by Black, Lena
“What does that mean exactly?”
“It means, I will do everything in my power to protect and keep you safe from anything or anyone who seeks to harm you. I will do what I must.”
That tingle creeps back up my spine, chilling me to the bone. Just then, Liam calls out, “Sir?”
“We’re in the bedroom. Meet me in my office,” Hunt orders.
“I guess I should let you go take care of business,” I say, attempting to shift off him, but his hold is tight.
“Or you can come with me into the office and tell Banks what happened.”
My eyes shoot up to his, wide with shock. “You want me to join you?”
“If you’re more comfortable staying here…”
“No, I want to join you.”
“Excellent,” he says with a pleased grin. “Now, take a quick shower, throw something on, and meet us in my study in ten minutes.”
“Yes, sir,” I reply with a salute and jump off his lap, bolting for the bathroom. I hear him laughing to himself, amused by my overenthusiasm.
I jump in and out of the shower in a flash and grab a soft yellow sundress from the closet, tossing it on as I make my way to his office. When I make it there, Hunt is pacing back and forth while Banks studies a file.
When they spot me, Banks rises from his chair with a pleasant, welcoming grin, and Damian strides over to me, kissing me tenderly on the forehead. “Are you feeling any better, angel?”
“Yes, much,” I reply up to him, smiling softly.
“That’s my resilient girl…Yellow is a fetching color on you, Elle. You are my light,” he whispers, giving me another peck on my temple. “Come, have a seat in my chair, and tell us what happened.”
He guides me to his chair and pulls it out for me to take, which I do happily. He grabs the guest chair from the other side of the desk, placing it next to mine, and sits beside me.
I clear my throat, nervous by their intense eyes plastered on me. “Well, I woke up to my phone ringing and didn’t recognize the caller’s number. I answered, but no one replied. I could hear their breathing on the other end, so I know someone was listening. I got this awful feeling, like the night of the attack, and I knew it was him…I just know it.”
“Do you think we can track the number down, Banks?”
“If he didn’t call from a burner phone, I think we can, but I doubt he would be dumb enough to give us any idea of his location…I will check on it immediately.”
“Excellent,” Hunt says, nodding his head at Liam. “Was there anything else, Elle? Is this the first time he tried to contact you?”
“No, nothing…This was his first attempt. Other than the apartment, I haven’t seen or heard from him. Do you think it’s because we’re back together? Do you think he knows?”
“He must know we’re back together. It’s not as if we’ve been quiet about it and the paps are everywhere. I’m sure they’ve gotten a few shots of us about town.”
“Oh, Damian, maybe we should’ve stayed away from each other, or, at the very least, stayed quiet about it.”
“No, we made the right choice, Gabrielle,” he assures, taking my hand in his. “Though, you may be right about lying low.”
“I think that’s an excellent idea,” Liam chimes in, and Hunt nods at him.
“Gabrielle, I need to take care of a few things, and it may take me some time. Would you like to have lunch with the girls while I handle some business?”
I haven’t seen Jules or Sloan in ages, and I miss them terribly, but I don’t want to leave his side, not now. “I think I should stay here with you.”
“I’ll be fine…Liam will escort you and the girls wherever you wish to go.”
“Damian,” I murmur, ready to argue, but spot the look in his eyes and decide against it. “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea.”
“That’s my girl. Now, get ready, and I will make the arrangements.”
We rise, and he kisses me on the temple before patting my butt and sending me on my way.
At one, I arrive at the Palace of Fine Arts for a picnic with Jules and Sloan. It’s a massive rotunda and pergola, constructed in the Greco-Roman style architecture, set in a charming park with a huge, swan-filled lagoon. It’s absolutely enchanting at night, like a mystical garden in some tragic Greek folklore.
I spot Sloan’s Kool-Aid red hair from across the lagoon. She’s sitting on a bench with Jules. I make it over to them, with Liam trailing not far behind me. They spy me walking near and jump up, hauling ass over to me.
