Chapter 7

Six years later... 2008

'Stay calm, Lucifer. You know what you need to do, and you can't do it until you're calm.' I told myself, checking the time on my watch to see that it was just past two am. 'She should be fast asleep by now. I wonder how much she's changed in the past six years since the last time I saw her? Likely a lot. She was almost seven, but now she's twelve and nearing puberty if she is not already started.' I thought, unable to stop myself from getting excited by the notion of seeing her again as I walked up the front steps to the house, knocking softly on the door so as not to wake the young girl that I could hear sleeping upstairs.

"Damien!" Jennifer gasped, her eyes like saucers as she looked past me, then over her shoulder, before looking back up at me. "W-What are you doing here?"

"No one else is coming, Jennifer. I made sure of that." I said as I put a hand on her shoulder and shoved her as softly as I possibly could, as I didn't wish to hurt her, but I wasn't exactly in the best mood either. I walked past Jennifer and went into the family room where Robert was sitting by the fireplace, sipping a glass of brandy which he immediately tried to hide when he saw me.

"Why are you here? No, you need to leave! We have guests coming over." Robert said, setting his glass down on the table next to him, his eyes darting between Jennifer and me, cringing as I sat down on the couch across from him.

"No one else is coming, Robert. Did I, or did I not, tell you that you were not to do anything to her that I disapproved of?" I asked him as I readjusted my suit jacket, crossing one leg over the other, looking back and forth between Jennifer and Robert across from me. "Do you think that selling your daughter to the highest bidder is something that I would sit back and allow to happen?"

"We weren't selling her to the highest bidder; we were just-" Jennifer tried to explain but cut herself off as I brought my fist down on the arm of the chair.

"What were you doing, then? Do not lie to me if you know what is good for you."

"We were only doing it for the night, not for good," Robert mumbled, clearing intending for me not to hear it, but to no great use, as we both knew I could.

"Is that supposed to make it better, Robert? I paid all of your expenses while you were pregnant and gave you a lump sum of one hundred thousand the day after she was born. You've been receiving seven hundred and fifty a week since then." I said, narrowing my eyes as I looked back and forth between the two scum sitting across from me, not trying to hide the hatred in my face or my voice. "What, pray tell, do you possibly need, that you believe could warrant doing this to your own child?"

"I have cancer, Damien. It's spreading fast, and we can't afford to pay for treatments, and pills, and everything that comes with having cancer. We tried getting loans, and.-"

"You didn't think to ask me? Didn't you think that I would pay for your treatments? Have I or have I not given you everything you need to make sure your daughter has a good life?"

"Well-"

"Yes, or no, Jennifer," I growled, doing everything I could not to lunge across the room to sink my fangs into her throat.

"Yes, Sir."

"It takes a special kind of a disgusting piece of shit to offer their own daughter for money. I'm not sure if it's worse yet, that you're offering her for a single night-" I said but cut myself off as I realized just what they were doing. "You're offering her for one night so that you can sell her multiple times? How dare you! -" I yelled but stopped myself when I heard Bast mumbling upstairs, reminding myself not to wake her.

"Yes, we know what you think of us, Damien. You've made that perfectly clear." Robert stammered, shaking his head as he downed the rest of his brandy and poured another glass.

"How much?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Two thousand, a night."

"No, I am not buying her for the night. I want her, so, how much, Robert?"

"Five hundred thousand. You paid a fraction of that to make sure we had her, so why not! We all know you can afford it." Robert said, then turned to look at Jennifer, who was crying silently, refusing to look up from her folded hands in her lap. "You can have her when we get the money, in cash."

"She will be eighteen in six years, so I will give you one hundred thousand on her birthday every year, and I will take her on her eighteenth birthday. Look at that, Robert; you'll get more than you asked for. I am tired of telling you this, and I will not tell you again." I said, then snorted as I stood and took the glass out of Robert's hand, throwing it into the fireplace before lifting both of them by their throats. "I will not hesitate to slaughter either of you, as I need neither of you now that she's been born. Do as I say, and you will live to see your daughter becoming a woman. Cross me, and I will torment you both until the end of time."

"Your eyes! Oh, my god!" Jennifer struggled out, clawing at my hand to try to force me into releasing her.

"Get yourself together, then wake her up, and bring her down," I growled as I threw Jennifer down on the couch, watching her as she scrambled to her feet and ran up the stairs. "You, Robert, you continue to test my patience," I said, chuckling when I saw that his face was quickly turning purple, and he was close to taking his last breath. "Remember this the next time you try and cross me," I added, waiting just a moment longer before tossing him down carelessly.

"Bast, wake up, sweetie." I heard Jennifer whispering as she woke up the young woman.

"Gather what little wit you have about you. Do not let her see you like that." I said to Robert, watching as he continued to struggle to breathe, then rolled my eyes with a sigh as I sat down on the couch, returning my attention to the two ladies up the stairs.

"Get up and brush your teeth and hair, then come downstairs, Bastet," Jennifer said before closing the bedroom door and coming back downstairs to sit next to Robert, refusing to look up at me.

"You called her Bastet, knowing that she hates that name?" I asked Jennifer, listening to Bast as she ran the brush through her hair, crying out as she brushed a bit too hard. 'She's going to hate me for the rest of her life, but that is a small price to pay, to make sure these scum bags can't sell her to the highest bidder.' I thought as I heard Bast gripping the railing so hard, I was surprised she didn't break it.

"Mommy?" Bast called as she arrived at the bottom step, her beautifully innocent scent invading my every thought and sense.

