“Okay, darling. Your Grammy wants to talk to me. Will you pass her the phone? I love you, Kevin, a million times. Don’t forget.”
“I won’t. Love you a million times too, Mommy. Grammy, stop it, wait.”
The sounds of a tussle came through the phone.
“¡Dios! This child, everything is a struggle with him.”
“He’s saying good-bye to his mother. You took the phone before he was finished,” she snapped.
“Nonsense. What I have to discuss is more important.”
“There’s a surprise.” She couldn’t restrain the snark.
“Mucho cuidado, niña. Careful with that uppity tone, I’m still your mother.”
This time, Hunter bit her tongue. There was no point in engaging in an argument over the phone.
“You’re too old to be working at a bar that doesn’t pay and Kevin is growing. He needs new shoes and clothes. I can’t cover those expenses. Get a better job.”
Always the same topic: money, money, and more money. Heaven forbid Carmen Giordano would curtail her purchases of expensive makeup and designer moisturizers. Talk about wasted money; no high-end cream on earth would improve her papery wrinkly skin.
“I got a check from Costa del Sol on Monday. It’s cleared the bank. I transferred an extra two hundred into your account. That should help. If there’s money left over, save it for Kevin. Don’t go spending it on your stuff.”
“How dare you?” Mamá’s voice hardened.
“No. How dare you? You honestly believe I haven’t noticed that you dip into his funds?”
“I will not tolerate such disrespect.”
That was enough for Hunter. Time to terminate this call. “Check your account. I’m hanging up. I have to go to work.”
“Not so fast. What about Kevin?”
“Kevin’s fine. I support what he did, and I told him so. If I have free time, I’ll call the principal next week. Bye, Mother.” She ended the call.
Settling back on her chair, she dropped the phone facedown on the table. There would be a text ding in a couple of seconds. Mamá Giordano couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t have the final word in any discussion.
As she’d expected, the phone dinged. Hunter eyed it without emotion. The device could be a minute insect crawling along her table, nothing worth getting upset about. She’d already spoken to her baby. The rest was unimportant.
Drumming her fingers on the table, she downed half the bottle of water. The angry tension her mother elicited dissipated with each full swallow. Her gaze fell on the kitchen clock. She had time to relax completely, wash her face, redo her makeup, and drive to Pete’s.
Fifteen minutes later, she was ready to roll. Rushing about to leave the studio as she found it, she turned off the AC, closed the shutters, and picked up her purse. She stepped down on the walkway and inserted the key into the lock. As she turned the bolt, a large hand gripped her wrist.
“Going somewhere?”
Hunter cringed. Dan Barton? Where…
Frowning, she turned.
“What are you doing here?” She glared from his hand to his face. “Release me.”
“Do you believe this chick?” Dan spoke over his shoulder to the man behind him.
Aaron Miller stepped out and stood to her left. “Yeah. She’s high and mighty.”
“So full of herself.” Dan sneered, standing to her right.
Using all her force, she yanked back her arm. Surprised, Dan lost the grip.
“Wow,” he said. “She’s got balls too.”
“You’ve no idea.” Aaron shoved her hand from the key in the lock. Twisting the bolt, he pushed her door in.
No. Get away. Run! Hunter’s fight-or-flight response kicked in, but Dan planted his hand on the frame, blocking her escape. His face came close to her neck.
“Mmm, nice scent.” He sniffed below her earlobe.
Hunter shivered in disgust. She stepped back.
Aaron tugged down the neckline of her top. He spoke against her skin. “Yeah, but she’s stiff as a board in bed.”
“Leave me alone.” Shaking her shoulders free, she took another step back. She was in the threshold of her studio. Not good.
Just as the thought passed through her mind, Dan pushed her inside.
“Stiff, really?”
She tried to run to the kitchen. Aaron dove after her. He tackled her by the waist, and they both tumbled to the floor and rolled, bumping against her scant furniture. Momentum put her on top. Pushing and hitting with her hands and knees, she leapt off him. As she scrambled on all fours, Aaron reached for the hem of her top and pulled her back to him. She resisted the force, and the fabric ripped.
