“Fifteen years ago.”
Which would’ve made Dani twelve at the time. Almost the same age Scott’s sister had been when she died.
“According to the information I found,” Claire continued, “the police did find Nick’s DNA at the scene, but it didn’t match the DNA found on Lisa.”
“I guarantee it wasn’t him,” Hunter stated.
“I agree. They also found someone else’s DNA.”
“Let me guess? Nick’s brother Patrick. The pedophile?”
“Probably, but all the evidence went missing before they could get a match.”
Well, that explained a lot.
Patrick got away with it because Samuel covered for him. The girl was eleven. The thought made Hunter’s stomach churn. How could such evil walk amongst them?
It didn’t surprise him that the police had reached a dead end. The Adorites had been able to cover up plenty. Luckily for everyone, Patrick no longer walked the earth. Max had sent him to hell years ago.
“They found your father’s DNA,” Scott told Dani. “It proves he was with her. That he raped her. And killed her.”
Evidently Scott wasn’t aware that the other evidence had disappeared. Which was the reason he was fixated on Nick.
“Killing Kye won’t bring your sister back,” Dani said calmly.
“No. It won’t. But to see the look on your face when I do…that’s all I need.”
“Is it?” she asked. “Is it going to make you feel better? Will you be able to move on with your life? I somehow doubt it.”
“Killing Nick certainly made me feel better.”
Oh, shit.
“Claire, check in with the hospital where Nick is. See if he’s telling the truth.”
“On it, boss,” she said quickly.
“I know you want to avenge your sister’s death. And I don’t blame you. But Kye didn’t do anything,” Dani continued. “If you want revenge, take me.”
“Fuck, no,” Kye growled. “Leave her out of it.”
“That was my original plan,” the man confirmed, speaking to Dani. “Taking you. I was going to tie you up and show you the horror of your father’s ways.”
“Nick is not my father,” she repeated. “But it doesn’t matter. You said he’s dead. That should make you even.”
“We’ll never be even!” Scott yelled. “Never!”
Claire’s voice was loud and clear once again. “It’s confirmed. Nick Adorite died this morning. They’re saying he had another massive stroke.”
Fucking hell. Scott Butler wasn’t merely making threats. He had followed through. Which meant he had nothing to lose.
The man continued to shift and move, keeping Kye in front of him at all times. The gun shifted out of sight, but Hunter knew he still had it directed at Kye.
“I’m sorry about your sister,” Dani said.
“Shut up,” Scott hissed. “You’re just as evil as he was.”
“There’s a sniper on the roof,” Kye blurted.
Scott’s head jerked around suddenly, but he shifted Kye to the left, blocking Hunter’s shot.
Fortunately, Casper wasn’t on the roof of the building. He was on the fourth floor of the parking garage.
Hunter knew it was now or never. “Now, Kye! Drop!”
As Hunter watched, Kye jerked to the left seconds before a shot rang out. Another followed immediately after, and as if in slow motion, both Scott and Kye crumpled to the ground.
“No!” Dani screamed. “Oh, God, no!”
Hunter had never run so fast in his life. His heart lodged in his throat as fear threatened to strangle him. When he reached Kye, he found him lying in a puddle of blood, but he couldn’t see where it was coming from.
Please don’t be his. Please, God. Don’t do this.
“Are you hit?” Hunter yelled at Kye.
His lover’s eyes were wide, his face scrunched in pain. He wasn’t moving.
“Fuck!” Hunter yelled. “We need an ambulance!”
He could hear Trace talking, felt Dani at his side, but the only thing Hunter could focus on was Kye. The way his eyes slowly closed, his breathing shallow.
No!
“Don’t you dare,” Hunter warned Kye. “Don’t you dare fucking leave me. You understand? Kye? Kye!”
Dani was sobbing uncontrollably, and the only thing Hunter felt was…cold.
EIGHTEEN
DANI SAT IN THE WAITING room, her heart pounding so hard she thought for sure she would have a heart attack any second. Hunter was pacing in front of her while most of his family and a handful of Sniper 1 agents were spread throughout the room.
