“I will not apologize for that either,” I said in a firm tone, not even taking a second before answering.
“And once again, I don’t expect you to, but what I want to know is how long?”
“How long what, Dom?” I snapped not having the patience for this fucking conversation right now.
“How long have you been stalking my daughter?” he asked nodding to me and emphasising his own words, whilst giving me a knowing look. After all, he had admitted to being there once before. Either way, I told him frankly,
“What does it matter, the fact remains that it happened and I…”
“…And you were keeping her at arm’s length for the very same reasons I did the same with Keira. It had fuck all to do with me or Keira deceiving me and asking you to.” This was quite a deduction but then again, it came as little surprise considering he had been through this all once before.
“I also take it that you were the reason she went to Germany and you were also the reason she left and came back a broken version of her former self.” At this I released a frustrated sigh that said it all.
“I don’t see how this is fucking relevant now!” I snapped seeing little point in having this conversation now, of all times.
“And I don’t give a fuck if you do or not, I deserve an answer, Luc!” He threw back at me and I decided that instead of telling him to go fuck himself like I wanted to, I knew that on some level he was right. After all that had been kept from him, then perhaps he did deserve an answer.
“Fine, yes it was fucking me! The time was not right…I was not, did not…fuck.” I hissed getting lost for words and hating that he was the one to witness it.
“And I also assume that this was where she first formed her belief of your attachment to…” At this my warning growl cut him off before I snarled,
“Yes…fuck, Dom, really… you want to do this now?!”
“You’re waiting for the helicopter to arrive and can do little before it gets here, so yes …yes, we have to fucking do this now!” This last part was most definitely said as my own warning, and I tore my face to the side with a shake of my head.
“Then I think you already have a pretty clear concept of what you have been missing these last years,” I said pointing out the obvious, for it seemed since finding out about Amelia and I, then he had spent his time digging deep enough to know the true depth of my obsession for his daughter.
“That may be true, but what I would like to know is since when?”
“Since when?” I repeated his question wondering why the fuck it mattered.
“Since when did you discover who my daughter was to you?” I dragged a hand through my hair in frustration and snapped,
“It doesn’t fucking matter!”
“It matters to me… now tell me when!?” I released a pent-up growl and came close to walking out the office telling him that I didn’t owe him shit! I answered to no one, least of all him. But then it only took a single memory to infiltrate through my anger to prove that statement wasn’t true…not anymore. It was the sight of him embracing his daughter outside the gates of Afterlife. Because Dom may no longer be classed as my King and the days had long passed since I called him my comrade, but I had to remember that he meant something to Amelia.
And for that reason alone, he deserved my respect. I released a sigh and looked back at him.
“Since the night I saved her life in London, the night of the tournament at the Devil’s ring,” I admitted in a strained tone making Dom close his eyes as he absorbed this information and tried not to give into the urge to try and kill me…again.
“So that is why it was like pulling Gorgon fangs to try and get you to come to council meetings” I shrugged my shoulders and said,
“What do you want from me, Dom…I may be considered a cruel bastard by most who know me, but I’ve always tried to do right by your daughter.”
“And if I hadn’t been the one to bring you together that night of the gala…what then?” he asked making me growl this time,
“Don’t fucking go there, my friend, for I was nearing my limit as it was and needed little pushing on the matter. Amelia was always mine to claim, despite what you or any other fucker may think, so do not presume to think that you had a hand in this…she would have been mine soon enough.” He growled back at me and again the limits of his patience on the matter were wearing as thin as mine were. Which was why I suggested,
“It is all of little consequence now, don’t you think? Besides, we have more important aspects of the past to deal with…you know, like the fucking witch you failed to kill…don’t think that I missed the part where Keira wasn’t the only one keeping the true nature of things from the other,” I reminded him this time making him look uncomfortable at the turn our conversation had taken.
“I hardly think one equates to the other, Luc, and besides, times were different back then. Keira is different now and knows the way of our world. Back then she was innocent, and she was…”
“Human. Yes, I remember,” I finished for him dryly.
“She also needed to learn an important lesson that night and that was not trusting in what it is you think you see.”
“Yes, and from the sounds of things, after this last twenty-four hours, then I would say that your daughter also needs to learn this lesson,” I told him dryly.
“Well, at least be both agree on that…she should not have run from here...she shouldn’t have run from you,” Dom admitted surprising me, and my look must have said as much as he responded to it,
“I am aware of the irony here, Luc, as despite how much I may not like it, I have no choice but to accept the claim. Besides, I think you have proven enough to me that we have a common goal here and that is her safety comes first.” I nodded once and agreed in my usual way,
“Indeed.”
“Then I will give you this time to do what it is I know you do best, hunting without the usual outcome of course.” I smirked at this for we both knew that I spent more years being his personal assassin than that of a King.
“Naturally,” I said in agreement.
“I also wish for an outcome that in time her anger is replaced with acceptance of the truth, as naturally Keira is beside herself with worry, and as you know, this is not a sight I relish seeing.”
“I can see that, Dom, and that hope will turn into a certainty if I have anything to say about it,” I told him, now getting to my feet as I could hear the helicopter in the distance. He granted me a knowing look before continuing,
“The guilt of this last twenty-four hours lies heavily on her. In other words, Luc, I ask you this, not only as a father, but also as a husband…find my daughter, protect her and please, for the love of the damn Gods…fix this.” I released a deep weighted sigh and nodded, bowing slightly in respect. A respect that I thought in that moment he deserved in return. Because by asking me to do this for him, well I knew it had most likely been one of the hardest moments of his life. After all, I had once been granted the title of his greatest enemy and now here I was, being asked to hunt down his daughter. Even though he knew that by me doing so, it also meant he had no choice but to accept the outcome of such…that Amelia was mine to claim, announcing it to our world.