Page 109

“You—agggh!” Evan throws his hands in the air and I slip from between them. They’ll have to deal with their love triangle another time. Right now? I need to get serious so I can get my men back.

“Both of you stay out here and get your shit sorted. We have a fucking war coming, so we don’t have time for this crap. Oh, and no killing each other. If we don’t come out in two hours, get our warriors and storm this fucking place,” I order, then glance at Dray. “Come on.”

I throw Evan and Archel one last narrow-eyed look to see them staring each other down, before I turn back to the Paradise people. “Let us in.”

My father nods, stepping aside and gesturing towards the door. As I stride past him, the captain leans down and hisses in my ear, “Your daddy won’t always be here to protect you.”

“But I will be,” Dray snarls from behind me.

He darts an arm out and grips the collar of the captain’s shirt, pulling him close and getting in his face.

“If you so much as breathe on her again, I’ll skin you alive.

” Dray’s icy eyes penetrate the captain’s stare for a long moment before he abruptly pushes him away, making the older man stumble back.

I laugh and look up at my savage man.

“You can call me daddy if you want.” He wiggles his eyebrows and I snort as I turn away.

We’re marched straight to my father’s office where men are stationed outside and the captain follows us in.

It looks exactly the same in here. Dray glances around, laughs, and then sprawls in the chair in front of the desk.

Grinning, I perch on his lap and he wraps his arms around me.

He looks calm, even half asleep, but I know he sees everything, his body tense under mine.

The captain glares at us as my father sits heavily in his chair.

His eyes flicker to Dray and he frowns before he looks back at me.

“What happened?”

He looks tired, really tired, and not as put together as he was when we last spoke. Is that blood on his arm ?

I tilt my head. “I could ask you the same thing.”

He frowns, rubbing at his head and looks at the captain. “There has been unrest here.”

“Enough, we tell her nothing, daughter or not. You shouldn’t have brought her here in the first place, and now she has led a whole army here. You have been stripped of your leadership. Now, savage, why are here you?” the captain snaps.

I freeze, my father isn’t the leader anymore? What the fuck has happened since I have been gone?

Dray stiffens even further, and I lean back on him to stop him from ripping the man apart. “You are really going to have to stop insulting me,” I point out casually.

“What are you going to do, little girl?” he sneers.

“Not me, him.” I jerk my head back at Dray. “He’s more… savage, as you call us. Doesn’t take well to me being insulted.”

“What happened to your other…erm, boyfriends?” my dad stumbles over his words.

“The Cities,” is all I say, and they both straighten. “That’s why I’m here, not to invade you, so you can keep your little fucking bunker for all I care. I only need one thing.”

“And what’s that?” the captain says sarcastically.

“I need the maps I saw on your desk the last time I was here, the ones of the Cities.”

The captain swears and looks at my father in disgust. “Why?” is all my dad simply asks.

“Because they are starting a war, and I plan to stop them before it escalates, get my men back, and lead the people who took them into a trap. You can either help or hide down here.”

“Your war has nothing to do with us,” the captain snaps, crossing his arms over his chest with a scowl turning up his thin lips.

“You really think once they’re done with us ‘savages,’ as you call us, they will stop?

They want Paradise, they always have. If we don’t stop them, they will storm this place and take it for their own.

You’ve been separated from the rest of the Wastes, from the world, for too long.

It’s time you joined us, because without our help, you will burn. ”

“How do you know?” my dad queries, ignoring the muttering captain.

“My men, they were originally sent to the Wastes to find Paradise for the Cities, they never planned to go back though. I’m guessing the Cities took them to find out what they know.

My question is—why are they curious about a bunker in the middle of nowhere?

” I lean forward on Dray’s lap, my expression speculative and my tone suspicious as I press, “What are you hiding? ”

The captain and my father share a glance then and I know whatever they say next will be a lie.

“A safe place, that is all,” the captain deadpans.

“Bullshit,” I snarl. “But keep your secrets, I just need your maps. I won’t ask how you got them, just give them to me and I will take my army away and stop the threat before they kill you all for whatever you’re hiding.”

