by Alexa McLean
“It’s that guy, isn’t it?” He asked.
I nodded.
“I could see it in the way you looked at him. I can tell you really love him. But, now I’m confused.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “If you love him, why did you come home with me? I mean, wouldn’t you have been more comfortable going home with him instead?”
“He never offered. I wasn’t going to invite myself.” I said. “Even when we were kids, he never liked to bring me home. I don’t think much has changed. I mean, he said he would when we left the ball but then we came home and this happened.”
“That seems a little suspicious, don’t you think? I mean, I’m not trying to accuse the guy or anything but I think that seems a little fishy.” Conrad spoke with a certain degree of hesitancy like he knew he was treading murky water.
“No. He has nothing to do with this.” I said adamantly. “He would never hurt me.”
Conrad sighed. “Unfortunately, sometimes it’s the people you trust the most that stab you in the back.”
DAWN WAS ALREADY APPROACHING and I had yet to fall asleep. My eyes were heavy but my brain wouldn’t give it a rest. I kept replaying the night through my head. The ball. The break-in. My conversation with Conrad.
Was he right? Would Hunter one day stab me in the back?
No.
What was I thinking? Hunter loves me. I was sure of it.
Crash!
I jumped out of bed when I heard the sound.
Silence.
I listened intently, trying to figure out what was going on. After a few moments, I got out of bed and tiptoed out of the room. I traveled the hall as quietly as possible until I reached Conrad’s bedroom. I knocked but there was no response. So, I tried the doorknob. Locked. I tried again. Still, no response. “Conrad?” I whispered.
Nothing.
I knew better than to make a lot of noise so I walked away, grabbed a poker from beside the fireplace and headed downstairs. I tightened my grip as I heard a voice from the back of the tattoo parlor.
My heart was beating so fast and hard that I thought it would give me away.
Why didn’t I just call the police? Why was I doing this? Did I have a death-wish? Honestly, I didn’t know but something was driving me forward so I followed my instinct. I rounded the corner and my eyes nearly bugged out of my head.
It was Hunter and he was holding a bag of drugs in his hand.
Chapter 10: Hunter
The following morning.
I woke up, head pounding. Groaning, I rolled over and rubbed my temples while squinting at the ceiling above my bed. Most of the pain ebbed away but I knew the throbbing ache would remain for most of the day.
Morgan’s crew sure knew how to lay down the liquor or I had simply lost my edge. After all, I had been out of the game for a while now. I was more accustomed to living as a wealthy businessman than a street thug. Sure, at one point in my life, running around the streets was all I knew how to do. Now, things were different – much different. I had a name – a reputation – to uphold. I couldn’t risk it by hanging around these hooligans, but what choice did I have? Denying her meant putting Tori’s life at risk and I couldn’t even dream of doing such a thing.
Knock.
The sound penetrated through my skull forcing me to close my eyes as if that would end the hangover once and for all.
It didn’t.
Just as I pushed back the covers and rolled into a seated position, Porter came through the door holding a tray.
“What’s that?” I asked, still rubbing my temples.
“Coffee, breakfast, and a couple of Aspirins. I had a feeling you’d be needing them.” He placed the tray on my bedside table and got to work making the perfect mug of coffee. He always knew the perfect milk to sugar ratio even with his eyes closed. “Might I ask where you were all night?” His tone was one of a reprimanding father.
I sighed. “Morgan.”
Porter stopped mid-stir and narrowed his eyes in my direction. “I thought you had vowed to have nothing more to do with that woman.” He handed over the coffee which I took with a clear air of appreciation. The Aspirins were placed in my free hand. I popped them into my mouth. Once the pills were swallowed, I attempted to explain the situation to my old friend.
“Somehow, she found out about Tori and now she’s using her as leverage because she knows I would do anything to keep her safe.” I shook my head. “I need to think of a way out of this but for now, my only choice is to play along.”
“You best be careful, sir,” Porter warned. “All you need is a bad media story and your business will falter. And, I for one, would like to keep receiving a paycheck.”
I laughed. “Where does all your money go, Porter? You live and eat here free of charge. As far as I know, you don’t have a family to take care of.”
He smiled knowingly. “I have my reasons.”
“Alright. Well, unless you can suggest some genius plan to get me out of this mess, I think I’m stuck playing into her hand – for now, at least.” I got up and took my coffee to the window. I looked out at my estate from the perfectly manicured lawn to the water fountain bubbling toward the back. I had worked myself to the bone to achieve this level of success, I wasn’t about to let some ex-girlfriend of mine get in the way of that.
Well, technically, we never dated but she likes to think that we did.
I was just about to turn around and tell Porter to fix me up some proper breakfast when a loud buzzing sound echoed through the room. My eyes fell on my cell phone gliding across my dresser. I crossed the room and grabbed it.
“Hello?”
As Tori’s voice came through the line, Porter excused himself and disappeared. “Hunter?”
“Yes, it’s me. Is everything alright?” Already, I was thinking the worst. Had Morgan done something to hurt her?
