Hunter: A Snow White and the Huntsman Variation (Stud Ranch Standalone Romances Book 1)

by Stasia Black

  She’d miss it all.

  And why?

  Because she thought things were so miserable that she couldn’t stand another day of it? Of living in that house with that woman talking down to her and making her feel two inches small?

  God, there was so much more to life! It wasn’t fair! She’d been just a kid. She hadn’t known what choice she was making.

  And now she never would.

  So why? Why show her what she would never have? Why be so fucking cruel?

  “Isobel! Thank God! I finally found you!”

  Isobel had never believed any of the bullshit about how people who committed suicide went to hell but everything she was experiencing was making her question her belief.

  Why else would Catrina be showing up in her afterlife?

  Lightning flashed from all sides. Blood roared in Isobel’s ears. When she focused her energy on Catrina, suddenly she was back in her body and flying toward the bitch.

  Actually flying. Her feet barely touched the ground. Her body defied gravity. She was fucking invincible.

  And she was going to make Catrina pay. She was a fucking superhero and this bitch was finally going down.

  Ding dong, the fucking witch is dead.

  Isobel crashed into Catrina with every ounce of momentum she’d gained, immediately taking her to the ground. Her hands wrapped around her stepmother’s throat.

  As soon as she did, though, Catrina’s face distorted and her eyes started glowing red. Horns sprouted from her temples on both sides of her head.

  “She’s the devil!” Isobel shrieked. “It’s Satan!”

  But then suddenly bands of steel whipped out of nowhere. They wrapped around Isobel from behind and from the left and the right and she was ripped away from her target.

  “No!” Isobel screamed. “It’s the devil! I have to kill it. It has to die! I have to kill it.”

  But the monster that had gotten hold of her wouldn’t let her go. It had so many arms. She fought and clawed but it has so many arms—

  “What the hell is going on here? Isobel?”

  Isobel looked toward the door and there was Hunter. He was bathed in golden light.

  Hunter.

  Sent from heaven. The love she could have had. The future that might have been hers. If it hadn’t been stolen by Satan.

  She roared and threw off the arms that held her back. Then she barreled forward through all the shields surrounding the devil.

  Isobel was already in hell. But she wouldn’t go down without taking Satan with her.

  Chapter 25

  HUNTER

  Hunter had no idea what the hell was going on. He’d hurried back from the farm call as quickly as he could—the cow had milk fever and had just needed a dose of calcium and magnesium. She was up on her feet in no time.

  Then to get back here only to find Liam, Reece, and Jeremiah trying to restrain Isobel, who looked so furious she was about to burst a blood vessel. Not to mention the TV crew and gaggle of reporters that had descended on the bar. They were snapping shot after shot of Isobel like fucking paparazzi.

  His eyes went back to Isobel. She did not look okay. Her face was red and sweaty and she was snarling that she was going to kill someone. The way she was staring at the woman across the room cowering behind several reporters made it pretty clear who.

  Hunter started toward Isobel but all of the sudden, Isobel screeched at the top of her lungs and somehow jerked loose of the guys. She charged at the group of reporters like a raging bull. One of the bastards tried shoving a microphone in her face. “What does it feel like to see your—oh!”

  Isobel shoved him violently aside, clearly trying to get to the tall, statuesque woman behind him.

  Hunter jumped forward as Isobel screamed something that might have been, Satan!

  What the fuck was she on? If one of the guys had given her some goddammed party drug to help her have a ‘good time’ on her birthday, he swore he’d kill the fucker.

  “Bel!” he yelled right as her hands went for the woman’s throat. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her backwards. Her legs flew up and she immediately started thrashing wildly.

  “Satan! Have to kill Satan!”

  He saw how she’d gotten away from the guys earlier. She was using every ounce of strength she had to fight and it was like she didn’t care if she hurt herself to do it. The way she was thrashing, she was likely to dislocate her own arm but it wasn’t stopping her.

