Page 33 of Cursed by Death (Ruby Jane #1)

“ W e already know you killed the demon in that house,” Bane stated calmly, like he was reporting the weather and not talking about a murder. “The one who was responsible for murdering Ruby’s friend. Not to be confused with whatever other demons you’ve murdered recently.”

At the word friend my father scoffed. “He wasn’t her friend. He was her lawyer. Her grandmother’s lawyer at that.”

“His name was Thomas,” I said quietly and his eyes were deadly serious as they roamed over my face. “And he was my family. The only family I had left.”

His hands clenched into fists and I could tell he was not happy with what I had said. A muscle in his cheek ticked but he didn’t say anything.

“The hunters agreed to drop it because Thomas’s murderer had been found,” Roan said, letting us know something he’d failed to tell me earlier. “But my brother and I aren’t going to drop it until we know Ruby Jane is safe and there will be no more demons showing up at her home.”

I sighed as I sat down in the chair in front of Jonathan’s desk. Everyone watched me as if I were the only person in the room. I hated it.

It was my fault Thomas was dead. My fault because I was related to the man in front of me.

“I had to set an example,” my father said. “So that’s what I did. The hunters have never bothered me before when it comes to how I deal with my own people. It was my understanding that you only cared about the well-being of your own kind. So, I fail to see what your concern with my daughter is all about.”

I could see that he struck a nerve with the twins and if I let this continue on like this things were going to turn ugly and fast. I wanted to avoid that if I could.

“Bane and Roan lived with me at Harmond House,” I said quietly. I hated talking about this and would happily take it to my grave but I wanted this man to know. And it wasn’t like it was a secret that I had lived there. All you had to do was look in my file and you’d see it there.

“Ruby,” both Bane and Roan said my name at the same time. And they said it in warning.

But I was well past the point of listening to anyone else.

I stared my father in the eyes and asked, “Have you heard of Harmond House, Johnathon? It was my first foster home after my mother was murdered and my father abandoned me. Bane and Roan got there not long after me. I recently learned that the hunters sent them there to keep an eye on me because of you.”

My father was watching me carefully. “I wasn’t in a good place after your mother died and it wasn’t safe for you to be with me. I couldn’t bear for you to end up like her. I figured your grandmother would take you in if I was out of the picture. I didn’t know anything about you until years later when I went to check on you. I’m sorry the hunters sent people to watch over you when it should have been my people watching over you. However, it doesn’t explain what you’re doing here now with them.”

He was talking like he had no idea about what had gone down in that house.

“They took my punishments,” I whispered as I sat forward and put a hand out, palm flat against his desk. “Even knowing who I was and being there to make sure I wasn’t a threat to anyone, they took my punishments for me.”

“What exactly do you mean by punishments?” my father asked me and I could hear in his voice that he had no idea what I was talking about.

“She was an abusive child molester,” Bane gritted out between clenched teeth.

I felt bad for the twins at that moment. It wasn’t just my history I was talking about here.

“It doesn’t matter anymore, though,” Roan murmured. “She died in prison and the past should have died with her.”

My father just stared at me. “I had no idea,” he whispered. “I thought you were safe and with your grandmother. I’m so sorry, Ruby Jane. You have no idea how sorry I am.”

I didn’t want his apology and I realized at that moment that I didn’t need it.

“I’m not here for an apology,” I told him honestly. “I’m here because I have people that I care about living with me. I don’t want any more people coming to my home looking for me because of you. I don’t want anything happening to anyone that I care about. I want to know that the threat against me is gone.”

“You’re my daughter,” he said simply. “And I cannot promise you that.”

I was afraid he was going to say that.

“Then I have nothing more to say to you,” I said calmly as I stood up.

I was proud of myself for remaining calm in that moment because I felt anything but calm. All I could think about was how I had wanted to make Ginger and the baby’s lives better, easier, and all I had succeeded in doing was putting them in danger.

Because the blood that ran through my veins was shared with this man in front of me.

“Sit down, Ruby Jane,” my father demanded. “We aren’t done with this conversation. The rest of you can leave us now. I wish to speak alone with my daughter.”

I heard the door open and I knew the two demons and the vampire were leaving the room without hesitation.

Bane and Roan were not.

“Please wait out in the hall for me,” I told them as I sat back down in the chair without taking my eyes off of my father.

They both grumbled under their breath but thankfully didn’t argue with me.

When the door was closed the man sighed and sat back in his seat, appearing somewhat deflated. It was a new look for him and one I hadn’t seen on him before.

It didn’t fool me, though. Not for a single second.

“I thought if I left you alone you’d be safe.”

I sat back as I crossed my arms over my chest. “I am safe. It’s not me that I’m worried about. But I will figure out what precautions I have to take to make my home safe for the people in it. That’s all that matters to me now.”

“You had Alec Raymond install your security system. I’ll speak to him and see if there’s any upgrades he can give you.”

I glared at him. “How the hell do you know that?” No one outside of the people who worked for Alec should know that. And they were under contract so they couldn’t say anything or they’d be facing a potential lawsuit.

I’d, unfortunately, have to find myself a new lawyer first before I could go down that road.

This pissed me off and frightened me at the same time. It made me want to have my system entirely redone, otherwise I worried I might not feel safe in my own home.

And feeling safe was something that was incredibly important to me.

“You’ve never actually met the man in person before, have you?”

A muscle in my jaw ticked. I had not actually met the man in person before. I always made sure to be somewhere else when they were working. And, for obvious reasons, I stayed somewhere else when my basement was being done.

“I’m Alec’s business partner. He might be the front man who runs things but I’m the money man behind the scenes.”

Well, wasn’t that just fucking fantastic.

“I don’t know anything about your system. Alec wouldn’t tell me anything even if I asked. And I didn’t ask. But, honestly, I don’t think there will be any more of my people making surprise visits to your home. It’s just not something that I can guarantee and I would rather we were safe than sorry. Now that you’re no longer living your life in hiding you have to always be careful. Always.”

Of all the scenarios I could have imagined when being reunited with this man this conversation wouldn’t have ever made the list.

“I’d like to get to know you and the young woman you’ve become. I’ll have Betty get a hold of you to set up a time for us to have dinner together sometime this week. We can get a weekly dinner set up until you’re ready for more than just dinners.”

I just stared at him. Had I heard that right? He had to be out of his damn mind.

“I’m not having dinner with you. Ever,” I said in horror.

“Oh, yes you will, daughter,” he said as he adjusted his tie at his throat. “I can be very persuasive when I want to be and I’m more than willing to get my hands dirty in order to get what I want.”

“Are you threatening me?” I snapped.

“No. Not you, Ruby Jane. Never you.”

I wanted to be relieved by that but I wasn’t. If he wasn’t threatening me then just who in the hell was he threatening? I had quite the list of people to threaten now.

I probably should have never come here because seeing this man hadn’t gotten me anywhere.

“Are we done here?” I asked snidely as I stood up.

“For now. But we’ll never be done for forever, Ruby Jane. You’re my daughter and I won’t let you ever forget that. Never again.”

I was afraid of that.