7 yrs, Gone and Forgotten

Chapter 24: Saying Goodbye in my own way

    The next day went by rather smoothly as everyone assessed their damages and made plans to return to Paris. Scott and Theo were a little battered and bruised but not in as bad of shape as I thought they would have been. I explained to them along with Mandy that I would be taking a later flight, at first, they weren’t happy about it, but they finally agreed. I told them to keep it between us and that I would be home the first chance I got. Arthur much to my surprise already knew and understood, Luca had talked to him the night before. Eva had left early in the morning and said she would return later in the evening, but she still hadn’t returned by the time I had to leave, so I left her a note telling her I would be in touch as soon as I could and not to worry about me. I managed to keep my emotions in check all day even though I felt like I was literally going to explode. I only prayed that in a matter of three weeks I would know more about who I was and who I wanted to be.

           The taxi pulled into the deserted park, and I stepped out facing a rather looking upset dad. He was leaned against a small silver everyday looking car and the look on his face showed how upset he was. I paid the driver and collected my backpack before slowly approaching dad.

        “You, okay?” I softly asked as I dropped my bag at my feet.

       “Things are more complicated than I thought.” I raised a questioning brow, “I had no idea the hunters were still after you, or that there was a bounty on your head. I just learned today that you were injected with wolfsbane and attacked last night.”

      I rubbed my arm thinking about that large needle that had been shoved into it and smiled, “Well I don’t think that I am a werewolf and other than the sting from the needle I don’t feel any different.” I was trying to joke and then his words hit me, hunters, and bounty. “What do you mean hunters and bounty?”

      He grabbed my bag and threw it in the front seat, “Like I said I can’t tell you much until you learn the truths about who you are. But knowing that they are throwed back into the mix makes things complicated.” He grabbed my arm and slid my sleeve up to look where the injection spot was, “You can not contact your friends from Paris until you learn more about yourself, for no reason at all. I am not a hundred percent sure, but I believe there is danger there.”

     I pulled my arm back and slid my sleeve down, “They are family, they saved me when I had no one. The only one of them that I wouldn’t trust at all is Mildred, and I think she is just weird.”

    He clenched his jaw and I swear I thought I saw his eyes flash red for the briefest of seconds, “Mildred huh? Tell me about her.”

     I shrugged my shoulders, what would it hurt telling him anything, I am sure he didn’t know her, and him being my dad meant he only wanted to protect me, right? I knew he knew of Scott, Theo, Mandy, and Arthur, but since Mildred had been out of sight out of mind the entire trip maybe he didn’t know about her. I leaned against the car next to him and began her story, well what I knew of it anyways. I told him about her being from the states, how she had been married before and had children that she never saw anymore, and then I told him of what I knew of her in Paris. There wasn’t much there seeing as how I never interacted with her much, but I told it anyway.

     When I was done, I studied him from the side, his emotions were all over the place on his face until he noticed I was watching, and he quickly pushed them away and went back to that caring father look. “Tell me dad, why is there a bounty on my head, and who has a bounty on my head?”

     He sighed and turned to me taking one of my hands in his, “There is a bounty on your head because of who you are, you will understand hopefully in a short time. As far as the who, we don’t know, but I am working on it.” He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and a piece of paper, “Here are the keys to the car, and keys to places you need to go. And here are the addresses you need to visit.” He handed both items to me. “Now you have a phone in the console that can’t be traced and there are four numbers already programmed in it.”

     “Four?” I questioned.

    “Mine is in there.” He laughed, “But right now there are only three other people I trust that you can contact if you need to. Three people that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt will do whatever it takes to make sure you are safe, even if it means laying their life on the line for you. And they are three people that I do not believe will try to influence you in anyway.” He hugged me and kissed my forehead before laughing again. “Well, they might influence you to be the little badass you always were.”

    I pulled away and slapped his shoulder, “Yea, well that won’t take much influence. I am a pretty good security guard you know. Just ask that sinfully handsome beast of a man last night.”

    “Yea about that, if you cross him again, steer clear.”

   “Why?” I mean I took him on once, why should I walk on eggshells around him, I was only doing my job.

    “Let’s just say he is unstable and dangerous right now. The path he has decided to follow is dark and he could be unpredictable. The scariest part of it all is,” he stopped and shook his head.

    “Is what? Don’t hold back now.” I demanded, if I was going to do this I needed to know, I needed to know as much as he could tell me before setting out on my own.

    “Let’s just say, right now it is unclear what you will or will not remember at the end of three weeks. You are as unstable as he is, and two powerful, unstable people together in the same room could be catastrophic.” He pulled me over to the driver’s side of the car and opened the door for me as I climbed in. “I won’t be far at any given time if you need me. And remember no matter what the outcome on the other side of your journey you are my daughter, and I will love you and support you no matter what.”

     I started the car and listened as she came to life before grabbing the door, I started to shut it and remembered the phone, “You said three people, who are the three in the phone?”

    He laughed and stepped back away from the door, “Luca, Jake and Luscious.”

    “Really?”

    He nodded his head, “Luca was a father when I couldn’t be, Jake and Luscious were like your brothers.”

    “But Luscious attacked me in Paris?”

    “That he did, but only to make sure you were really who he thought you were. Not just a look alike. Trust me, all of those questions in that head of yours will be answered soon. Oh, and before I forget, under the passenger side seat is a small bag with enough cash for whatever you need.” He stepped in and leaned over to give me a hug. “I love you princess, always remember that.”

    I knew he did, I could feel it, I felt every ounce of pride and love he had for me, but I also felt the love I had for him. I didn’t know how I could feel it not knowing anything, but I did. I kissed his cheek and smiled as he stepped back away from the car. “I love you too dad, and I will be in touch.”

     I watched in the rear view mirror as he waved while I pulled away. The road ahead would be long, it would be hard, but for the first time in seven years I felt like I had a destination, a purpose, and without knowing much more, I felt like there was a life out there where I belonged, and it was only waiting on me. I just didn’t know if it was Sydney Lane’s life or Leona Marlette’s life that I would be belonging to at the end, but the one thing I was a hundred percent sure about was that I had a dad no matter the life.