  Hunter carried her toward the back wall, all the guys and Mel grouping around him as he went. “Nicholas,” he nodded to the largest man, straining to hold on to Isobel who was still fighting like a hellcat.

  “Bel. Isobel. It’s us. It’s Hunter. You need to calm down, honey.” Hunter tried to flip her around so she was facing him but she just used the opportunity to thrash out and elbow him in the face.

  “Damn.” He grabbed his jaw as Nicholas took hold of Isobel from behind. He crossed her arms over her chest and held them down at her sides like a straightjacket and then gripped her in a backwards bear hug.

  “What happened?” Hunter asked, looking around from one shocked face to the next.

  “I don’t know,” Liam said, jerking a hand through his hair. “One second she was fine, dancing and partying. The next it was like she was hearing voices. Then when her stepmom and the film crew showed up she just freaked the feck out.”

  Hunter’s head jerked around to look at the woman Isobel had attacked. Her stepmother. Who was currently talking to Marie. The Sheriff. And pointing in their direction.

  Shit. “We don’t have much time,” Hunter said. “Did any of you give her any drugs?”

  “Fuck you,” Mack said, stepping into Hunter, eyes cold.

  Hunter wasn’t backing down. He went chest to chest with Mack. “She’s high as fuck on something.”

  “None of us gave her anything,” the dread-lock twin said.

  “Well what has she had to drink since she’s been here?” asked his brother. He looked around at the little group. “Someone could have roofied her drink.”

  “That’s no roofie,” Mack said darkly. “More like fucking meth or angel dust.”

  “They handed her some champagne when she came in but I don’t think she even drank it,” Mel said.

  “It could be food too,” Hunter said. “Something she ate. We ate at the diner a couple of hours ago but I ate off her plate and I’m fine. Did she eat anything here?”

  “Just the pie Nicholas made,” Mel said. “A waiter gave her a piece as soon as she walked in the door.”

  “Did one of you tell him to do that?” Hunter asked.

  Everyone in the group looked around at one another. Isobel had quieted down with a zoned out look on her face. Christ. They needed to get her to a doctor and find out what the hell was in her system.

  Hunter looked at everyone. “So? Did anyone tell the waiter to give her the pie? Were they walking around giving pie to everyone else?”

  “They were handing out champagne to everyone,” Mel said, “but not pie.”

  “You think someone put something in the pie before they gave it to her?” Reece asked, obviously horrified.

  “Pie?” Hunter shook his head in confusion. “Why was there pie anyway?”

  “It was a family tradition,” Jeremiah spoke up. “From when she was a kid. She’d have apple pie for her birthday instead of cake. She told us about it this morning.”

  “So who else would know she always ate pie on her birthday?” Mack asked, anticipating Hunter’s next question. “If that’s how they drugged her?”

  “We were the only ones there,” Mel said, looking around the small circle.

  “No. There’s someone else who would know.” Hunter turned around and looked at Isobel’s stepmother. Marie had finished with her and she was apparently so distraught she just had to talk to one of the reporters. On fucking video.

  “That bitch,” Mel whispered.

  “We’ve got to find the pla
te Iz was eating from,” Jeremiah said. “There are probably traces of whatever she was dosed with.”

  “And find the goddamned waiter, too,” Hunter growled.

  “On it,” Liam said, heading toward the back of the bar.

  Marie strode toward them. Though she was petite with short blonde hair that made her look more like a pixie than an officer of the law, she walked with an air of authoritative confidence. She’d earned the respect of almost everyone in town a couple years ago when she singlehandedly solved one of the most brutal homicides the county had seen in a decade. “Sorry guys, but I gotta take her in. Her stepmother is pressing charges.”

  “The hell you are,” Mack said, stepping between Marie and where Nicholas was still holding Isobel. Nicholas hadn’t let up on his grip, but Isobel had gone limp.

  “She needs a doctor, not a jail cell,” Jeremiah pushed Mack aside. “She’s been drugged. Just look at her.”

