Forever Black (Nightwalkers 2) by H.N. Sieverding Read Free Book Online Page A

daughter. You never told me she was Anthony's. You promised me she
wasn't. How could you lie to me like that?" Ben pointed to Ashleigh
angrily. "Keeping a secret like this is treasonous. We have to turn her
in."
    Ashleigh spun and glared at her mother. "What the hell
is he talking about, Mom? What's going on?"
    "I'm so sorry, Ashleigh." Tears streamed down Lady
Harper's face. "Please…you don't understand. I—"
    "Give her to me, Caleb." Ben stalked slowly toward
them. They took a few steps back. "I don't want to fight you. You need to
understand—this isn't anything against you. This is a matter for the
Council."
    "No." Caleb's angry eyes burned into Ben's.
"She doesn't want to go with you."
    "Give her to me, Caleb." Ben motioned with his hands
again, a sinister grin on his face that showed he wasn't letting Caleb leave
peacefully, either.
    "Caleb." Ashleigh clung to Caleb's arm.
"What's going on?"
    "Never." Caleb held tightly to Ashleigh as he
continued to argue with Ben. His quick eyes went from Ben to one of the
Harpers’ bodyguards creeping in on him. "I won't let you lay a finger on
her."
    Caleb jumped back a step when Ben lunged at him. He pushed
Ashleigh away and focused on the fight Ben had initiated.
    When Ben came for him again, Caleb grabbed the leg of a
coffee table near him. In a quick action, he nailed Ben in the face with table
as hard as he could. When Ben was down, he planted a swift kick to Ben's jaw.
    Ben let out a few groans, but Caleb wasn't going to stay and
wait for him to get up. He needed to get out of there. So, he tossed Ashleigh,
who let out a small yipe , over his shoulder. Like a
flash of lightning, Caleb took off. Ben cursed as he stood and wiped the blood
trickling down his lips.
    "Upstairs!" Ben pointed angrily toward the
staircase. "Catch him before he leaves with her!"
    Caleb managed to get to his car, both he and Ashleigh
jumping in quickly. He turned the key and took off down the front drive. His
foot slammed on the gas, the tires squealing as the car sped forward. He drove
away from the mansion and sped toward home.
    "What the hell's going on?" Caleb glanced at
Ashleigh. He was breathing heavily, and his heart was racing.
    Glaring at the dash, Ashleigh's voice came out low and
angry, "I don't know."
    "Well, then, tell me what you do know."
    "What do you want to know?" Releasing a deep,
quick breath, Ashleigh glanced toward the window.
    "About your parents. Your mother. I don't know…"
Caleb's words quickened as he tried to keep his voice steady, "Let's start
with Master Vessling being your father."
    Ashleigh crossed her arms angrily over her chest. "He's
not my father." The words seethed from her lips as she intensified her
glare.
    "Well, Marion and Ben think so. Are you sure he's
not?"
    "No." Her voice softened, as if admitting it to
herself took away some the anger. What lied under it was sadness, deep and
painful.
    "Hey." Caleb reached over and took hold of her
thigh. He squeezed it a few times until she turned to him. "It's okay. You
can tell me, cause if you don't, how can I help you? You want my help,
right?"
    "I want it all to go away, Caleb." She wiped
forcefully at her cheek and halted the descent of falling tears. "I just
want it to go away."
    "About your mom lying to you?" Caleb licked his
lips nervously as he glanced in the rearview mirror.
    "Mark Brown is my father." Her voice quivered.
"He's the one who took care of me. He's the one who tucked me in every
night when I was a kid. He—" Ashleigh looked sharply to her side, her sobs
halting her words momentarily. "I loved him so much, and then he had to
die. He left me—"
    Giant tears rolled down her reddened cheeks, and she quickly
brushed them away. She spoke through gritted teeth. "Just like she did. He
left me…" She held her head in her hands as she leaned forward.
    " Heeeyy …" Caleb glanced
over at her and rubbed her leg. "It's okay to cry. I'm sure he was a great
father."
    "It was her fault. She took him from