Panting, she stood. “Get away from me,” she screamed as she continued backing into her kitchen. Her only thought was her largest knife in the drawer.
Dan sneered as he slowly prowled toward her. “We want a taste of that uptight pussy. Right, Aaron?”
Sitting, his butt on the floor, Aaron laughed. “Sure do. I miss it.”
“Bumbling asshole,” Hunter hissed. “You only love your muscles. Go fuck yourself if you can.”
“Potty mouth.” Shaking his head, Dan came closer and closer. As she tried to turn again, he tugged a hank of her hair forward. Hunter’s head twisted in a painful angle. Losing her balance, she dropped on her knees. Acute electric shocks traveled through her.
Dan squeezed her neck from the side. In defense mode, Hunter went limp. That threw him off. His hold loosened. She thrust her palms under his arm, shoved up, and got free. Scrambling again, she jumped to her feet and made it to her kitchen before either man could react.
Breathing hard, she opened her drawer and brandished her largest knife. “Y-you…you can a-attack me. But… But I’m not g-going down w-without a fight. I’ll take one of you with me.” She pointed the trembling knife at Dan. “And when Joe hears about this, you’ll get the beating of your life.”
“You mean my friend Joe? That Joe Reid?” Standing with his legs wide apart, Dan sneered at her. “Did you hear that, Aaron?” He laughed.
Aaron guffawed. “Dude, I ain’t deaf.”
Laughing harder, Dan pressed a hand on her table. He pulled out a chair and sat down, holding his stomach. Aaron stood, leaned a hand on Dan’s shoulder, and joined the fun. He cackled at the top of his lungs.
Dumbfounded, she eyed both men. “What’s so funny?” She didn’t understand any of this. The attack had stopped. Nevertheless, she hung on to the knife.
“You,” Dan managed to say in between chuckles.
Aaron snorted. “She thinks he cares. Kiss, kiss, that he loves her.”
“Arrogant bitch.” Dan calmed down enough to speak. “You’re getting what you deserve. At last.”
“What goes around comes around. All the men you’ve hurt? You’re getting your due,” Aaron jeered.
In an instant, her stomach knotted up. She recalled their strange behavior days past. Ice-cold fear coursed through her system. They had intended to force her, for sure, but there was more to this. Dan had come to hurt her, physically and mentally. He wanted payback for something she’d done to him and couldn’t remember at all. And Aaron? He was an idiot who couldn’t manage an independent idea if his life depended on it.
Scrunching her face, she waved the knife. “Get out. Get. The fuck. Out.”
“Sure, sweetheart, we’re leaving.” Dan chuckled. “But not before I kill that stupid illusion of yours. Your wonderful Mr. Joe Reid don’t love you. In fact, he doesn’t give a flying fuck about you.”
She didn’t move or speak.
Straightening his messed-up clothing, Aaron added to the terrible message. “That’s right. He’s been using you, darlin’.”
“You’re his pawn. Joe’s a smooth operator, and he had a plan for you. He made you fall in love with him.” Dan tilted his head side to side. “And once you did, he was gonna drop you like the damaged goods you are.”
Her chest burned like a furnace
. Blood roared in her ears.
“Stop it.” The knife clattered onto the countertop. “That’s not true.” She pressed her palms over her ears.
“But it is.” Dan nodded with a pleased expression.
Damn. She could still hear him. Why did he sound so sure of himself?
“Poor thing. I heard it out of Kurt’s mouth. I was there when Kurt asked Joe about the revenge strategy.” Dan grinned with satisfaction. “How did he put it? ‘Few more days and she’s a goner.’ You hurt some dude, and this is payback.”
Her eyes widened. “You know Kurt?”
“Uh-huh. Met him a few days ago. Joe stopped by after he hired a working crew.”
“You’re lying, you’re lying,” she repeated through her sobs. Tears filled her eyes, and the room blurred. Hot tracks rolled down her cheeks.