  Marie frowned. When she stepped forward to look at Isobel, Mack tried to block her again but Jeremiah shoved him back. The two men glared at each other but Marie ignored both of them. She took out a pen flashlight and shined it in Isobel’s eyes. Isobel flinched from the light but gave no other reaction.

  “She’s on something all right,” Marie said. She stood up straight and looked around at all the tall, intimidating men around her. She only came up to Jeremiah’s chin but she didn’t back down. “But she’s heading to lockup first. Then she’ll receive medical attention.”

  Mack started to interrupt her but she cut him off. “And if any of you so much as think of interfering with an officer of the law, I’ll haul your ass in with her.” She leveled each one of them with a cold stare that dared them to fuck with her.

  Then she turned back to Isobel. “All right, honey. I’m gonna take you in now.” She looked up at Nicholas as she pulled out a pair of cuffs. “Let her go, please.”

  “Are handcuffs really necessary?” Reece asked.

  “Standard protocol for a 10-15 call.”

  “You swear you’ll get her checked out first thing?” Hunter demanded.

  Marie nodded, looking him straight in the eye. “We’ve got Dr. Lucero on call and I’ll get him on the line as soon as she’s in the squad car.

  Hunter huffed out a breath, but letting her go with Marie was probably the quickest way to get her medical attention.

  As soon as Nicholas let go of Isobel, it was like she came back to life. She flew at Hunter, grabbing his face in her hands. “I would have loved you. But you’re not real. Just my beautiful might have been.” She looked so devastated as she said it.

  Hunter grabbed her around the waist. “I’m here. Bel, I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere.”

  But she just shook her head, a tear sliding down her cheek.

  And then Marie was pulling her hands behind her back to put the cuffs on.

  “I’ll get to the bottom of this,” Hunter said fiercely. “I swear.” He kissed her even as Marie finished latching the cuffs and started pulling Isobel away.

  “I swear I’ll fix this!”

  Isobel kept looking back at him as Marie led her out of the bar, hand on her shoulder.

  He wanted to run after them. But what would that accomplish? He’d promised Isobel he’d fix this and he could do more here. Isobel would be safe at the sheriff’s office and the doctor would see to her.

  The reporters and cameramen tried to follow Isobel out the door but Marie barked at them. She handed Isobel off to one of her officers at the door and blocked the rest of the squawking reporters.

  Damn it, he had to fix this. Fast.

  Hunter looked around, then jogged over toward where Liam and Mack were questioning a young guy in a white button up shirt and black slacks. The waiter.

  “Talk or I’ll smash your fucking face in,” Mack said right as Hunter got to them.

  The kid’s face went white.

  Liam rolled his eyes. “Ignore this slap-happy bastard.” He pulled out his wallet. “We can be civilized here.” He took five one-hundred dollar bills out of his wallet and handed them over to the waiter.

  The kid took the money with wide eyes. “That’s way more than she gave me.”

  “Who?” Hunter and the other two asked at the same time.

  “Her.” The waiter pointed at Catrina. “She just said she wanted everything to be special for the lady’s birthday. So I should make sure to give her the piece of pie as soon as she came in the door. Then she gave me the plate of pie and a hundred bucks.” He held up his hands. “And she said it was a surprise so not to say who it was from.”

  “You fucking idiot,” Mack muttered.

  “The pie was dosed with something,” Hunter said. “You helped drug that woman.”

  The waiter’s eyes went wide as saucer’s. “I didn’t have anything to do with that.”

  “Then you better go tell the sheriff everything you just told us,” Jeremiah said, leading the guy by the arm toward Marie, who was still fending off reporters at the door.

  “Sheriff!” the radio at Marie’s hip erupted loud enough to be heard across the bar. “Suspect is out of her cuffs. Attempting to apprehend now.”

  The bar went completely silent for a second.

  And then Marie bolted for the door, the reporters and cameramen right on her tail. Hunter was right behind them.

  “Get out of my way.” He shoved at the people bottlenecked at the door. Shit. He yanked a skinny guy with a huge camera around his neck out of the way and finally made it outside.

