t react in any manner, although his eyes remained imploring. “And you know what’s at stake if we’re wrong.”

“What the fuck do we need to do to help the council understand we’re facing a crisis?”

“Find additional evidence.”

I laughed bitterly, almost choking on his words. “You mean another body closer to our community. That’s bullshit, Father. Bullshit. In protecting our community, you may very well damn our souls.” I started to walk out, more enraged than I’d ever been with my father. When he grabbed my arm, the strength of his hold surprised me.

“You will need to explain things to her.”

“I will if necessary.”

“You have selected her as your mate.”

I opened my mouth, bile forming in my throat. “No. I haven’t made that decision yet.”

My father lifted his head, a smug look on his face. “Your desire made the decision for you, much like what occurred with your mother. You must speak with her. She needs to understand, or we will be required to make certain she doesn’t talk to anyone.”

He said nothing else, merely giving me a respectful nod before walking out of my kitchen and my house. I was shaken, more so from my own stupidity for ignoring the signs. I closed my eyes, unable to fathom how the fuck to deal with this.

As I walked back into the living room, she stood with her arms folded, her face pinched.

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