“No. Everything’s not alright, Hunter. We need to talk. Privately.” Her voice was as cold as ice. She didn’t sound like someone who was distressed. Oh no, Tori was pissed – at me.
“Tori, please, just tell me what’s going on.” I pleaded with her.
“Meet me at the beach in thirty minutes.”
Click.
I stared at my phone. I couldn’t believe it. She had hung up on me. No one ever hung up on me.
My teeth ground together. Realistically, Tori being mad at me was probably a good thing. It would force her to keep her distance and maybe Morgan would lose her interest. It was a hopeful thought but I knew it was far from the truth. There was just something about Tori and me. We stuck together like glue.
With no other choice, I walked into my closet, grabbed a clean outfit, and headed out the door.
I ARRIVED AT THE BEACH shortly thereafter. I stood by the chain-link fence waiting for Tori to show up. With my arms crossed over my chest and my foot propped against the chest, I assumed a causal stance but my eyes were trained to seek out danger. They moved from side to side, surveying the area for anything that might seem out of place.
A couple of birds flew overhead before landing a few feet away. They bobbed their heads as they walked toward me. When they stopped, they cocked their heads to the side and squawked in question.
“Go away. I don’t have anything to give you.” I growled in warning. When they did not listen to me, I shooed them away.
“Still bothered by the birds, huh?” Tori’s voice was masked by bitterness and her face clouded by a dark shadow. “I was always the one to feed them and you were always the one to shoo them away.”
I stepped forward and tried to take her hand but she pulled away. “Tori? What has gotten into you?”
“We need to talk.” Was all she said before she started to climb the fence to the other side. I watched as she climbed with confidence all the way to the top before easing her way to the other side. She didn’t even bother to look at me when she touched down. She simply turned her back and headed directly toward the beach house.
Something had definitely tick
ed her off. Had she somehow discovered what I had done last night? That’s when it occurred to me. She went home with that tattoo artist – the same man who rented the apartment above the parlor. How had I overlooked such a glaring detail? She was right there. Had she walked in on my ‘meeting’ somehow? I could only imagine what was going through her head. No wonder she was pissed.
Quickly, I jumped over the fence and jogged up to her. She continued to walk as if I wasn’t even there.
“Tori.” I took her by the shoulder and tried to turn her around. “Look at me.”
She didn’t.
Instead, she stepped onto the back porch and sat down on the swing chair. I stood behind her and took the chains in my hand, pushing it gently. The wind blew through her hair casting her scent into the air.
I waited for her to say something. The silence was killing me.
“Why did I see you with a bag of drugs in your hand last night?” She turned the swing chair to look me dead in the eye. It sent a shiver through my spine. It’s true what they say: hell hath no fury as a woman scorned. “Oh, and while you’re at it, why don’t you tell me about this Morgan girl you kept talking about.” The fierceness of her voice too me off guard. I wasn’t used to her being so confrontational.
“Tori, look –”
She held up her hand to stop me from talking. “I can already tell you’re trying to come up with an excuse. I don’t want to hear it.” She rose to her feet and placed two fingers on my chest. “I want the truth or you’ll never hear from me again.”
I felt myself getting pinned between a rock and a hard place. What was I supposed to do? Keep Tori away from the truth and risk losing her? No. I couldn’t. Not again. “Okay –”
Again, she interrupted me. “You know, I thought you were different, I really did. I’ve loved you. I always have. Everyone told me that you’d be nothing but trouble and I always told them that they were wrong – that they shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. And, trust me, I had my doubts. I heard all the rumors but I ignored them because I wanted to believe that you were better than that. That you’d –”
This time, it was my turn to cut her off. I pressed my lips against hers until I felt her body melt into mine. I held her tight for a while, waiting for her temper to cool. Only then did I pull away and look into her eyes. “I know what this must look like to you.” I tightened my grip as I struggled to find the words I needed to explain myself to her. “That I’m just the thug that everyone told you I’d be and that this is all just a farce. But, it’s not. I truly did turn my life around.”
She shook her head with tears in her eyes. “Drug money isn’t ‘turning your life around,’ Hunter. I thought you had made something of yourself but you’re just a street dealer. I don’t even know why I thought there was a chance –” She couldn’t finish her sentence. Her emotions got the best of her, choking back her words.
“Tori! Listen to me!” I had to shake her a bit just to get her to open her eyes. “Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not true. I’m not a dealer. And this Morgan girl, she means nothing to me. Trust me, if I wanted her, I could have had her a long time ago but she’s nothing compared to you.”
“You’re lying.” Tori cried. “I know you are.”
“Look into my eyes and tell me that I’m lying – that I could find some way to lie to the woman that I love.” She blinked and our eyes locked. I felt her searching through my soul and I just prayed that she was finding the answers that she needed. “Now, hear me out. It’s important.” I took a deep breath before looking over my shoulder as if one of Morgan’s goons would appear out of thin air. “This Morgan girl, she’s dangerous. She’s the leader of the city’s underbelly. Everyone answers to her. So, she’s capable of doing some serious damage. If I piss her off, she won’t be coming after me...”
