by Holly Carter
“Simon.”
“Wait, your brother Simon?” Commander says, looking at me than back at Hunter.
“Yes, my dead big brother when I get my hands on him.” Hunter turns to me, and it’s almost like he finally notices me standing there. He walks over to me and Arrow removes his hand from my shoulder.
“Are you okay?” he grabs my face in his hands.
“Fine.”
I pull my head from his grip remembering the reason why I’m pissed at him to begin with. I step away, but Hunter grabs my hand and threads his fingers through mine. I pull my hand but lose the fight before it starts. Of course Commander sees and snarls. But if Hunter saw he is ignoring him. I chose to ignore him too.
“Can we go back inside yet?” Hunter asks, pulling me to stand beside him.
“The area is almost clear, Sir,” the female police offer says, clearly affected by Hunter. She blushes when she calls him that and I fight the urge to punch her even though Hunter has pissed me off. The thought of where he had been tonight haunts me and I want to ask.
Hunter’s phone rings in his pocket and he pulls it out looking at the screen briefly before answering.
“What? No I can’t I’m busy.” Hunter looks to me. “No America, I can’t. Goodbye.”
He puts the phone back in his pocket and leads me back into the palace where Arrow and Commander are talking about the bar.
“I will look into it, but it’s going to cost you, Arrow.” Commander puffs out a breath and Arrow nods his head.
“Anything you want, just find out who did this.” Arrow pats him on the back before he retreats back up the stairs towards the bedrooms.
“You can go back to your business now, ladies and gentleman. Keep flammable away from the area for twenty four hours or until someone comes to fix it,” Commander shouts as Hunter leads me into the bar. “That includes Pussy Kat, Hunter. She’s too hot to handle.” Commander puts his arm out stopping me from entering the bar with Hunter.
“Get your hands off of her,” Hunter growls stepping up to Commander and I give full points to the man for even trying.
“I don’t know who you think you’re stepping up to brother, but it sure as hell ain’t me.” Commander pushes his chest into Hunter’s.
“She is mine, now back the fuck off.”
“Okay boys, it’s time to cool the fuck down. I’m not a puppet; I’m a person. I belong to no one.” I turn to Hunter when I say it. “And don’t try to be the hero, Commander; you’re in someone else’s territory now.”
The men continue their stare down while I am mildly amused by the whole act. Commander breaks first and kisses me on the cheek before he walks out the door leaving Hunter and me standing in the entrance to the bar. Hunter threads his fingers through my hair and grips it, pulling my face to his.
“How do you know him?” he asks his breath on my face.
“Sailor.”
“I don’t like him.”
Well that’s too fucking bad ain’t it...?
“Where were you tonight?” I know it’s dangerous but I ask anyway.
“Out,” he says, letting me go and stepping into the burnt out bar.
The water damage is as bad as they say and I’m half afraid to ask how long it’ll take to fix it. Hunter walks to the wooden bar and runs his hands along the now charcoal top that once said MASTERS & MISTRESSES. I walk over to him and place my hands on his back. He tenses at first but then relaxes as I continue to give him a half assed back rub.
“You go to bed I’ll clean up in here, boss,” Rumbles says walking over to where we are. “I will call the contractors in the morning to get it sorted, so it’s ready by Saturday.”
That’s five days from now and looking around, it’s going to take a fucking miracle to fix this place up to the way it was before. Hunter turns and looks at me.
“Thank Rumbles; I’m going to take Kat to bed.” Hunter never takes his eyes off me when he speaks. I’m not even sure if I want to go to bed after all this drama.
Without any words, Hunter takes me up the stairs and to his room. He instructs me to sit on the side of the bed while he stands in the bathroom doorway, taking his shirt off. I see the marks I left on his back a few nights ago. I smile to myself when I think about someone else, namely slurry mole America, seeing them. That’s whom I think he was with tonight.
“Get on the bed,” he shouts from the bathroom.
