Chapter 19

This was Lucas' office, wasn't it? My heart started racing. My Dad had on office just like it at home; same colour coordination, similar decor style. He was clearly a man of habit. I walked over to the neatly packed desk and started going through the drawers.

What was I looking for? Clues, weaknesses, proof, leverage, weapons, whatever. I was looking for anything I could use against him.

The top drawer had mostly stationary and I quickly opened the next one and there I found a pocket knife which I quickly pocketed and I also pocketed a small pack of cookies I found in there. Shutting it quickly, I pulled the next but it was locked. So was the next one. I tried the drawers at the other side of the desk - also locked.

Damn.

I looked around and noticed a filing cabinet so I rushed over there and started trying drawers again - they were all locked! Urgh! I straightened with a sigh of frustration. I noticed the edge of an envelope sticking out on top of the cabinet. My heart racing in excitement, I stood on tip toe and pulled it down. It was in A4 size. I opened it and I found a few papers in there which I pulled out.

The first one was in Spanish. Damn! My Spanish was very rusty and I would need more - Footsteps!

I quickly folded the papers and stuffed them in my pockets and I threw the envelope back on top of the cabinet then I rushed to sit in the visitor's chair.

The door opened the second my butt touched the leather.

Lucas paused when he saw me. I suppose my face was a little flustered. He entered and closed the door behind him.

"Everything okay in here?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"Hmm let's see... I'm being held prisoner, my friend is on the verge of death, my father is an evil bastard and the cake topping is that he's trying to turn my sixteen year old brother into a murderer. So no, everything is not okay in here." I went on a rant.

"Okay, " he said slowly leaning on the edge of his desk. "I'm your father you will not use that tone with me and I'm turning Finn into a man, so you are welcome. Your friend shouldn't have come here so he got what he deserved." He said dismissively then he crossed his arms. "And as for you being a prisoner, that's up to you really."

I stood up slowly and stood in front of him crossing my arms. I squinted at him trying to understand his game.

"What do you mean?"

He sighed. "Join us." He simply said with a shrug of his shoulders.

I just stared at him and he stared back. "Oh, you are serious?" I asked incredulously waiting a moment for him to say he was kidding.

"Very. If you join us, you have a nice room upstairs and you will be well taken care of and your furry friend will be well taken care of too." He offered.

"You mean you will kill him. Or have me do it. Or Finn." I said.

"Whichever you prefer." He shrugged.

"Are you kidding me? You killed Nana." I stated my words laced with suppressed fury. I didn't want him to know that we knew she was alive.

"Ah you see, you have only heard Gabriel's side of the story. You have never heard mine."

I scratched my head in frustration, I had practised this scene so many times in my head but now that it was actually happening, the words just wouldn't come. "That's because you lied to us all our lives, Dad. " I accused feeling the pressure of anger tears against my eyes.

"I withheld information for your own good, Santana. I didn't want you to be exposed to this kind of life so soon." He explained.

"You lied about everything and pretended to be a good person when you are a horrible horrible monster." I spat. "And I don't think you did this for our good, you did it for yourself. You were afraid we would see how horrible you were and we would refuse to join you."

"Oh, Santana, Gabriel has brainwashed you so much. I'm your father. You are my blood. I would never intentionally hurt you." He cooed trying to soften me up.

But I was having none of it. "Nana was your blood. Your mother." I stated.

He sighed again. "Let me explain something to you, princess. Every family has a business. Others make cars while other dedicate their lives to stop the car makers from polluting the air. The two families obviously don't see eye to eye. What would happen if one of the executive car makers would decide to join the environmentalists? The whole car making business would be destroyed, right? " he paused waiting for me to answer.

I rolled my eyes. "What's your point, Dad?"

"Marino's have been hunters for centuries and centuries but then your grandmother came and she... Well, I'm sure they have told you that she was their leader. She was a banshee and she decided to join the supernaturals and lead them. It was disgraceful. The most powerful hunter family had fallen to the supernaturals, our mortal enemies." On his face was the most disgusted expression. "Then you were born and things got worse because you were to be a Guardian and Mother was trying to groom you and I knew what I had to do." He paused and looked at me straight in the eyes. "I did it for the family. I did it so you and Finn would not be sucked into the supernaturals system. We are hunters. We've always been and we will always be hunters."

