Page 26 of Hunter's Trial

Where the hell was he last night?!

My mood instantly darkens. My brow furrows in anger as I purse my lips. Whatever Horus had been about to say dies on his lips as he reads my expression. Clearly I’m not in the mood for whatever nonsense he was about to spew. He glances down at the pepper spray in my hand with a curious glance.

“Good morning, Ms. Kate…” Horus starts, his voice trailing off as he gestures to the pepper spray. “Is that for me?”

I don’t even bother answering him. I know that if I speak right now, whatever is about to come out of my mouth won’t be kind. Then Horus notices the bruises on my neck from Billy last night and concern instantly replaces his curiosity.

Something about his tone irks me in all the wrong ways. If he only he had been doing his job… The first day after Nikolai’s trial and Alek’s promise of safety and security is already broken!

I slap him.

It happens before I even fully grasp what I’ve done. I didn’t mean to hit him so hard but I can tell from the burning of the skin on my hand that I hit him far harder than I had a right to. Horus takes it like a champ. He doesn’t even look offended.

Even still, it does nothing to quell my temper.

“You did a shit job!”

“Ms. Kate…”

“Don’t you Ms. Kate me! If you had been here, then none of this would have happened! This is what I was promised that you would save me from! If it weren’t for the man that you call a monster saving me from an actual monster, I wouldn’t be standing here today! I would be dead! Dead, Horus! That fucking animal would have taken my god damned daughter!” It’s all that I can do to keep from screaming at him.

“Nikolai was here?” Horus asks.

“That’s your fucking take away?!!? Everything that I said, and that’s what you have to say to me?!” I hiss through my teeth. I don’t want Liz waking up to me screaming at a man in my damned doorway. That’s the last thing that she needs today. It will start her whole day wrong.

Horus takes a deep breath, his expression turning serious. "Ms. Kate, I owe you an explanation. Last night, I was ambushed by unknown assailants. They came out of nowhere, and before I knew it, I was incapacitated. I tried to fight back, but it all happened so fast. I only just regained consciousness, and rushed to your door. I failed you, and for that, I'm deeply sorry."

I stare at him, my anger slowly mingling with confusion and worry. "Ambushed? By who?"

Horus shakes his head. "I don't know who they were. They were masked and skilled, clearly professionals. It wasn't just a random attack. Someone knew where I'd be and when I'd be vulnerable. This wasn't a coincidence."

The realization sinks in, and I feel a chill run down my spine. "Do you think Billy had something to do with it? He said Camorra contacted him and told him where I was. "

"It's possible," Horus replies, his eyes dark with determination. "But I need to investigate further. I promise you, Ms. Kate, I'll find out who did this and make sure it never happens again. You have my word."

I want to believe him, but the fear and anger still linger. "You better, Horus. Because if something like this happens again, I don't know what I'll do. My daughter... she means everything to me."

He nods solemnly. "I understand, and I won't let you down again. I'll double our efforts and ensure your safety. We'll get to the bottom of this, I swear."

His face is all business as he pulls out his phone from his pocket and calls Alek. They speak for a moment and then Horus places the call on speaker so that I can hear it as well. It’s not what I want. I don’t want to hear from Alek. I want a fucking explanation as to why Horus wasn’t there to save me in my hour of need. As far as I’m concerned, this negates our whole deal!

I cross my arms over my torso and shift my weight onto one foot. I wish Nikolai was here now to tell them just what he walked in on. I don’t want to have to replay it because then I’m going to be reliving it.

Holy hell.

I didn’t have a nightmare last night.

The realization comes upon me so suddenly that I don’t even register Alek speaking to me on the other end of the phone. He has to say my name at least three times before I even truly realize that he’s addressing me.

Having Nikolai in my bed kept the nightmares away.

Huh. How interesting.

“Kate?” Alek’s voice finally registers. “What happened last night?”

“That fucking bastard found me is what happened! Just like I told you that he would! He found me! And he was just as pissed off as you would expect somebody to be who views myself and my daughter as personal property that had been missing. He was only too happy to make up some lost time kicking my ass!” I hiss bitterly.

Alek is quiet for a long moment.