No one had any idea what was going on, just that the EMTs had appeared grim when they rushed Kye into the ambulance before bringing him to the hospital. Once here, they had rushed Kye to surgery, not giving anyone any updates. The only thing Dani knew for certain was that Kye had been shot in the back and by the time the ambulance arrived, he’d been alive but unconscious. That was four hours ago, and no one had told them anything yet.
Mr. and Mrs. Sterling had arrived, which was a godsend considering the only people the hospital staff would talk to was family. Since the rest of them didn’t qualify, they were left in the dark. As of yet, they were still not certain what was going on.
Dani tried to consider that a good thing. If Kye was dead, they would’ve been told by now. They wouldn’t be sitting here, they would be…
No. She wasn’t even going to think it.
She sobbed as the memory hit her. Dani had heard one shot, then another. One of the bullets had landed between the madman’s eyes, the other lodged somewhere in Kye. Right before her eyes, Kye had slid to the ground, his eyes wide, his face stark white before he even hit his knees. He’d been so still.
It should’ve been me.
It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. Kye shouldn’t have been there.
Her mind raced as she recalled everything that had happened from the second she saw Hunter racing past Victoria’s Secret. She had known in that moment that they hadn’t let her go to the mall by herself. They were there with her, and for Hunter to leave her unattended…something bad had happened.
Dani had spotted Conner immediately, taking advantage when she noticed he was watching Hunter. She’d slipped out of the store and headed in the same direction Hunter went, only she’d stopped at Macy’s. When she’d looked back and seen him running toward the exit doors, she’d taken off through the department store and exited the same side.
It had taken her less than a minute to figure out what was happening, to find the man holding Kye at gunpoint.
It should’ve been me.
Dani couldn’t stop the tears.
“Baby,” Hunter whispered, his arm going around her shoulders as he took a seat to her left. “It’s gonna be all right.”
Her gaze cut to his face and she scowled, rage consuming her. She didn’t want empty promises or lame platitudes. “He was shot in the back, Hunter. You don’t know that.”
“I do know that,” he said softly, pulling her into him. “Kye’s strong. He won’t leave us. He’s going to come back to us.”
Although he was attempting to be strong, Dani felt the way his hands were shaking. He was pretending otherwise, but he was as terrified as she was.
Dani went into Hunter’s arms without resistance, leaning against him, trying to absorb some of his strength. She wasn’t sure how he was holding it together. She wanted to fall apart right there, to curl up in a ball and go to sleep forever.
And if something happened and Kye didn’t pull through…
It should’ve been me.
HUNTER FELT AS THOUGH THERE was a balloon in his chest. It was taking up all the space, making it difficult to breathe. His heart continued to beat, but he wasn’t sure how.
Even when the doctor came out and gave Mr. and Mrs. Sterling the news that Kye had pulled through the surgery and they were keeping him in ICU, the pain hadn’t decreased. He wasn’t sure it would
until he could see Kye for himself, could know the man was going to open his eyes and smile at him one more time.
Last night, they hadn’t allowed anyone back with Kye except for his parents, so the rest of them had remained in the waiting room. Hunter’s parents, his brothers, even Courtney and Max had come for a while. RT and Z had set up in the waiting room as well. According to the doctor, it was now a waiting game.
“Son?”
Hunter peered up at his father. He hadn’t realized the man was standing in front of him.
“Let’s go down and get some coffee.”
Hunter shook his head. He wasn’t leaving. Not until he could see Kye.
His eyes swung over to Dani. She was curled up on a small sofa, her eyes closed. He had gotten her a blanket a short while ago, hating that she might be cold. He didn’t think she was sleeping and if she was, it was only in spurts.
“Come on,” Casper insisted. “We’ll only be gone a few minutes.”
Hunter stared blankly at his father but found himself rising to his feet. Casper stopped in front of RT and said something, but Hunter wasn’t paying attention. The only thing he could think about was Kye, seeing him, touching him, feeling his heart beating under his hand.