I start to crawl onto the bed but stop when he shouts for me to be naked for him. I un-wrap the sheet that covers my nakedness, and throw it on the ground, before climbing into bed and getting comfortable. Hunter walks in moments later, also naked. His body is amazingly good. His defined leg muscles tense as he walks his cock hanging free.
I subconsciously slap myself for even thinking about his equipment at a time like this. I’m pissed with him, and he should be pissed with me after what happened with Simon. The side light switches off as the room turns into darkness. I feel his body wrap around mine the instant he crawls into bed.
“Spread your legs,” Hunter commands while his nose runs along my jaw.
“No.”
I have no idea why I said it, maybe out of guilt or being too pissed off, but I was not in the mood for what he was in the mood for. I felt dirty and used after seeing Simon. It’s the way I used to feel all those years ago, but back then I loved it, hell, sometimes I still think I love it. But he wasn’t what I wanted; he wasn’t even what I deserved.
Hunter trails his hand down to my thigh and spreads my legs the way he wants them. He plummets his fingers inside me and moves them around gently before he stops moving them altogether and just leaves them there. I wait for long minutes for him to make another move but he doesn’t. His light snoring ten minutes later tells me he’s asleep and for some kinky fucked up reason, his fingers in my cunt is his security.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Simon burned down the bar...
I stand rooted on the spot looking at the damage in the daylight. People are everywhere working to clean it up and get it ready to open again in five days’ time. The party on Friday night is a pre-party for the opening ball Hunter is hosting Saturday. People from all over are travelling and Hunter’s reasoning for not shutting it down was simple, “This event has to happen, it’s what marks the times we live in.” Seriously, what the fuck?
Since the fire had basically ripped the heart of the bar out, we aren’t open to the public today. I see Sailor arrive as I was picking up the pieces of broken glass. He doesn’t say anything, just looks at me. Had I missed the memo for hate Kat day? Rumbles wasn’t talking to me either really, but he was the one arranging everything and helping contractors get the bar cleared so they could start working to get it back together.
“The bar piece will be ready in the morning, I’ve had to call in those favours, so guess what you owe me now,” Barry says, laughing as he pats Hunter on the back.
David walks in and straight away asks what needs to be done. He must have returned from the hospital sometime this morning, and he looks great. He looks well rested and fresh. Hunter tells him to sit down and take it easy, but David refuses by asking Barry what’s got to be done. Barry gives him a few instructions and soon David is pitching in and helping. Angel walks in seconds later and drops her coffee on the flood. The cardboard cup is crushed and the contents spills out. It’s like slow motion really, the cup falls, and her hand comes up slowly to cover her mouth, as tears run down her cheeks.
I decide to start at the bar since everything that’s been damaged has been secured or replaced. The glass shelving is still intact and even bottle of alcohol are in one piece. I overheard Rumbles tell Hunter the bar will be fully gutted and restored by the time he got up on Friday morning, and all that would need to be done is for the decorator to come in and spruce the place up to his standards. The exchange between Rumbles and Hunter was manly love. A pat on the back and an exchange of power through a handshake. Those boys are too adorable for one place, I tell you.
I start clearing off the glass shelving. The first shelve starts to crack when I take the alcohol off it, so I call out to James to give me a hand. He holds the shelf while I remove the bottles and put them on the bench.
"Things could be worse, you know.” That voice.
I turned, and was met with Simon.
Simon looked to me than James. Behind me I hear shuffling and then nothing.
Great.
“So where’s my money, Kat?”
Hunter was going to kill him if he saw him here. I look around to make sure Hunter or Arrow aren’t looking before I slap my hand a little too hard over his mouth and lead him into the cellar. The whole time, he continues to talk through my hand, loudly. When we get inside, I push him flat against the wall and slap him, hard.
"What the fuck have you done?" I half scream.
"Why, Kat," Simon says, bringing his hand to my cheek. "I have merely shaken things up around here. You know business."
I step back and hold my throbbing hand, but Simon follows my steps.
“Did you enjoy hitting me?” he asks with a smile so cruel, I am sure my blood is clotting.
