Clandestine Adventures - BOOK ONE The Boors

III. Pet

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MEANWHILE,  JARED BATEY WAS IN A BAD MOOD.

"I said that was enough." He griped at her, the main reason for his attitude. As she stopped dressing his plate. Putting the hot skillet of freshly made eggs on the table. Dad was giving her too much freedom. What happened to the days of barred windows and locked doors.

"Sit down, dog!" Jared told her.

"I'd appreciate if you wouldn't call me that." She had the nerve to gripe back at him. Exactly his point. She used to not talk at all, still didn't, least when dad was around.

He pulled out the remote to her collar, placing it in plain sight on the dining table. He picked back up his fork to eat as he smirked.

"Why, it's what you are, Cat." Dad had given her a name. A pet name. They both knew it. She didn't like it anymore than the other but she accepted it. Jared had suggested he name her Freak or Slave. Dad was going for subtle. He didn't want to cause more trouble then needed.

Another thing Jared didn't get, as he looked at her sitting there eating. Trying to take up as little of space as possible. She wasn't scary. She wasn't a supernatural "creature." She didn't have horns. She didn't turn into some wild beast on a whim. She didn't even have fangs, one of the most common of them out there. Besides her unnatural colored eyes, she looked like a normal human girl.

They had come in contact with some dangerous supes given what they do. It was just part of the job. For all Jared knew, she wasn't even from the Underworld. Just a regular human with some messed up eye defect, a deformity. She sure acted like a mundane. A scared girl. The reason dad had had it tested out. To see what she could do, if she could do anything.

Him and his buddy Stevens, had got some knucklehead to fight her one day. Because they had ran out of options, it was a last resort.

Last Jared heard she had put him in the hospital and he had moved away and Vikram hadn't heard from him since. His dad never shared how he got her to fight. Considering how docile she was under normal circumstances. Jared couldn't picture it.

Jared had never been to one of the betting matches. His way of disagreeing with his father. But he remembered his fathers face after they had come back that night and he'd locked her away again. It was around the time he had decided to give her a name, coaxing her out of her room with chores around the house. Giving her more freedom. Treating her like their housemate, instead of what she really was, their property to be sold.

Around the time he had told Jared he was taking a step back from the family business. The same business he had groomed Jared into since he could talk. What they were known for. Bounty hunting.

It didn't make them rich but it was enough. More than, it kept them strong, aware of what was out there. Made them ready for anything. To Jared that meant everything. He used to idolize his father. Most of his friends dads, were clueless.

Dad was losing sight of what was important. All for this girl.

"I'm done eating." She said.

"Make dad a plate and go finish the dishes." Jared replied.

She did without hesitation. While Jared sat there trying to think of a way out of the mess they were in.

"What's for breakfast?" Vikram asked as he came into the kitchen. He even patted her head and smiled at the thing. "Smells good, Cat."

She said nothing, like usual, placing down his already made plate. As dad sat down pouring himself some juice.

Jared couldn't look at his father--it was too humiliating.

"What's that doing on the table, boy?"

Vikram eyed the remote with hostility. Good, Jared thought, it was better than the puppy love.

Jared wiped his mouth, while he sat back in his seat as he responded. "Well, Cat, needed a reminding of her place." And so do you. Jared thought, but didn't say.

"Take it down, boy." Vikram said.

They stared at each other. A clear challenge. Jared finally submitted, out of respect for his father stuffing the remote in his coat pocket.

She hadn't moved. Eyes downcast facing them. They both knew what she waited for a command, or maybe she was just used to being ignored. Keeping her here like some pet was just as dangerous. Vikram had to know that.

"Go play with the Taylor boy. Be back by supper. I need to have a talk with my son." He told her.

Jared felt the same. It was time for his dad to wake up from this dream.