He’d been so still, so…cold. No matter how hard he tried, Hunter couldn’t get the image of Kye out of his head. Every time he thought about it, his chest ached. His heart physically hurt.
“Why don’t you take Dani home for a little while,” Casper prompted when they made it to the small coffee shop downstairs.
Hunter peered over at his father. “I’m not leaving Kye. Why would you think I would?”
Casper paid for two large black coffees. “I know this has to be hard for you, son. To see your partner take a bullet.”
Hunter frowned, turning to face his father. “Kye’s not just my partner, Dad.”
Casper’s eyes came to rest on his face, studying him momentarily.
“I love him,” Hunter admitted. “He’s so much more than my partner.”
Casper’s head cocked to the side. “And what about Dani? I thought…”
“I love her, too.” Hunter wasn’t sure he should be revealing so much, but he was past caring at this point. If Kye didn’t pull through, Hunter wasn’t sure what he was going to do. He knew he had to take care of Dani, but he couldn’t picture his life without Kye in it.
“So, the three of you are…in a relationship?”
Hunter squared his shoulders and stared back at his father. “Yes. We are. Do you have a problem with that?”
“Should I?” The hard lines of Casper’s face softened. “Of course I don’t have a problem with it, Hunter. No one has a problem with it.” A small smile formed. “It does explain a hell of a lot, though.”
“Like what?” he asked as he followed Casper over to the stand that held the sugar and creamer.
Casper cast a sideways glance his way. “I’m going to assume that Kye isn’t the first person you and Dani have been in a relationship with?”
Hunter looked at his feet. “No. He’s not.”
“Josh?”
“Yeah.” He met his father’s gaze. “But this is different.”
Casper turned to face him fully, the coffee cups left on the counter. “It’s forever.”
It wasn’t a question and Hunter was thankful his father understood.
“It is.” That familiar pain shot through his heart and Hunter felt as though he would double over.
The next thing he knew, his father’s arms came around him and he was jerked against the older man.
“Ah, hell, son. I know this is hard. Kye’s strong. You know he is. And he’s a fighter.”
Hunter couldn’t speak, emotion clogging his throat. He couldn’t break down. Not here. He had a responsibility to Dani. He had to take care of her, had to make sure she made it through this whole. There was no time for his emotions to grab hold of him.
When Casper released him, Hunter straightened. “I need to check on Dani.”
“Your mother and I will help look after her. We’ve always known she was important. And when she left…” Casper tilted his chin up. “You didn’t take it well. We’re glad she’s back.”
Hunter was happy to hear that. He hadn’t talked to anyone about Dani being back in his life. His entire family had stood beside him when she ditched him at the altar and he knew they hadn’t thought highly of her for the longest time. He was glad to know they could look past it because he loved her.
Casper picked up the two coffee cups. “If you need anything at all, let me know. Your mother and I are here for the duration. We aren’t going anywhere until Kye opens his eyes.”
Hunter nodded. “Thank you.”
“For?”
“Understanding.”
“Son, the only thing a parent wants in the world is for his children to be happy. That’s all that matters. If I could take this pain from you, I certainly would. I would carry the burden, so you didn’t have to. Because I love you.”
His chest constricted, and he couldn’t look his father in the eye. He’d dealt with the pain for so long it had become a part of him. Until he and Dani and Kye had finally accepted what this was. At that point, he’d been whole. For a little while.
He knew that he wouldn’t be whole again until Kye opened his eyes.
NINETEEN
“YOU NEED TO GET SOME rest, baby,” Hunter urged when he joined Dani in Kye’s hospital room three days later. “Let me take you home for a little while.”
Thankfully, Mrs. Sterling had taken pity on Dani and Hunter and the rest of the Sniper 1 crew, informing the hospital that they were to be allowed to see Kye whenever they wanted. Since the moment they said Dani could go back, she hadn’t left his side.
“No,” she said hollowly. “I’m not leaving until he wakes up.”