His warm hand runs down my cheek, until he grips my neck, tightly. My pulse begins to race and could be heard in my ears. My body responds to him and that is not good. This was not happening. He brought his face close to my face, his lips brushing slightly against mine. As he shifts closer, his hard body presses against mine slightly, caging me against the wall.
"I did as you asked, and you did what you told me you wouldn't." I say, stepping back but having nowhere to go but against the wall.
“Oh Kat, what I say and what I do are two different things, you should know that by now.”
“Let me go.” I beg, his grip tightens.
Simon says nothing.
I instantly regret everything.
With my back firmly against the rack of wines, my hands go up in defence.
"It's a little late to be scared now, don't you think?" Simon says his teeth graze the soft tissues of mine.
The dominant bitch that I am kicks in.
"I'm not scared of you," I say, smiling." I'm merely shaking things up."
With that, I firmly plant my knee in his groin and Simon lets me go, bending down to cup his prized possession. I don’t look back when I run the hell out of there.
I was falling.
Falling apart at the seams and everything that I had hidden falls into the future. The urge to hurt someone is so strong. Adrenaline curses through my veins and I’m not able to find the medium I had once found to sooth the aches.
I ball my hands into fists, trying to take control. My breathing is erratic; my pulse is raging. The band breaks, sending shivers racking though my body. Each word Simon had ever said to me hits those pockets filled with hope, dreams, and then nothing...
As rage over takes those emotions, I pick up the first thing I see, which is the glass shelving and throw it at the wall. Glass flies everywhere. Empty bottles of liquor are next to go. Each time the glass hits the walls, shards fly everywhere. The paintings that once hung on the wall are now in pieces on the floor. That submissive girl in the photo doesn’t look so submissive now.
With tears streaming down my face, I clear off the bench with a swoop of my hand. Glasses, bottles, racks, anything in my path, crashes to the floor.
I’ve fucking lost it.
I drop to the floors amongst the debris. I can feel bits of glass cut into my skin but I don’t care. I need to not feel this, anything but this.
“Holy, fuck, Kat.” Hunter’s voice is rough, and edgy.
My hands cover my face, to hide my shame I suddenly feel.
Hunter’s arms grip around me instantly. I don’t want him to touch me. I don’t want anyone to touch me. In my mind, all I feel are his hands...The hands I don’t want to feel.
“Get away from me,” I scream, as I try struggling out of his grip.
“I’m not letting you go.”
The crunching of glass rings in my ears, and I’m momentarily aware of the pain in my legs. As Hunters arms pick me up, I try to resist. When I’m unsuccessful, my body just lays limp in his arms. With my eyes closed and my sobs still racking my body, I have no idea where we are going.
“What the fuck?” I hear Sailor.
But I don’t open my eyes.
I don’t want him to see me.
Not like this.
If I can’t see the world, the world can’t see me.
Right?
No, wrong.
“Go get the first aid kit from my office. Now,” Hunter yells to Sailor.
“What the fuck happened, Hunter?” Sailor’s voice is urgent, aggressive almost.
“I don’t fucking know, okay. Just, fuck,” Hunter roars in response.
The echo of footsteps tells me we are travelling down the hall. My body shifts in Hunter’s arms, and then I hear a crash. The door is thrown open with such force it bounces off the wall. It wouldn’t surprise me if there weren’t a hole there later.
“Hang in there, gorgeous girl.”
Once again my body shifts, and the sound of water is running. I don’t have time to think about anything before my body is under the cool water. Hunter hasn’t let me go. In my mind, I see Hunter in his crisp suit shirt and pants now ruined with soaking water. I groan as the coldness hits my sensitive legs, then the stinging pain hits.
I adjust myself slightly, trying to exit Hunter’s grip. But he just continues to hold me tighter. My back is to his front and I feel secure, but so open. I don’t want to be open, not to anyone. I was weak and tired. My head rolled to the side as it rested on Hunter’s shoulder, his shirt sticking to my cheek.
“Let me go, please.” I beg, quietly.
“No,” it comes out as a whisper, but I hear it.
