Page 88 of Vampire Kings Box Set

“Yes,” Will nodded. “Please.”

It did not take long to remove the rest of Will’s hair. Maddox saw Will looking at himself in the reflective surface of the fridge. Did he see someone else now? Or was he still haunted by his father’s living ghost?”

"Sons are not their fathers," Maddox said, brushing a few stray hairs from Will’s shoulder. “You can choose to be a different kind of beast.”

“Can I?” There was so much need in that question, so much desperation for reassurance.

Maddox laid a kiss on the top of his boy's newly shaven head. “Yes.”

“Knock knock.”

There was an all too cheerful female voice intruding now. Captain Candy had made another visit. She was lingering at the edge of the room as if she sensed she was an unwanted interloper.

“Very nice cut,” she complimented Will.

Will didn’t even acknowledge her. Maddox saw a brief flash of pain on her face. Of all the confounded parental triangles to be trapped in, this must surely be among the most toxic.

“I’m hoping to ask some questions. There are several open investigations on people who the jewelry we recovered belongs to. They’d like answers about what happened to their loved ones.”

“You can tell them my dad ate them,” Will bit out. “I don't know any more than that.”

“William,” Maddox said gently. “If you can help Captain Candy, you can start making the change you want.”

Will sighed in the way he did when he knew Maddox was right.

“Fine,” he said. “I’ll tell you what I don’t know. Again.”

“Thank you,” Candy smiled.

She was a little too happy to see him, and a little too eager to talk. She had promised Maddox she wouldn’t bring the whole parent thing up while Will was so fragile, but Mad was not certain that bargain would hold. He did know one thing for certain, however.

This was not going to end well.

14 THE MISTAKE

When the house was quiet and everybody had finally stopped fussing and asking questions, Will went to see his father. He’d once dreamed of being able to do this and now it felt like nothing more than a nightmare. He hesitated at the top of the stairs before proceeding down. He knew it was probably a bad idea. Maddox hadn't forbidden it, but he probably would not have approved.

“They let you come see me.” Ivan sounded surprised. If he noticed Will’s haircut, he didn’t comment on it.

“They don’t know I’m here. This room is soundproofed. Thick concrete walls. Reinforced doors. You could scream for the next ten years and nobody would hear you.”

“You betrayed me,” Ivan said, changing the subject.

“You hit me and tried to make me eat people, so maybe get fucked,” Will replied.

“Fair,” Ivan replied. “I wanted you to feel all the strength and power we have.”

“All that strength and power that leads to riding around in a shitty rusted pickup selling people’s wedding rings? I’ll pass.”

The insult did not go without retort. Ivan snorted and jerked his head up to indicate the greater home. “You’ve landed on your feet here. No need to hunt. No need to kill. Just put out for the big gay vampire. My son is a whore.”

Will took two quick steps toward Ivan and started untying him.

“What are you doing? You gonna let your old man go?” Ivan sounded hopeful.

Will was thrilled to dash that hope.

“I’m going to beat the fuck out of you, and I’m not going to hit a tied-up man. You’re pathetic enough as it is.”