"Come on in here, Bast," Robert said after clearing his throat, watching me as Bast came into the family room. I watched Bast as she walked into the room, her heartbeat quickening as she nearly ran past me to sit between her parents but gasped softly as Robert told her to sit next to me instead.

Bast turned around to look at me, frozen where she stood as her emerald green eyes washed over every inch of my face but didn't show a glimmer of recognition. 'She forgot me? How could she forget me?' I thought, honestly a bit offended once I realized that she didn't remember our meeting in the park, as I'd been entirely unable to stop thinking about it for the last six years. In contrast, she seemingly forgot me the moment we parted.

"Do as your father told you, little girl," I said, hiding my wince when I heard the way my words sounded, knowing that they sounded even worse to her.

Bast didn't respond but nodded softly as she did as we said and sat on the same couch as me, as far away as she could.

I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw how terrified she was, as it awakened my predatory nature, and she was nothing more than prey to me. "I accept your payment," I said, then stood, holding my hand out to Bast.

"What? Daddy, what is happening?" Bast gasped out as she stood and ran across the room as quickly as she possibly could, her eyes wide in fear as she watched me.

"Bast-" Robert started to speak but stopped once I held my hand up, silencing him.

"You are mine, little girl," I said, watching her as I took a few steps forward. 'If I plan on making her believe that I am nothing more than a man that bought her, I need to make it believable.'

"No!" Bast screamed and tried to run away, but found that she couldn't run any further away as her back was already pressed firmly against the wall next to the fireplace.

"Bast, do you want your mother to die?" I asked her softly, swearing at myself when I heard the emotion in my voice, as I was trying my best to sound as though I didn't care about her in the slightest.

"No, of course, I don't." She whispered, furrowing her brows in confusion as she looked past me to Jennifer, then looked back up at me.

"Your mother will die if you aren't mine. So be a big girl and take my hand. I will explain everything." I said, holding my hand back out to her, "I promise I will not steal you away." I added, sinking my fangs into my tongue to stop myself from smiling. 'I will not steal you away, though I regretted not taking you when you were born. I can't believe I'm thinking this, but Alastair was right. I should have done as he said.'

Bast reluctantly took my hand and allowed me to lead her back to the couch, shifting uncomfortably as she watched me, waiting for me to explain what I meant. "Your mother has cancer, Bast. And she will die soon if she does not receive treatment. Your family is poor and cannot afford to pay, so your father offered you as payment." I said, then cast a menacing glare at Jennifer and Robert, holding back my growl as they both looked down at their hands in their laps.

"But I'm twelve!" Bast responded with a whimper, trying her best to hide the tears I could see gathering in the corners of her eyes.

"Don't fret, little one. You will become mine on your eighteenth birthday." I responded as I rubbed the back of her hand with my thumb, wishing I could tell her the truth.

"How could you give your own daughter away?" She cried out as she ripped her hand out of mine, pulling her knees to her chest as she lost the fight against her tears, crying out in pain and terror.

"Bast, don't be selfish! Your mother is dying, and this man will give her the treatments she needs to survive. Do you think I would choose you over my wife? I never wanted you to begin with!" Robert yelled as he jumped to his feet, his deep brown eyes wild with hatred as he glared down at Bast.

'That is it!' I thought as I stood and put my hand on Robert's chest, using every ounce of self-restraint that I could muster as I shoved him, sending him flying over the couch, slamming into the wall behind it with a satisfying outcry of pain as he fell to the floor. "You will not speak to her in that way. Understood?"

"Yes, Mr. Edge," Jennifer whispered without looking up from her hands, tears streaming quietly down her cheeks.

"Are you really a vampire?" Bast suddenly gasped as she gawked up at me, watching as I sat back down next to her.

"Yes, little one. I am a vampire." I said with a nod, cocking my head to the side as I watched her, confused as to just how the hell she knew that I was a vampire.

"Bast?" Jennifer mumbled softly as she stood and crossed to where Bast was sitting, trying to comfort her daughter.

"No, get away from me!" Bast yelled, giving Jennifer a kick in the shoulder that surprised even me, as I didn't think she had the ability to hurt her own mother. "Please, just leave me alone." She sobbed out as she curled into a ball on the couch.

'This poor little thing,' I thought as I pulled her into my arms, carrying her up the stairs and into her room. Bast spared no expense as she kicked, slapped, and punched me, doing everything she could to try and force me to release her, but to no avail, as I refused to do so. I waited until she'd tired herself out, and had no more energy to fight before tucking her under the covers, then kissed her softly on the forehead. "I will be back for you, little one," I whispered in her ear, squeezing my eyes closed as she began sobbing again. 'I wish it didn't need to be like this even more than you do, though you wouldn't believe me if I were to tell you that.'

I went back downstairs and watched as Jennifer helped Robert to his feet, waiting until they both turned to look at me before saying anything. "I will be back for her. If I find that you have harmed my little one in any way, shape, or form, cancer will be the least of your worries." I said, then took a few steps forward, lowering my voice so that only they could hear me. "Rather than paying for treatments, I will give you the cure to cancer."

Both Jennifer and Robert opened their mouths to speak but stopped when I snarled at them, cutting them off before they could get a word out. "Be glad that I didn't tell her the truth and tell her I am the only reason she currently exists," I added before walking out of the house, closing the door behind me.

I waited until I got in my car, then groaned as I punched the steering wheel, letting out a growl as I thought about what had just happened. 'It's for the best. She should think you want her to be yours, rather than telling her that the only reason I did this was to make sure she couldn't be given to someone who would have most likely kidnapped, then tortured her for days and weeks to come.'