“Don’t believe me? Go ahead, don’t be afraid. Ask Joe. He’ll tell you.” Dan nodded, clasping Aaron’s shoulder. “Dude, we can leave. We’ve accomplished what we came to do. She’ll be a hot mess, and I don’t enjoy messy women.”
As Dan and Aaron walked out of her studio, the kitchen floor disappeared from under her feet. Flailing, she tumbled into the void, down, down, down…
When Hunter came to, she was a sweaty heap on the floor. Holding on to her cabinet pulls, she ignored her aching body and managed to stand.
The front door was still open. The warm afternoon breeze blew in and through the cottage. Shaking her head to gain full awareness, she wiped her damp face with her palm.
Still unsteady and somewhat dazed she made it to the door, closed it, and pressed her back against it to support her weight.
Dan and Aaron were gone. They did not rape her. But they might as well have. In their wake they’d left a spiritually trampled woman. If what Dan had said was true, he’d done his job well. He’d smashed her dreams and illusions to smithereens.
Impossible.
It couldn’t be true.
She refused to accept it.
No matter what Dan and Aaron said, she couldn’t believe Joe’s deceit. Not her Joe. Not Sir. Her Dom, the man who understood her soul and heart better than she did. He’d been real; he’d loved her body and spirit, without hesitation or pretense. She knew when a man faked the emotions he professed.
But Dan had been convincing as well. He’d attacked her without fear of reprisals from Joe. And much worse, he spoke of Master Kurt with certainty.
All bad signs, her dazed mind warned.
Everything around her felt odd, surreal, and foreign. She was in the grip of emotional pandemonium. A part of her had gone somewhere else. She didn’t feel complete. She touched her skin. Who was she? Was she still Hunter Giordano?
What should she do next?
A spark of sanity intervened. Assess conditions.
With a nod, she shuffled to the bathroom. Her reflection showed a bump on her jaw. She did fall. Maybe she hit the bed or something. Except for an overall ache, she felt okay. Her clothing, on the other hand, had taken a beating.
She stripped off her garments, went to her dresser, absently chose something to wear, and dressed. With that finished, she returned to her living space and picked up her bag. This time before she exited, she glanced both ways. Satisfied no one waited to ambush her, she rushed to her car. She turned on the ignition and texted Soledad:
I need to see you. Now, please.
The response was simple:
Come over.
At top speed, Hunter drove to sanctuary, where she hoped to hunker down and deal with the approaching storm: Soledad’s place.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
TWILIGHT DESCENDED RAPIDLY. Deep violet shadows streamed through Joe’s office window, darkening his room. Daylight weakened, giving way to the incoming onslaught of night. Closing his eyes, he sat back on his chair. He needed a break from the computer screen. Rubbing one temple, he reached for the desk lamp and flicked the light on.
While he was focused on his project, time had passed in complete silence. He stiffened instantly. Hunter had texted at four thirty. Joe waited until six to send her another message. He enjoyed their phone conversations, but he figured she’d need time to get settled at work.
He picked up the phone. It was seven fifty-eight, and she hadn’t answered. That was weird. She’d agreed to his rules and answered within minutes. Quickly, he sent a new text:
I haven’t heard from you. No answer = punishment.
Pushing against the floor, he rolled the chair away from the desk. A gnawing sensation settled at the back of his neck. His heartbeat picked up speed. He breathed hard, trying to relax and shake the anxiety out of his system. When had he become such a worrywart?
The day you fell in love with Hunter Giordano, his mind teased.
Well, work was definitely over. Creativity had shut down, as Hunter’s silence occupied his thoughts.
He turned off the desk lamp and walked out. Stomach pangs reminded him he was low on fuel, so he went to the kitchen. A grilled ham and Swiss cheese sandwich would do the trick. He still had time to eat before he picked up Hunter.
Hunter.
Frowning, he pulled his phone out of his pocket.
Nothing.
Joe rubbed his face. Anxiety doubled to full-on distress.
A swarm of itchy ants crawled all over his body. Something was wrong. He knew it with dead certainty. He thought of calling the bar. Kelly’s voice would dispel all concern, but that idea didn’t ease the sensation. He had to go, see Hunter in the flesh, pull her outside, and give her a well-deserved spanking in his truck for putting him through this.