Dani rested her forehead on her hands as she leaned toward Kye’s bed. She’d been holding his hand, begging him to wake up, to come back to her. She’d napped off and on in the hard chair, waking every time the door opened and a nurse came to check his vitals, which was frequently.
According to the doctor, Kye had been lucky. The bullet hadn’t done any irreversible damage. She said he must’ve shifted at the exact right time, because the bullet hadn’t lodged in his spine, rather nicking one of his lungs and tearing through an artery. The surgery had been touch-and-go, but he’d come through without any issues.
Even with all the good news, Dani knew he wasn’t out of the woods yet. Unfortunately, he hadn’t woken up, and the concern that he never would was growing significantly with every passing day. They had no idea why he was still unconscious, but the doctor assured them he was doing well.
“All right,” Hunter said. “I’m gonna step out for a bit, let Kye’s mother come in and see him.”
Dani nodded but didn’t lift her head.
Hunter leaned down and kissed the back of her head. A few seconds later, the door opened, then closed. Only then did Dani look up.
“Kye,” she whispered, “we need you to come back to us. Me and Hunter…we need you. We need you so much. Please, please, please.”
When Dani heard the door open again, she sat up straight, never letting go of Kye’s hand. She offered a small smile over her shoulder when Mrs. Sterling stepped into the room.
The woman came over and put her hand on Dani’s shoulder. For the past three days, Dani had spent quite a bit of time with Mrs. Sterling, sitting right here in the room with Kye, the two of them holding vigil over him, waiting for him to open his eyes.
“How’re you holding up?” she asked, her voice soft, a hint of exhaustion in her tone.
“I’m not,” Dani admitted. “It’s…it’s like I can’t breathe.”
The other woman squeezed her shoulder gently.
RT had been the one to contact Kye’s parents before they even got Kye to the hospital. They’d been there ever since, along with all four of Kye’s sisters, who continued to come and go, having fam
ilies of their own to deal with. Dani hadn’t spent much time with any of them because she refused to leave the room. She wanted to be there when Kye woke up. And he would wake up, she knew that much. She could feel it in her heart. He was resting, recuperating, but he was going to open those beautiful blue eyes.
“As long as you’re here,” Mrs. Sterling said, “he’s going to fight his way back. So, don’t give up, Danielle.”
“Never,” Dani assured her. “I will never give up.”
Mrs. Sterling walked around to the other side of Kye’s bed. She placed her hand on his arm and smiled down at him.
“Kye told me about you,” Mrs. Sterling admitted. “We didn’t talk all that much, but he texted me at least once a day. Quite a bit over the last few weeks.” She looked at Dani. “He’s been talking about you for so long now, I feel as though I know you.”
Dani tried to force a smile, but it didn’t come. Her eyes remained locked on Kye’s face.
“He also told me about Hunter,” Mrs. Sterling said, her tone careful.
Dani peered over at her, hoping she didn’t give anything away. She had no idea how much Kye’s parents knew about his relationship, and she certainly didn’t want to say anything in the event he didn’t want them to know.
“Kye said he was in love with you both.”
Okay, well. It looked as though Kye didn’t hide from his parents.
Mrs. Sterling smiled as she patted Kye’s arm. “He’s always been tough. His entire life. Even before Toby died. More so after. And he’s a good man. The kind of man who goes after what he wants and never gives up.”
A tear trickled down Dani’s face. “He’s the best man I know.”
“You love him,” she stated.
“I do. With every ounce of my being.”
“He admitted to me that he was worried,” Mrs. Sterling continued. “Worried that because you and Hunter had a history, he would be the third wheel in… Well, I’m not even sure how a relationship like that works, but Kye was happy, so I didn’t question it. But his concern seemed to pass quickly. He was so happy.” Her eyes met Dani’s. “He texted me the day before he was shot. Told me he was ready to settle down and he was intending to do it with you and Hunter.”
Tomorrow's Too Late (Sniper 1 Security, 3) Page 27