  Just in time to see Isobel sprinting down the center of Main Street. A fat deputy trailed her, huffing and losing distance with every step. Isobel was screaming words he couldn’t make out. He immediately took off after her, noting with disgust that the fucking cameraman had set up his tripod and was recording the whole thing.

  Isobel was more than half a block ahead of him and his heart all but stopped when she ran straight to her car.

  “No!” he shouted. “No. Bel. Isobel!”

  But like a nightmare doomed to repeat itself, he watched the woman he loved get into her car and then—

  “Isobel. Stop!”

  Her door slammed.

  It was supposed to happen in slow motion. That was what he’d always heard about moments like this.

  But Christ, no, it was just a blink of an eye and then it was over.

  The engine rumbled to life.

  Then the car jumped forward like she’d stomped the gas. Maybe thinking it was reverse? But it wasn’t. It was in drive.

  The car jumped the curb and ran straight into the front of the diner.

  Glass shattered. All around, people shouted.

  And Hunter ran harder and faster than he ever had in his life.

  Chapter 26

  HUNTER

  They’d had to airlift Isobel to the hospital in Casper. Her injuries had been that severe.

  In her altered state, she hadn’t been clearheaded enough to put on a seatbelt.

  PCP. They found fucking PCP in her bloodwork. Not just a little bit, either. Her stepmother had poisoned her. With her birthday apple pie.

  And it had fucked Isobel up so much that she’d broken the bones in her left hand to get out of the cuffs without feeling a thing.

  Then she’d gotten in her car and—

  Hunter fisted both his hands and leaned against the hospital corridor wall. Blood. There’d been blood everywhere when he got to the car. And his Isobel was lying on the hood like a broken doll, her head and half her torso through the front windshield.

  There was so much swelling on her brain, they’d had to induce a coma. That was four days ago. Now they were waiting for her to wake up. She should have woken up by now. Why the hell wasn’t she waking up?

  The door to her hospital room opened and Hunter jerked his head toward it. It was only Reece coming out, his face somber.

  Still, Hunter couldn’t help asking, “Any change?”

  Reece shook his head. But then he closed
his eyes and took a deep breath in. With a decisive nod, he opened his eyes. “But Izzy’s strong. She’ll make it through this.”

  Hunter didn’t reply. Janine had been strong too. Hunter knew all too well that sometimes it didn’t matter how strong you were or how much you prayed or how fair it was. Death was going to snatch whoever he wanted, whenever he wanted.

  Still, as Hunter walked into Isobel’s room, he caught himself praying, “God, not this time. Not this one.”

  Seeing her so small and pale in her hospital bed hit him straight in the gut just like it always did. It was so wrong. She was supposed to be up, standing toe to toe with him, eyes flashing, calling him on his bullshit.

  He went to her side and sat down in the chair that was rarely left unoccupied. They all took turns sitting with her. Xavier had the kids at home while the other guys took shifts driving back and forth to be here with Isobel and help with the horses.

  Only Hunter and Mel had stayed at the hospital the whole time—though she’d eventually had to get a hotel to sleep at night, what with her being seven months pregnant. She’d offered to get Hunter a room too, but he’d declined. He didn’t mind sleeping in uncomfortable hospital waiting room chairs. He needed to be there the second Bel woke up.

  Because she would wake up. She had to.

  “Hey Bel.” He reached over and took her hand. “They said we should talk to you. Let you hear our voices. That you might be able to hear us even if you can’t respond yet. So I just want you to know I’m here. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”

  He pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed it. Her skin was so cold. He rubbed her hand between his to try to warm it up.

  “Liam just got back from his turn with the horses. Thought you’d like to know that Bright Beauty’s doing real well. Her back legs are healed up almost completely. Dean was begging to ride her so Xavier saddled her up. Liam said she seemed excited to have a rider again. Even if his feet could barely reach the stirrups.”

  Hunter attempted a smile but mostly failed. He kept trying to warm her hand up, then paused and reached over to pull up the blanket that had fallen down to her waist. “Gotta keep warm, honey.”