I sob and don’t care who sees me anymore. I hear Arrow’s voice and Hunter’s growl, as curses from him fill the air. I go into subspace, where no one can hurt me, or see me. I don’t want anyone’s pity, I want them all to leave me, to fall apart alone, but alone just isn’t an option anymore.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
I spent two days in bed after my meltdown and what a fucking melt down it was. Sailor demanded that Hunter call the doctor to come and check me over and when Hunter refused, Sailor took it upon himself to do so. The doctor said I was burnt out and needed rest. Thank fuck he didn’t say I was hiding secrets and needed to spill my guts to the world. I know I should have told Hunter about Simon, but I couldn’t. It would mean I would have to explain my past to get to the present and I don’t think he or I were completely ready for that yet.
Everyone took turns in keeping me company over the next few days. First it was Angel. She is a ball of fun when required to look after someone... not. Her constant fussing over me drove me fucking insane, hence why I sent her on a wild goose chase in the city just to get her the fuck away from me. She was also fluffing my pillows, or tucking me under the sheets, or bringing me food. I didn’t want food; I wanted peace.
Arrow was next. Every time he opened his mouth it was with an apology for what he had done. I don’t know how many times I reassured him it was my fault, not his. He told me Hunter threatened to kill him if he touched me like that ever again and before Arrow could respond, Hunter had punched him. I talked to Arrow about Reyner, but he said he hadn’t seen her for a few days because she was busy with final exams. He believed it just as much as I did. She was avoiding him. My time with Arrow was basically me counselling him on relationships, something I knew nothing about, but I pretended.
Oh my god, Rumbles. Now that was fun. We ended up sparing several times during the day, most of which turned into pillow fights. Rumbles decided to bare his soul and show me the fighting videos when he used to fight for a living. He was fucking good. But of course, I was better. The thought alone made me laugh. He just has this huge heart and you can’t help but make a place for him in yours.
David came to visit a few ti
mes, mostly to sneak me Gin because I wasn’t supposed to drink with the antibiotics the doctor had given me for the several stitches I received. David told me he found Simon in the Cellar and threatened to tell his brothers he was there, if he didn’t, and I quote, “fuck off and never come back.”
Hunter came in and held me every night while I slept and told me about the days he had. He got me into the shower and washed me, and fed me because I couldn’t feed myself... kidding. I could, but he chose to treat me like a mental case. I guess I was a little. I cried at night while I listened to Hunter sleeping and the reasons where un-fucking explainable. I cried because I missed my parents even though they weren’t my parents at all. I cried because I had to leave soon and the sinking feeling in my heart grew worse. I also cried for Simon...for the person he had become.
I woke up on the Friday morning to watch Hunter get dressed. When he was in the shower I had gone in to pee without thinking anything of it; I mean, when you have to go to have to go, right? Hunter looked at me like I was an alien invading his personal space. I had told him it was my bathroom and I could pee any fucking time I liked. He did try to get me in the shower after that, but I couldn’t do it. I had told him my body was aching and I needed to rest some more. He reluctantly let me go and I crawled back into bed. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out again until I woke to a naked body in front of me.
While I perved, Hunter dressed and talked about his meetings for the day. He was going to see the lawyer and wanted me to stay in bed, but told me if I was good, I could attend the party tonight. He struggled to do up his tie so I crawled to the end of the bed and told him to turn around so I could do it for him. He turned and I grabbed his tie concentrating on my task.
“I will get David to bring you some breakfast, I want you to eat,” Hunter says, as I loop the tie and pull.
“I can get it, I’m not...”
“Please, rest for me.”
I tighten his tie and let it drop. I smooth the fabric before looking up at him and smile.
“All done.”
Hunter tips my chin with his fingers and his mouth finds mine. His tongue works with mine in a gentle coaxing motion. My hands thread through his hair in an attempt to bring him closer. His arm supports my body as he lowers me onto the bed with his body coming down to cover mine. I shift my body under his, so he nestles between my thighs. My mind catches my conscious and breaks out from the becoming heated kiss.