As soon as we stop outside the house I fully intend on bolting straight to my room.
As I get off the bike Ash turns to me and almost looks apologetic. “Sorry Scarlett I've been told to send you straight to his den, there will be no escaping him tonight.”
I keep my expression blank but my insides are churning. Ash goes to say something but then thinks better of it and I can feel him watching me as I enter the house.
My hand frozen on the door handle I turn and say, “What's he got you doing?” Ash looks annoyed. “The usual violence and intimidation. I seem to just follow the others and back them up."
“So how come you were at the bar earlier? I don't buy the fact that you were there just to check on me.”
Ash grins. “You can't escape the fact little sis that we are all related. We knew that you were in trouble the moment that girl touched you. All we did was close our eyes and we could see where you were. Don't tell me that you don't feel it too, it's what we do. We may not choose to be a family but we are one whether we like it or not.”
Looking back at him I say quietly, “Thanks, maybe it's not so bad to have brothers after all.”
I leave him outside and almost before the door closes I hear his bike roar away. Taking a deep breath I steel myself to face my father. This is not going to be much fun that much I do know.
Reaching his den I go to knock but he calls me in before I even lay a hand on the door. With a heavy sigh I push the door open and go inside.
The room is fairly large but very intimidating. The décor is dark and oppressive and there are heavy drapes at the window and dark heavy furniture littering the room. There are wall to wall bookcases groaning underneath the weight of thousands of books. We are all encouraged to read at least one of them every day. My father's favourite saying is, knowledge is power, and he practices it every day.
All of us have a special gift where we just have to look at a page in a book and it is absorbed into our memory. It's handy at school though and this particular gift has served me well over the years.
Trying to keep my nerves in check I approach the large intimidating desk and stand nervously in front of my father.
Devlin Knight is a powerful man. He is good looking and appears to be able to get any woman he wants. He has a certain charm about him that they apparently cannot resist. Most of my brothers look like him as do I. Only the twins look more like their mother which is probably why he indulges them so much.
According to them their mother was his one true love. That I don't believe because he obviously hasn't got a heart. If he has it is of the blackest variety. He has no conscience and just does whatever he wants at all times.
He looks up and then sits back in his chair and gestures for me to sit down opposite him. I set my expression to a blank one as I don't want to let him inside my head. I don't know why I think that this will make a difference because he knows everything anyway.
As he looks at me I can see his mind working away. He is always so intimidating and puts me on edge.
Staring at me intently he speaks in his slow deep voice. “You've been avoiding me young lady.”
I don't say anything and just stare at him with a blank expression. He raises his eyes and his expression is curious as he waits.
I shrug, “Maybe.”
Leaning forward his eyes don't leave mine for a second. “When you're here Scarlett I want to spend time with you. The whole point of these visits is for us to get to know each other as a family. There is much I need to teach you and you need to understand where you come from.”
I shrug and look down breaking eye contact before he sees how much he unnerves me.
He settles back in his chair and says sternly. “So what did you learn today?”
Before I can stop myself I snap, “That this town is full of creeps who prey on young girls.”
I can feel his anger growing as the atmosphere changes in the room. He says menacingly, “You've got a smart mouth young lady just like your mother. Don't let me have to silence it like I did hers.”
Tears prick behind my eyes at the mention of my mother. She was a lot like me as I understand it and was a difficult conquest for him to crack. It just seemed to make him more determined to have her; a battle that he won in the end – as always. The trouble is when the honeymoon period wore off they clashed terribly. It was quite an intense relationship and it took its toll on my mother. He broke her spirit and it took her years to get back on an even keel.
Shaking myself I look up at him defiantly. A small smile plays on his lips and his eyes burn intently. “I hear you found yourself in a situation today.”
My eyes flash and I can't help but say, “ If you mean being assaulted for no reason by a psychotic bitch who slammed my face into a mirror, then yes I did find myself in somewhat of a situation today.”
To my surprise he laughs and his eyes burn brightly. “And how did that make you feel?”