Abandoning the idea of food, he stomped past his living room, snatched his keys from a side table, and walked out. She was going to get an earful from him.
The drive to Pete’s bar took him less than ten minutes. While he drove, he kept the phone within reach. The device remained eerily silent. The screen didn’t flash. Frustrated, he punched the steering wheel and pressed the accelerator.
Joe pulled into the first open space he found behind the bar. He jumped down and jogged around the corner to push the swinging doors. He entered and stopped, scanning the room and the Friday night crowd. Pete manned the bar behind the counter. He hustled nonstop from one end to the other. A busy Kelly worked the floor. She seemed harried as demanding customers yelled orders at her. Relief at seeing Kelly lasted him less than a second. Where was Hunter? She should be here in the midst of the weekend fray, helping Kelly with the orders.
He waited, thinking Hunter might be in the bathroom. She should show up any minute. When five seconds passed and Hunter didn’t appear, Joe approached the bar. He shouldered his way to the counter ignoring the duo of Aaron and Dan to his right. Setting an elbow on the bar, he leaned forward.
“Hey, Pete.” He waved at the man.
Pete acknowledged him with a nod. He topped a rocks glass with a golden liquor, spoke to the customer who dropped a bill on the counter, then turned to the register. He slapped the change down in front of the customer and moved to Joe.
“She’s not here.” Shaking his head, Pete eyed him. “I’m sorry, bud. Talk to Kelly.”
What the fuck?
“Thanks.” Joe pushed back and turned to search for Kelly. As he walked past, Aaron laughed, ostensibly over something funny Dan said. Joe ignored the jerk.
Kelly spoke to six raucous customers at a high-top table. She was so busy, she didn’t see him approach.
He grasped her arm, and she startled. “Hey.” She blinked, recognizing him. “Joe, you came.”
“Of course I came.” He scowled. “What the hell is going on, Kelly? Where’s Hunter?”
She yanked her arm loose. “She ain’t here, you bastard. She’s in a safe place.”
“Safe place? Why are you cussing at me?” Confused, he scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t understand…”
“Speak to your friend Dan,” she snapped, stepping away from him.
The noise in the room, the clink of glasses, t
he laughter and loud conversations, and Hunter’s unknown whereabouts exploded in his mind. Mayhem ruled. He grabbed Kelly’s arm, and, regardless of a slight resistance on her part, her bulk and height, he managed to wrangle her out of the bar.
“Now.” In the silence of the street, he glared at her. “Tell me what happened after you left my place.”
Folding her tray against her chest, Kelly examined him top to bottom. “You fucked up, Joe. In a big way.”
“Okay,” he murmured without letting go. “You haven’t answered me. You and Hunter went shopping. You were driving her to the bar afterward. She isn’t here. What am I missing?”
Kelly tugged her arm, but Joe didn’t let go. “On the way back, she got a call from her mother. Kevin had been in a fight, so she asked me to drop her off at her place. She wanted privacy and a quiet place to talk. She was supposed to come straight over.” She struggled to free her arm. “Come on, Joe, let me go.”
“Not yet.”
She stopped. “Okay… On her way out of her studio, Dan and Aaron attacked her, tried to rape her. She fought them off.”
Stiffening, Joe released Kelly. “I’m going to kill them both.” He started to turn, but Kelly grabbed his shoulder.
“Hold on. There’s more.”
“What?”
“Dan told Hunter that you were using her. Payback for something she did. You’d planned to make her fall in love with you, and then leave her hanging.”
His knees buckled, and he stumbled against the bar’s brick wall. “No. No. No. Son of a bitch!”
Master Kurt’s words echoed in his mind: “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”
“This isn’t a simple matter.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Initially, yes. I wanted retribution. She’s responsible for the death of a comrade.”
Kelly paled. “Not Hunter.”
“Yes. Hunter,” he insisted, still glaring. “I saw the evidence. Read it.”
She blinked, and he pressed on, shaking his extended palm as if he held the letter.
Deception Page 29