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"Dad loves you," I argued. "So do I. You're notonlyanything. You're Zachary Sinclair. You're a card-carrying badass, motherfucker."
His smile was brief. "Literally. But I'm not a Bell. That makes all the difference."
I sat Herman aside and moved over to sit in the seat beside Zachary. I took his hand.
"I'm sorry if anyone made you feel like you're not enough. Who do I need to kill? Don't say my father, that would make all sorts of things more complicated."
His smile was more genuine now, the bitter edge dulled. "If anyone else asked that, I'd think they were joking. Not you though. You'd totally go out there and stab someone for your family." He made a repeated stabbing motion with his other hand.
"Yes, I would." I gave him a short nod. "Or better yet, I'd send someone to do it. Blood is a bitch to get out of clothes. Actually, when it comes down to it, poison is a lot less messy."
It was slower and more satisfying to watch the victim's eyes bug out and their face swell. They knew what was going to happen and were powerless to stop it. If they did something so terrible to warrant the poison, they deserved every moment of what they got.
"Will you give me a job when you're head of the family?" Zacahry asked, tugging my thoughts back to the present. "I know I won't be a Brutham graduate, but I have some useful skills. You know I'm good with my tongue." He grinned.
"Yes you are, and yes you do," I agreed. It would be better if I didn't think too much about his tongue. That was the past and we wouldn't revisit it again.
"I'd be more than happy to give you a job. Hell, I'd give Chloe a job if she stepped aside now and agreed never to undermine me." Which I knew full well she would never agree to. That was probably just as well too, because I didn't think I'd ever be able to trust her again.
"Is that why you came here, to ask for a job?" I teased. "I'm sure you have prospective bosses lining up at your door to hire you." Why wouldn't they? He was intelligent, resourceful and charming. He'd be an asset to any business, including mine.
"You'd think so, wouldn't you? Maybe there are, but I know who I want to work for. Besides, the Bell's have better perks than anywhere else."
"We're slightly less inclined to get angry if you kill a coworker?" I only half joked.
While that did occasionally happen, they had to have a very good reason for doing it, like the person they killed was stealing from the company, or betrayed us somehow. If you killed someone who looked at you the wrong way, you'd end up in a shallow grave beside them. Neither my father nor I had time for any of that bullshit.
"Exactly," Zachary agreed. "Anyway, I've kept you long enough. I should be getting back to Sydney. I have an exam in the morning." He grimaced.
I matched his expression. "Me too." The only reason the guys weren't here was because we were all studying for exams, and they distracted me too much. If they had their way, they'd be chasing me through the forest in the dark, rather than letting me study. While I preferred their idea, I couldn't afford not to do well. Chasing would have to wait.
When he stood, I stood with him and gave him a hug.
"Thank you for coming. And for Herman. It's been good to see you." I kissed his cheek.
"You too." He kissed mine back. "Herman will help you to sleep well tonight. Have sweet dreams. Goodbye."
His words lingered in my mind long after he slipped out the door, but I put them out of my mind and got ready for bed.
CHAPTER14
HUNTER
"Are you sure about this?" Parker asked. "She has an exam in a few hours. You know how she gets when she's woken up before an exam."
His face was still sleepy from falling asleep on my bed while we studied for our exam. I tried to sneak out without waking him, but of course he heard me. Nothing I could say would persuade him to stay and go back to sleep. I considered handcuffing him to my bed, but it was too much of a hassle, and my cock needed to see Lila.
I flashed him a grin. "That's half the fun. She gets pissed off with us and we get to make it up to her." I pulled the key out of my pocket.
"Wait." He caught my wrist before I could put the key in the lock. "What is that?"
I was halfway to assuming it was some kind of joke. An attempt to shove me out of the way and get in first.
A moment later, I caught his tone and froze. My gaze dropped to the base of the door.
Wisps of something white drifted out from the gap at the bottom.
"Fuck." I shoved the key into the lock frantically and pushed the door open. We both almost tumbled inside. I staggered a step or two and caught a whiff.
