Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 79039 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79039 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
It seems inevitable. No one can save me from Hunter. Hell, I can’t even save myself.
“Are you okay, baby?” he asks, the urgency in his voice is written all over his face. It’s a mixture of worry, frustration and anger. I know he must feel like the world is coming after him and yet, he’s consumed with fear for me. He wants to make sure I’m okay. The sweetness of that hits me head-on.
“I’m fine. I don’t think I’m the one targeted in this, Hunter. How are you?”
“We’re going to figure this out. I won’t allow this to touch you or Ty,” Hunter pledges as he kisses my forehead, holding me close.
I pull back to look up at him. “That doesn’t answer my question,” I prod gently.
“I’ll be okay once we figure this out,” he promises before turning his attention to his dad. “What do we know?”
“Not a damn thing,” his dad grumbles.
“Although, Beau did come up with an interesting take,” Skull adds.
Hunter spares me a smile. “That’s because she’s amazing, but someone explain.”
His praise makes me feel warm all over. I clear my throat after looking up at Skull and Torch. They nod, encouraging me to speak up. “Well, I just don’t think Robin has the resources to set you up this way,” I point out. To me it seems logical, so I don’t really think what I’m saying is that earth shattering. I mostly think they’re placating me.
Hunter exhales, his tension so palpable it permeates the room. “Yeah, King pointed that out, too. That’s a damn smart son-in-law I got saddled with. If you tell Dragon that, however, I’ll deny every fucking word of it,” Skull responds, making me fight a giggle—despite the weight of this conversation. “The bastard’s head is already too big now.”
I hear Hunter snort, and I bite my lip to keep from joining in. Sadly, all joy leaves with his next question. “So, what’s our next step? How do I make sure Beau and Ty are safe while this shitstorm is brewing?”
“And you, Hunter. I want you to be safe, too—you big dummy.”
He grins, his beautiful eyes shining down at me. “You’re such a sweet talker, Beau.”
“It’s a gift. Tell me that you’re going to be safe. I’ve got a bad feeling,” I tell him, my stomach churning.
“I’ve been dealing with Robin’s bullshit for a long time. She’ll show her hand quickly and then we’ll have her.”
“This isn’t just Robin. I’m not doubting that she’s involved. I think it’s likely she is. There’s a huge bankroll backing her and that’s the scary part.”
A grim look moves over Hunter’s features before his cell rings. He frowns but takes it out of the clip that’s on his side.
“Yo, Adam,” Hunter says, putting it on speakerphone and holding it down for all of us to hear.
“If anyone sees our call and asks, I called to clear up something on Beau’s report,” Adam says immediately, making the vibe in the room dip into arctic territory.
“Well, that’s not starting off great,” Hunter complains.
“I got the name of the man who posted bail for Robin and paid her fees.”
“Who’s the poor schmuck?”
“Allen Ray.”
Hunter’s forehead creases and he looks around at everyone in the room. They all shake their heads. Hunter sighs and curls me closer into his body. “None of us have heard of him,” he responds, kissing the top of my head. “Can you get me a picture of the dude?”
“Unfortunately, all we have is his hair color and build. He kept his head down around every camera we have,” Adam admits.
“Did you double check with the ATMs and outdoor cameras?”
“We should have the ATM footage from across the street and the small one inside the building this evening. The outdoor cameras were pretty much a bust. He wore a trucker hat and kept the bill pulled low, all while making sure he looked down the entire time. Let me check the footage really quick. Hang on.”
No one talks while Adam does whatever he’s doing. I find I’m a nervous wreck. I feel like I’m sitting on the edge of my seat, just needing to know who our enemy is. I’m anxious in ways that I can’t remember being before. I just know that I need to protect Hunter. He’s broken down my barriers and now I find that I want him in my life all the time. I don’t know where we’re going ultimately—mostly because I still don’t trust it. However, I’m far enough gone to admit that it would destroy me if I lost him now.
Hunter’s phone dings. “What’s this?” he asks.
“I sent you a portion of the feed in text. Check it right quick,” Adam says.
I curl even deeper into Hunter, trying to get a good look at the phone screen. I frown as a man comes into view. You really can’t see his face. His hair seems neatly trimmed—although, I think that’s because you can’t really see it because of the hat. There is just a little bit sticking out in the back to show that the color is kind of a deep black. It’s so black that you’d think it had blue highlights in it. I don’t recognize anything about him. I didn’t truly expect to. Still, it’s disappointing.