“So how long are we keeping her?” I asked, sounding like she was a stray pet. I couldn’t help but wonder where the heck Travis had disappeared to.
Chase walked into the family room, never taking his eyes off Emma. He watched her like a hawk. “I think Travis is just looking for some answers, closure or some crap.”
“And he thinks I’ll cooperate?” Emma spoke, leering at Chase hovering over her.
I rolled my eyes. At least his anger was no longer directed at me. I guess I had her to thank for that.
Lexi and Travis shuffled down the stairs in a blur of motion, stopping at the bottom of the steps. Lexi gasped. “Travis! You tied her up?” she stated properly outraged. Her blonde hair was in a perfect sleek updo. “This better not be some kind of kinky foreplay,” she added, scrunching her nose and looking adorable doing it.
Travis didn’t answer. He was staring at Emma and she was staring right back. It almost felt invasive for all of us to be in the room. I had the urge to quietly slip from the room, and I was pretty sure neither of them would have noticed if a herd of elephants trampled through the house. They were too wrapped up in each other.
Finally Chase cleared his throat. Loudly.
“What in God’s name is going on?” Lexi demanded, her hands on her hips looking to each one of us for answers. I sheepishly looked at the carpet pretending it was the most interesting thing on the planet.
“We were just about to ask Emma that. Weren’t we Travis?” Chase piped in. “Well, at least why she tried to kill me?”
Lexi’s aqua eyes went wide. “I don’t believe it. Emma wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
“Believe it little cousin.”
“You’re all nothing but an abomination,” Emma hissed, digging her own grave.
Hurt and disbelief leaped into Lexi’s eyes, and my heart went out to her. Lexi had a gentle nature despite the fact she was part demon.
“When I get out of here, I’ll come after you again and finish what I started. I’ll kill every one of you, including your little pet.”
I couldn’t seem to be able to control myself around her. I took a step toward her, but Chase was always faster. His arms grabbed my waist from behind and tugged me to his chest. They were like vise grips. “Angel, move again and I will tie you up next to her,” Chase threatened in my ear.
I could feel his heart thumping against my back. “How can you just sit there and do nothing? She hurt Lexi and Lexi doesn’t deserve that.” I was so dang frustrated.
He sighed heavily. “Angel Eyes, you never fail to surprise me. All in due time,” he whispered.
“You can let go of me now.”
“Nah, I think I’ll keep hold of you for safe keeping.”
Emma snorted. “Disgusting.”
I jumped against the bonds of his arms, and they only tightened around me, anticipating my move.
“What happened to you?” It was Travis’s soft voice that broke through the thickening tension swirling like a Kansas tornado in the room.
Emma’s emerald eyes clung to Travis’s stormy sea green gaze as he sauntered over to the couch and sat next to her. He waited patiently for her to answer, just studying her, trying to figure out where the girl he had fallen in love with had gone. Because surely this she-devil dressed in all black wasn’t her. The silence lingered as we all waited on edge for her to say something. My bet was that she was going to inform us of the number of sick and twisted ways she planned to hunt us.
Sometimes it is nice to be wrong.
But that didn’t mean she was exactly pleasant about it. “I came into the family business,” Emma finally answered with indifference.
“Family business,” Travis echoed, his brows drawing together. “Someone in your family is a hunter?”
Emma didn’t so much as blink. Lexi crept into the room next to where Chase and I were standing. His arms had gone lax around my waist, and I felt him relax some, which in turn had mind my wandering to his marvelous body pressed against me. Suddenly, I found it hard to concentrate on anything but the half-demon behind me.
Emma raised her head defiantly. “You know nothing of family.”
I couldn’t fathom how Travis stayed so calm around her. Deep lines of thought crossed his forehead. Then a light of understanding moved into Travis’s blue-green eyes. “Your dad.”
Her thin lips and her silence were all the confirmation we needed. Wow. And I thought I had mega daddy issues. At least mine didn’t train me to be a killer all while pretending I was missing for over a year. That was some pretty heavy shit.
Her eyes shifted like a cat ready to bolt. “You think you got it all figured out.” Everything about her voice and actions were filled with pride and sheer stubbornness. Not an ounce of fear. “You have no idea.”