“I know. Oliver called me and told me you were home and that Merick was dealing with Liz.” He paused for a moment. “How is she?”
“She’ll live, which is good. I need the Hummer.”
“No.”
I jerked at that. “What?”
“No Hummer. You’re on vacation, you don’t have a crime scene to go to, and you aren’t going anywhere alone.”
“I will go rent a car if you don’t want me to borrow the Hummer.” I shook my head and walked into the living room.
Levi followed me. “It’s not that I don’t want you to, it’s just that I don’t trust you to not go anywhere without back up.”
“I almost always take back with me.”
“I don’t trust you to not go after Adrianna as revenge for Liz.”
“I really wasn’t planning on it. And like you said, I have no crime scene to go to, Liz is in the hospital, and PIB doesn’t want me.” I held my hands up. “Maybe I’ll go to pack lands or stay with Simon for the night instead of him here.”
Levi chuckled. “Spending time with Simon would certainly pass the hours.”
I blushed and turned away. “You and Mario should learn to call before you come in, or knock before you walk right in.” I frowned. “Speaking of, where is your little shadow?”
“He thought it best he didn’t come. Apparently, there was something about him pushing boundaries, and he didn’t want you to shoot him.” Levi’s joking disappeared. “What did he do after I left?”
“He trapped me against the couch and said a couple things that I wasn’t sure were threats or him just trying to scare me into agreeing to be changed.” I wrapped my arms around myself and still didn’t look at Levi. “He scared me.”
Levi took a step toward me, and his hand fell on my shoulder. “He cares about you, Abigail. He just doesn’t know how to make you see that.”
“Trapping me against the couch and telling me that everything that has happened is my fault.” My mind flashed to the look in his eyes. “Told me that you long for your daughter, yet you refuse to do everything in your power to protect me.”
Levi’s hand fell away. “He should not speak about you as such.”
A sorrow hit me that I wasn’t expecting. “All these years, you’ve kept me at arms’ reach, constantly reminding me and anyone else that I was your adopted daughter. That I hold no power in the world of vampires. Yet, here we are. I’m the Witch-Princess of Vampires, you the King, and we’re one fucked up family who can’t even admit that we’re related.”
Levi turned me around and pulled me into a hug. “If I were to admit that you were of my blood, that would give Samuel more control over me and you than I ever want. If I had admitted it when you were born, Ira would have stolen you the day you left the hospital. There was - is - too much riding on that secret, Abigail. You know that. You’ve seen the creatures Ira made, and you know what Samuel is capable of. I don’t want to put you in any more danger than I have already.”
I sighed and leaned my head against his chest.
“I’m sorry, Abigail,” Levi whispered, and my house melted as he took us away.
When we reappeared, we were in my room at the mansion. “Levi?” I pulled away from him.
“You’ll be staying here until I say otherwise.” He wouldn’t look at me. “Until the council decides that it’s safe.”
“I return to work on Monday.”
He shook his head. “You’ll call O’Donald and tell him that you have decided to take an extended vacation.” He walked out of the room, and I followed him.
“I am not a child, Levi. It’s a bit late to try and lock me up,” I snapped and turned him around to force him to look at me.
He met my gaze. “You are not a child. You are the Princess of Vampires, who works with someone who has openly spoken about taking me out. You are a public target who has been shot and poisoned in one week. You are involved in a high-profile case that I do not want your face or name attached to.”
Nick. He was worried about Nick. Nothing else was new. “You asked me to be on the case.”
“Mason suggested we pull you in. I didn’t know that you were going to end up facing a witch of legend. Abigail, please.” He put a hand on my shoulder, and I shrugged it off.
“I can’t abandon that case. Liz will go right back out there as soon as she’s healed. You and I both know that she cannot take this on without back up.” I locked my jaw.
He hesitated for a moment. “When she’s healed enough to leave the hospital, we’ll reassess the situation. Until then, you are to stay here.”
“You can’t keep me locked up, Levi,” I tried again. “Any time you’ve considered it, you’ve always come to your senses and decide against it.”
He shook his head. “Not this time, Abigail.”
He disappeared, leaving me alone in the hallway.
Fuck me.
I called Oliver. No answer.
Simon. Voicemail.
Merick sent me a text asking where I was because the house was empty and my bag was by the door.
I rarely went anywhere without it.
I called him, and he answered.
“Where are you?”
“Levi decided to kidnap me and is holding me hostage at the mansion.” I tried to keep the anger from my voice. “It’s long from dawn, so I’m sure if I step a foot outside, either he or Mario will drag me back.” I sighed. “How’s Liz?”
Merick hesitated for a moment. “She’s going to heal, but she wants to see you
