ERIC'S POV
"I must say, it's always a pleasure to see the man who swept my daughter off her feet, Heart," President Hilton says with his signature fake chuckle as we shake hands.
I return it with an equally forced, 'I'm not glad to be here' laugh, hopefully, he doesn't notice.
Not like I give a damn if he does.
"Pleasure to see you again, President Hilton." As if.
"Ah, I've told you severally to call me by my name whenever we're indoors." We both settle down. "You are married to my beautiful daughter, after all."
Priscilla laughs while holding up a cocktail. "Oh, Daddy, you can't blame him. Eric is a formal man. It took a while before he stopped calling me Miss Hilton."
Hilton is the first to laugh, so everyone else joins in, just so he doesn't look like the miserable old prick he is.
I lean into my chair and take in the deep scent of the fresh Florida beach air. When Priscilla told me her father wanted me over for the Easter holiday at one of his luxury suites here, I was aggrieved. I had a lot to do in New York rather than spend time with people that clearly loothe the soil I walk on.
I begged Priscilla to talk him out of it, but like the daddy's little brat she is, she insisted I not disobey her father.
I huff and put on my sunglasses. That's when my gaze catches a beautifully tanned woman in a pink bikini.
"Eric!" Priscilla shouts, making me flinch.
I look at her. She must've noticed I was checking out the woman because she's forcing herself to smile too hard.
"Why don't you tell your president here about your new discovery?"
A total mess, that's what it is.
"Prissy told me you've found a way of curing all types of cancer," he says, intrigued.
I chuckle, scratching my neck. "Sometimes Priscilla talks a lot of rubbish."
"But you told me you had discovered a cure!" she defends, scowling at me.
I stare at the table, rubbing my brows. I thought I had. I was thrilled when the experiment first worked, but the next day, it turned horrific.
I tap my fingers on the table. I just hope the boys managed to get rid of that lab rat's family. I was an inch away from being exposed for ruining their son's genes.
"A more effective cure for syphilis. I never said cancer, my dear," I say, hoping she'll shut it and not push the matter any further.
"Well, I'm not surprised," Hilton laughs harshly. "I mean, you haven't even found a cure for your impotency, and you want to cure cancer?!"
They all burst into laughter, including Priscilla. I lean back in my chair, acting like the insult didn't get to me.
I may be many things, but I am not impotent. Priscilla is the one incapable of bearing a child.
How I wish I could tell him how many abortions his dear daughter has had. I'd love to watch that pride drain from his smug face. I had performed her abortions when she was much younger, back when I was still a doctor at the national hospital.
When Priscilla and I met four years ago during my science expedition in Kansas, we talked for a few hours before she jumped on me, demanding I make love to her. Ever since, she's wanted me. Months later, she proposed marriage, and I couldn't resist—she's the perfect tool for fame and money.
She begged me to keep her abortions a secret, and I did. And now here she is, laughing at an accusation that should be directed at her.
"What are you thinking about, honey?" She waves her hand in front of my face. "Your phone is buzzing. Pick it up!"
I resist the urge to snap at her. I excuse myself and step down the wooden stairs of the beach restaurant, heading somewhere quieter to take the call.
Dante?
I answer immediately.
"Miss me?" Dante says, stupid as always.
It's been two years since this asshole stole some of my vital information and money, then disappeared. He worked as a security officer in my organization. I tried everything to find him, but with no success—until now.
"I swear, Dante, if I get my hands on you—"
"I know, I know," he cuts me off, laughing. "You'll smack the life outta me. Still a psychopath, aren't you?"
"Why don't you fly down to Florida and find out?"
"Thanks, but no," he says, then clears his throat. "Okay, enough drama, Eric. I heard about the mess you became after I left, and I must say, I feel really bad for you. That's why I have an offer that can bring your name back up—and even better, help you find the cure you're looking for."
Instinctively, I glance around in case someone's eavesdropping. I grip the phone tighter.
"You think this is a joke, Dante?!"
"Calm your grown ass down, Eric. Don't worry, I'm not gonna scam you again. I'm not asking for any upfront payment either. All I want is for you to stop chasing after me. I can't even go a day without flinching when someone calls my name."
"Also, I kinda blew through all the money I stole from you, and I need a few million bucks—but that's after you find the cure."
There's no reason I should believe Dante. No reason at all. I've done everything I can since that day that wolf took Diana away—tried to track them down with no luck. The wolf was smarter than I expected, but not too smart. I managed to get a sample of its blood that day, and it confirmed my suspicion.
There are supernaturals out there.
Not the exact cure I'm looking for, but proof they exist. And I will stop at nothing to find the one who has what I need. All of them are useful for making more wealth.
"Hello? Is this call on hold or what?"
"What do you mean you found the cure I'm looking for?" I whisper, impatiently.
"Well, would you like to know?" He chuckles, and I growl.
"Sorry, sorry. I'll tell you… So, I've got this homeboy in Detroit who goes to some forest with a bunch of his dumb friends to look for God-knows-what. He's got a camera and all the gear people like him carry.
" So, he finds this region, crosses it, and suddenly notices the climate changes—goes cold. He tries to go further but then chaos erupts. He managed to get what he could on camera and sent it to his most trusted friend, me, right before he gets mauled to death."
"Guess what he got on camera?"
"What?" I ask, only just realizing I'm holding my breath.
"How badly do you want to know?"
"Oh, for f**k's sake!" I snap, irritated.
"Who are you talking to, honey?"
I turn quickly, peeling the phone from my ear when I hear Priscilla's voice. She stops next to me, frowning in confusion.
"Two seconds, and I'm ending the call," Dante taunts, he must've heard her voice.
I release a frustrated breath and bring the phone back to my ear. "Spill it, Dante."
Priscilla steps closer, clearly wanting to hear what Dante has to say. I'm too agitated to tell her to stay back.
"I saw wolves, Eric. Humans turning into wolves."
My heart races. I glance at Priscilla, who's staring at me with wide, eager eyes. I could kiss her right now—she looks as satisfied as I feel hearing the news.
"Where were they seen, Dante?"
"That, I can't say over the phone. There's a line outside this stall, and before someone pushes the door and realizes I haven't taken a dump yet, I gotta end this—"
"Wait, Dante!" I cut in before he ends the call. "Where are you?"
"We'll meet in Toronto. But don't expect me to call you with this number again… and Eric?"
"What?"
"Don't you dare try attacking them. At least not immediately. They're more powerful than you think."