I laugh hollowly. “It made my head hurt.”
To my surprise he leans forward and reaches out grabbing hold of my arm. I can feel his power flowing through me as he reads me. I can see the excitement in his eyes as he smiles wickedly.
“You may want to deny it all you like Scarlett but it is here inside you I can feel it. You felt powerful holding someone else's destiny in your hands. At that moment you chose whether she lived or died and that felt good. She was powerless against you and that made you feel more alive than you have ever felt before. You may not like where you come from or what you are but you can't ignore it. It is inside you and it is up to you how you use it.”
Releasing my arm he continues to look deeply into my eyes as he leans back in his chair. “You have great potential Scarlett, more so than any of your brothers and sisters. You keep in the shadows and give nothing away. You may not like this but you are more like me than any of them. I will look forward to showing you how to harness the energy and use it to your advantage.”
As I look at him I try to remain composed. I don't want him to see inside my mind. I don't want to be like him in any way shape or form. It is why I am like the way I am. I am constantly fighting against myself and can't let my guard down for a minute. What happened today was unfortunate. It took me by surprise and I don't want to let it happen again. I was unprepared for the attack and should have seen it coming. If anything annoyed me about what happened it was my own lack of foresight.
My father is still looking at me intently and I feel uncomfortable under his scrutiny. He laughs saying, “Go and find Luna and she'll find you something to eat. Oh and send your sisters in will you, it's their turn now.”
Gratefully I make a dash for the door. As I reach it he says in a sinister voice, “You can fight it all you want Scarlett but you will never escape it. Just learn to use it and you'll find it easier.” I don't turn around or react and head outside as quickly as possible.
As I head towards the kitchen I worry about what he said. The last thing I want is to be like him or my siblings. All I want is a normal happy life away from the rage and cruelty. The thought of what might lie ahead terrifies me and there is nobody who I can talk to about it. I would confide in one of my brothers or sisters but they seem to thrive on it all. I have never met a meaner bunch and I know that they would use my weakness against me.
For some reason my thoughts turn to Drake and Dylan. They are both so kind and patient with me. If I could I would live with them both in the bar forever as I have never felt part of anything before like I do there. It feels safe and comfortable to me and I wish that I never had to leave.
I can hear them all even before I see them. The loud girly squeals of excitement shatter my ear drums and make me want to smash something.
They look up as I enter and I see the twins grouped around Luna looking at some pictures in a magazine. Ashley flashes me a wicked look and says, “Oh I'm sorry, do we know you?” Savannah giggles and Luna looks puzzled. “Girls
it's your sister Scarlett, surely you remember her?”
They giggle again and I feel annoyed at them. Luna may be dim but her hearts in the right place.
Through gritted teeth I deliver my message. “You're both wanted in the den.”
I take some satisfaction as I see the worry in their eyes before they scoot nervously away. Smiling at me Luna says, “I'm glad you're here honey. The girls and I are planning a shopping trip to get some new clothes, your father's treat. You must come too and we can make a day of it.”
She looks at me as if I am one of her pet projects. “Hmm you always wear such plain things. You are such a pretty girl and I am sure that with my guidance I could make you into a real beauty. I mean the amount of money your father has and his daughter dresses like a hobo.”
I know that she doesn't mean anything by it and is only trying to be kind but I can't help myself. Grinning I spin around. “Didn't you know Luna; hobo chic is so in at the moment? Goodness I thought that you would have known that.”
To my surprise I hear a snort of laughter from the other side of the room. Looking over I see that Caleb is sitting on the couch in the corner watching the TV. Standing up he comes over and puts his arm around me. “You know what sis; you are fast becoming my favourite sister.”
Luna looks at him in astonishment. “Oh no Caleb, you can't have favourites in a family. You must love each one equally.” Snorting with laughter Caleb heads off outside and I smile sweetly at Luna. I am sure that being intellectually challenged is a good thing in her case when she has my father as a boyfriend. Maybe she might just last longer than most.