Tori furrowed her brows in confusion. “If she won’t go after you then...?”
“She’ll target the person I love the most. The girl who means the world to me and she’ll take her away from me. And, I don’t want that to happen.” I took her cheeks into my hands and ran my thumbs across her silky skin. “Now, I’ve used my business to rehabilitate a lot of people who have abused street drugs. Rebecca is one of them.”
“Wait? Rebecca? You mean the girl you used to send to the library?” She asked.
I nodded with a smile. “She used to be addicted to heroin. Took a while but we eventually got her sober. She’s held a job at the firm ever since.”
“I had no idea...” She whispered. “But what does this have to do with Morgan?”
“A long time ago, I tried to get her clean. She refused to listen to me and even hated me for it. I don’t think she ever forgave me for it. And now she’s mad. I don’t want her to take out that anger on you so that’s why I’ve complied with her outrageous demands. I only ever wanted to protect you.”
She looked at me for a long while before shaking her head. “You idiot. You would ruin everything you worked for... for me?”
I took her face in my hand and looked into her eyes. “And, even if I lost it all, it would still be worth it if it meant keeping you by my side.”
Chapter 11: Tori
“Do you really mean that?” I asked.
“With all my heart. I don’t think you quite understand how important you are to me.” He pulled me off the swing chair and into his chest. “You’re the only girl I’ve ever truly loved. It’s been torture living without you in my life but I always hoped that you would find something happier without me.”
“You really are an idiot and I don’t know how with all the books you read.” I laid my head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. It mixed in with the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. “You know, I wonder who owns this old beach house. They’re probably going to send attack dogs our way in a second.”
Hunter laughed. “Oh, that’s right, I haven’t told you yet.”
“Told me what?” I cocked my head to the side.
“Well, this place went up for sale about a year ago. I jumped on the deal. It was a little overpriced but I managed to talk down the numbers.” As he spoke, he ran his fingers through my hair.
“Mmm.” I moaned aloud.
“You like that, huh?” He kissed the top of my head. “You always liked it when I played with your hair.”
“What can I say? It feels good.” I snuggled into his chest and for a moment, I forgot about the world beyond the beach. None of it mattered. All that mattered was being here with Hunter and oh, how I wanted this moment to last. “Wait...” I stepped back and narrowed my eyes in his direction. “Did you just say you bought this place?”
“Mhm.” A sly smile crept onto his face.
“You mean, like, the whole beach?” I turned to look out the large expanse of sand. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m not. I paid in cash too.”
“Cash?” I repeated. “Okay, now you’re really pulling my leg. There’s no way you paid cash for a beach.”
“I did.” His grin deepened. “Do you want me to prove it to you? Well – the ownership part – the cash, not so much.” Before I could respond, he had already reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He sorted through them until he found the right one. “Come on.” He tilted his head toward the front door before heading that way. He slid the key into the lock and turned the handle.
“I can’t believe this...” I whispered in awe. “But, if you own this place, why do we keep hoping over the fence?”
“I like the view.” He said with a wink before grabbing my wrist and pulling me inside.
The beach house was a breathtaking sight. It was decorated with a nautical theme that was tastefully done.
“I’ll give you the grand tour some other time but right now, I think we need to check out the master bedroom. I’m not quite sure if the bed is big enough for the two of us.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. “So, I think we had better check to make sure.”
At the end of the
hall, we reached a door made of solid oak. Hunter pushed it open and then proceeded to push me inside. I stumbled into the ginormous room and nearly fell onto the plush carpet. Just as I regained my balance, Hunter rammed into me and we both went flying into the ground.
“Hey!” I protested but he already had my arms pinned above my head.
“Hey, yourself.” He whispered before leaning down and kissing the side of my neck. A shiver ran through my spine as his lips lingered there for a while. He nibbled my skin and pulled it gently, leaving behind a trail of hickeys.
I arched my back and wrapped my legs around his waist. “What has gotten into you?”
“You.” He murmured as his lips traveled from my neck to my chest. He traced the outline of my shirt before pulling it down ever so slightly to expose more of my flesh. “You drive me crazy, Tori. I just can’t help myself.”
“Oh, I want it just as badly as you do,” I said as I pulled his hand and drew him into a kiss. Our lips crashed together and exploded into a series of fireworks. My stomach tightened with excitement as I imagine what the night would bring.
Slowly, as the kiss intensified, he ran his hands along the side of my body. Goosebumps prickled my skin.
Suddenly, he stopped and rolled over so I was sitting on top of him. I rested my hands on his chest and grinned down at him. “What are you doing? Did you get bored already?”
“Oh, far from it.” He held me by the hips. “I know we are going to have a lot of fun tonight.”
“So, what are we doing just sitting around?” As I spoke, I unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his chiseled chest. I ran my fingertips along his abdomen, outlining the bulge of his muscles.
“I thought I would give you the opportunity to do whatever you’d like to me before I take over because when I do, you’ll be at my mercy...” He paused to grab my hair and pull me close. “All. Night. Long.”
I nearly moaned at his words. “Mmm, is that so?”