He announced with feeling.

"So you murdered you own mother." It came out as an emotion filled whisper.

"I did what I had to do for the greater good." He said softly.

I sucked in air through my teeth. So my blood line was full of murderers. That's a huge step down from being full of crazy people. Or they were all crazy. Killing your mother just because she chose not to murder people was pretty messed up. And what's worse was that he was still lying to me because Nana was still alive. It made me angry that after everything, Lucas was still lying!

"For whose good? We grew up without a grandmother and we grew up waiting for the day one of us was going to become insane. Finn and I didn't know our identity and worse we didn't know we were dining with the devil."

Lucas sighed as he shook his head. "I'm your father - love it or hate it."

"I don't even know who you are." I whispered in a broken voice. "My entire life is a lie thanks to you and I'd be damned if I let you continue to manipulate me." Now I was trying to fight back tears. "Where is my mother?"

"She's upstairs sleeping. She was very hurt when you left." He said.

"You manipulated her too." I stated.

"Oh she knew what she was getting herself in to. She's a 'hunter's mate' as the supernaturals say. Your mother loves you as much as I do. We only want what's best for you." He told me his tone and face softening too. He almost sounded like the father I knew for nineteen years.

"Don't talk to me about love." I lashed back emotionally. "Because our definitions of love are obviously different." Oh why weren't we all on the same team? Why did we have to be divided?

"I taught you everything you know. We are more alike than you think, sweetheart." He stated. "We are both passionate about the things we believe in."

"Maybe so but we are nothing alike. I would like some antidote for my friend downstairs." I said suddenly remembering Cedric.

He laughed. "So that you can both device a seemingly clever way to escape? I don't think so. Plus antidote is a privilege only for hunters so it's too bad you turned down my offer." He said with an evil smirk.

"Dad, he's dying. Please." I hated begging but I wasn't going to let Cedric die because of me.

"You shouldn't have brought him here. Plus he's an animal and animals are hunted and killed all the time." He waved a hand dismissively.

"He's my friend. Give me the damn antidote!" I was becoming aggressive.

"That animal came into our home and stole you and the brother from us. He also deceived us and nobody deceives me. He brought this on himself." He stated determinedly. "He will surely die."

I stared at his hardened face for a long moment searching for my father. I didn't find him. All I found was a man ready to kill his daughter's friend. A man willing to kill his own daughter if it served his purpose. A man who could not be reasoned with. So this was officially the day I lost a father. It hurt more than I could possibly have imagined finally admitting that to myself. Standing before me right now was my enemy. It literally took everything in me to not break down right now.

"But if you join us," he continued and he jumped off his desk, walked towards me and placed his hands on my shoulders. "I will give him the antidote but he will have to join us too. And you will get into your room which has been waiting for you for a while now. I will teach you more on using your powers." He stared into my eyes. "You will be such a badass hunter." He grinned.

I was briefly tempted to lift my knee and hit him in the crotch but I decided against it. Instead I brought my face close to his. "There is a special place in hell for people like you."

This made him smile. "I agree but that daughter stealer, Gabriel is coming with me." He growled as his smile turned into a snarl.

"All Gabriel has done is help me get in touch with myself, something you failed to do." I snapped shrugging his arms off my shoulders.

"All Gabriel has done is poison you against me!" He snapped back.

"Nothing he said was a lie." I hissed narrowing my eyes at him.

"Oh Santana, darling. You are just nineteen. You have no idea about anything. Your beloved Master Gabriel only told you what he wanted you to hear but he didn't tell you everything." He said with a small smile on his face. "Not everything on the supernaturals system is roses and peaches."

"What do you mean?" I narrowed my eyes further suspiciously.

Lucas took a deep breathe. "The night your grandmother died, Gabriel was there." He started.

"What?" Why was Gabriel there? Was he part of the hunters?

"He was only 18 at that time but just as strong willed as you are. And ten times more annoying than he is now." He was deliberately telling this story slowly wasn't he? To drive me crazy.

"Was he there to kill Nana?" I asked the question I knew he wanted me to ask.

He smiled. "No. He was there to kill you."