Hallows: Black Death

But We're Not Going To

Taking Back Sunday- You're So Last Summer

B.B.:

"The boys are very upset with you," he tries to immediately change the subject as if I give two f***s about them being mad at me right now.

"What the f**k is wrong with you?" I growl. "You don't just blurt s**t out like that. Has being dead fried your f*****g brain or have you always just been this big an asshole?"

"B.B.," he tries not to laugh. "These peop-"

"These people whoever they may be, whatever they may be, had their reasons for hiding what they are. You can't just go around blurting everyone's secrets like that. They're not yours to tell. When you do it to me, I can give a rat's ass because it's charming. You're my dad and you're trying to help but why would you go and do that to him? He's already going through enough s**t without you making it worse,"

"Because he's a crow?"

"Because I just murdered the people he thought were his family, dad. That's why," I shout at him. "Regardless of whatever the f**k they were. They were his brother and sister. Just like mom was my mother. You're a f*****g sociopath, Dante Blackstone. You've said and done enough,"

"I'm sorry," he smirks.

"Don't f*****g apologize to me," I shrug because let's be honest. This is a lot of fun and when my dad does something insane, it's dramatic and hard not to enjoy once we go back to really think about it. "Just, tone it down. Have some common sense. Be mindful of those around you. Rodrigo seems like a very emotional person. He could kill those people on a whim. I've read that crows do that,"

"Oh, yeah. They do. You have a lot to handle between Lucien and Victor. Think you can add a third?"

"What did you assholes do last night?" I ask because his tone suggests he's on team boyfriends. He should always be on team B.B. even if I am being crazy. I'm on team Dante at all times.

"B.B. I don't kiss and tell," he shrugs with a smug smirk on his dumb dad's face. "I have some common sense,"

"You-" I stop myself from saying something truly disrespectful and take a deep breath. He finds this hilarious. "I'm going to find out anyway, dad. Regardless, I'm going to be mad,"

"To be or not to be," he laughs and goes back inside.

"I'm going to kill him," I whisper before I follow behind him. I wonder if this is how mom felt when she tried to deal with me and I would have wanted for someone to have mercy on my soul as well.

The tension in the room is so thick it could be sliced through with a butter knife. Mrs. Jimenez sets a plate of breakfast in front of my dad. He thanks her courteously. Then looks at me to make sure I saw his good manners. I want to say that he's like this because he's been dead for eight years but I think this is how my dad has always been. A monumental asshole from his rockstar years. My mother wasn't all that different. She held her tongue but she was just as nuts as he is.

"If it makes you feel any better, B.B. here, murdered her mother," my dad smiles at everyone at the table. I cover my eyes with one hand while holding my glasses with the other. My dad laughs as he begins to eat.

"We should go," I stand up done with his s**t.

"Aww, but these chilaquiles are the f*****g best. They're toasty but also-"

"Get up, dad," I growl. "I am so sorry about him, Isabella. He's an asshole. Gracias por el desayuno pero no puedemos quedarnos,"

"Esta bien," she places her hand over mine but doesn't spare a glance at my father. My dad gets up and begins to walk out. I turn my attention to Rodrigo.

"I'll walk you out," he pushes his chair out and gets up.

James is waiting outside. My dad gets in the car and James immediately shuts the door behind him before giving me a wink.

"I am so sorry about that," I apologize to him. He smiles reaching out to rub my cheek with his thumb.

"Don't worry about it. I was going to start looking into it anyway," he shrugs. "Can he read minds?"

"It certainly f*****g looks like it," I nod.

"B.B. what happened last night-" he begins.

"Do you regret it?" I stop him.

"No, but you are a minor and I shouldn't have,"

"I didn't really give you a choice now did I?" I wave him off.

"Regardless, I think we should slow things down. I'm not saying no to you. I just think we should take a step back,"

"We should," I agree. "But we're not going to. I'll see you later, Rodrigo. I really am sorry about my dad,"

"Belladonna," he calls after me as I make my way to the car. I look back at him and smile as James opens the door for me.

"You can't have the biggest d**k in the room and pretend you're just some chump. That's not the way things work," I know those two assholes heard me. "If I hear or see you with anyone else, I'll f*****g kill them and then we'll revisit this conversation again. It won't go as cute as it is now. I can guarantee you that,"

"Are you kidding me?" he asks and for a second I think he's asking because he's annoyed but then he adds. "You f*****g ruined me last night. I doubt there can ever be anyone else,"

"Try not to be too hard on them. I'm sure they had their reasons," I change the subject because that's not exactly a pick-up line is it?

"Yeah, to kill my father," he nods. "For the business,"

"Valid reason. Regardless, they shut their story closed with you remaining king of the whole thing. Some sacrifices are worth it. At least, to them. So, I'm told,"

"I'll see you later, B.B.," he nods and heads back inside.

I get in the car to find my dad, Lucien, and Carson waiting for me. I reach for my joints and find that there is only one left. I sigh, taking it out. I press the lighter in so it can heat up. My dad doesn't seem the least bit upset about what just happened.

"Are you pleased with yourself?" I ask.

"Yeah," he answers without meeting my eyes. He's trying his best not to laugh.

"Are you just going to ignore us?" Lucien asks.

"Of course, not," I say when the lighter pops out. I take it out and put the red part of the metal to the end of my joint and begin open the sunroof. My dad and I both scoot into the middle to bask in the sun. I inhale deeply and offer it to him. "You guys did a really good job last night,"

"What?" Carson asks when I look up at him. My dad finally loses his s**t and starts to laugh.

"You played us?" he asks in between his laughter.

"No, I don't play games like that," I sigh taking the joint out of his hand when he offers it to me. I take a long drag and offer it to Carson. Lucien takes it out of my hand when he declines. "But I figured out you were going to do something stupid when my dad disappeared with you. I made Stacy tell me what you were doing,"

"What time did you finish the notebooks?" my dad asks.

"Ten-ish,"

"Look at you," he bumps my knee with his elbow.

I glare at him to let him know I'm not in the mood for his s**t right now. He deliberately f****d with Rodrigo because Lucien is f*****g mad about me coming over. No other reason other than being a f*****g d**k. Both of them. He takes the joint from Lucien like they're the best of friends. Whatever happened last night has brought the three of them closer. While it makes me happy, I don't like that they're buddies now.

"How many people did you kill? My body was almost hyperthermic,"

"Oh," my dad looks me over. "You fed on those too?"

"Why wouldn't she?" Carson asks.

"Because I was there. I was trying to help you guys get away with it. Are you okay?" his question is directed at me. "I didn't-"

"I'm fine now but I wasn't last night. I don't even know how I got to that house. I've never been there before,"

"Wait, wait, wait," Lucien stops me. "Your body went into auto drive and you appeared at the Hacienda the way you ended up at Caleb's place? The way you ended up at Chona's? Did you hunt?"

"I don't think-" I look up trying to remember what time I left the house. "f**k. I don't know,"

"The coldness couldn't have come from us," Lucien shakes his head. "We were linked up to your dad. You hunted on your own, B.B. What did you do?"

"Is that normal?" I ask. "Did you black out like this?"

"No," my dad shook his head. "James?"

"I'll look into it, sir,"

"Why weren't you watching her?" he demands.

"I wasn't aware she was gone, sir. The three of them went upstairs and I assumed they stayed in the room through the night," his eyes meet mine through the rearview mirror. He's lying and unless I ask him directly. He's not going to say a single thing about it ever again.