The door opens then, and we all glance over at the soldier looking in. “Captain, we have a problem.”

He nods and turns to glare at Dray and me, before turning a stern expression on my dad. “Give them nothing,” he demands, his jaw clenching. “Don’t even fucking speak until I’m back, you’re on thin ice.”

He strides away then and slams the door behind him. I blink as I turn to see my father scrambling across the desk to stand in front of me, grabbing some papers as he goes, watching the door before looking at me. His eyes are wide and filled with panic.

“We don’t have much time,” he says urgently.

“I’m not in charge anymore, Tazanna. You need to get out of here and fast. Here.

” He hands the maps over, his hands shaking.

“Unrest was an excuse, it’s a fucking uprising with the army in charge and they’re taking no prisoners.

I’m so sorry. I thought what we were doing here was to save people, but apparently I was so wrong, forgive me,” he rushes out, with tears in his eyes.

“Come with us,” I beg. There is no love lost between us, but it seemed like last time maybe, just maybe, we could work through those feelings in time, but when faced with the idea of leaving him here with a clear fucking psychopath, all of that love comes flooding back.

He smiles sadly then. “I can’t, these people need me.

He’ll kill them all if they step out of line.

I wasn’t brave enough to save you, but I will save them or die trying.

I’m trying to be a better man, one you would be proud of.

Let me have that. Now, you must go,” he urges, shooting nervous glances at the door.

“We can fight this,” I argue, standing. “Please, let me help,” I implore.

He smiles at me then and cups my cheeks. “I’m so proud of you, you’re so strong, just like your mother. But your family, your real family, needs you. Go. I will keep him from following you.”

“He won’t be happy. What if he tries to kill you?” I ask, worried.

“Then I die protecting you, something I should have done a long time ago.”

“Soulmate, it’s his choice, we have to go,” Dray rumbles as he stands, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

My dad looks at Dray, his eyes widening as he takes in the weapons, scars, and everything that is just Dray. “I love him,” I whisper, and my dad sighs, peering at the Seeker King.

“Keep her safe.”

Dray looks at my father, his eyes cold and deadly. “Always, though it tends to be her keeping everyone else safe.” My father and Dray exchange a nod before Dray strides to the door, peering out and scanning the hall, before stepping out to keep watch.

I smile to myself as he leaves. My ‘savage’ man is giving me a few private moments with my dad.

Holding the maps close to my chest, I turn my attention away from the door and fix my gaze on my father. He’s so much smaller now, weak, but I see a fire, a fight in his eyes that I didn’t see before. “You’ll always be my father,” I admit quietly, earning me a smile.

Reaching out, he gently squeezes my shoulders and then releases them. “Go.”

I search his watery gaze for a moment longer before nodding and turning to leave.

My heart clenches in my chest, knowing that this will probably be the last time I’ll see the man who raised me, the last member of my real family.

But sometimes, you have to let someone make their own paths, their own decisions.

To stop that would be to take away their free will, their freedom, and I will never do that.

He has made his choice, chosen to take a stand, and he’s found the thing he is willing to fight for. I can respect him for that.

“Tazzie,” my dad grates out, his rough voice full of unspoken emotions, making me freeze in the doorway and glance over my shoulder.

“Stay alive. I don’t know what the Cities want from Paradise.

All I know is the captain will kill anyone or anything to stop that secret from getting out. It’s bad, really bad.”

I stare at my father, surrounded by his books, office, and luxuries, and for once all I feel is love and regret.

Maybe in another life I could have forgiven him and we could have been a family.

But maybes are for dreamers, people who wish on stars.

That isn’t me. All we have is one life, one chance to make a difference, to love, live, and laugh as big and as much as you can.

He made mistakes, he wasn’t perfect, he was human.

But all I see when I look back into his bright blue eyes is the man who read me bedtime stories.

Yes, he made mistakes, but he was my father, and the world will be a little bit darker without him in it. All that we can hope is for is that our loved ones remember us, still love us, and pass on our memories. I can ensure that.

I will never forget him.

Even when he forgot me.

“Goodbye, Daddy,” I whisper, and then rush after Dray.

My father made his stand, now it’s time I made mine.