“Ellie!” they shout in unison, slamming into me and smothering me with hugs and kisses.
“Hey,” I giggle out.
When we pull away from each other, Jules states with an exaggerated pout, “We’ve missed you so much.”
She pauses, her glittering violet eyes wide and plastered behind me. I turn to look at Liam and then back at her with a this-is-awkward look on my face.
“Hunt wants to keep a close eye on me,” I explain.
“Why?” Sloan asks, peering back at him with those big, curious amber eyes.
“It’s complicated,” I retort, twisting my fingers together anxiously.
“Boy, I’m starved. What did you get us?” I ask, attempting to distract them from my tagalong.
“We got you a Caesar salad and ice tea,” Jules answers, with her eyes firmly set on Liam. I think I spot a smirk on her face, but it fades when she notices me watching her.
“Yum,” I say, rubbing my stomach.
We walk over to a group of benches just under the enormous dome and take a seat on one, digging in. Liam stands watch off to the side, and Jules walks over to him and offers him half of her sandwich, which he takes appreciatively. I’m sure Hunt would have something to say about him eating on the job, but I love that he’s willing to let his guard down around me.
Jules heads back over to us and takes a seat, biting into her sandwich, smiling to herself. She seems to be in her own little world, which I’ve never seen before, even with Chase. While we’re chomping away at our lunch, I realize she keeps sneaking peeks over at Liam, and he smirks back at her, but it fades instantly when he spots me. She glimpses at me with a bright pink face. She never blushes.
What the…? What the fuck is going on?
“I have some news,” she announces. Sloan and I stop eating, turning our attention on her. “I started seeing someone a while back.”
“Oh, Jules, that’s wonderful!” Sloan exclaims.
Jules turns a deeper shade of pink and steals another glance at Banks.
“Jules, who are you seeing?” I ask with a curious panic in my voice.
“Liam,” she answers in a mumbled whisper.
My jaw falls to the floor and my eyes shoot open. My first thought is Hunt and his feelings on my friends dating his employees. Then, I see the look of utter happiness on her face, and suddenly, what he thinks doesn’t matter anymore. I grin warmly at her.
“That really is wonderful,” I congratulate, returning her face-splitting grin.
“So, then, can we ask him to join us?” she asks with an anxious gleam in her eyes.
“Of course,” I reply, waving him over.
Jules jumps up, running into his arms and kissing him square on the lips.
“I guess this means she’s over Chase?” Sloan asks, leaning into me but keeping her eyes on the happy new couple.
“I guess so,” I answer, also watching them embrace. “I’ve never seen her like this before.”
Sloan looks at me with a wrenched, confused look on her face. “Right? She must be really into him.”
“It appears that way. I’m glad. It was about time for her to move on from Chase. He was never going to break.”
“What’s going on with him anyway?” Sloan inquires before her ruby red lips, which are brilliant against her alabaster skin, go in for another bite of her lunch.
“I think he likes Maya, but…”
“But, he’s still confused about hi
s feelings for you,” she states, finishing my sentence.
“Did everyone know he liked me?”
“Yeah, we all knew, but you were in such denial about him.”
“Well, I’m not anymore,” I utter.
“So…He kissed you,” she says, avoiding eye contact and playing with her salad. “Did you work everything out?”
“We had a nice chat. We haven’t had the chance to talk much more and still have things to figure out between us, but I think everything will go back to normal.”
Jules and Liam walk up to us, hand in hand. It’s really kinda fabulous to see her so happy. They are a beautiful couple.
“It must be a real bitch to keep this from Hunt,” I remark, smirking wickedly up at Liam.
“You have no idea,” he chuckles, and his steel eyes light up. I think it may be the first time I’ve ever heard him laugh. It’s endearing.
“I don’t think he needs to know just yet, do you?”
“No,” he says, shaking his head, “with everything on his plate, I don’t think that would be the wisest decision.”
“Then, it’s our little secret…Now, sit down and have lunch with us. You can watch out for me just as well from the bench.”
“Thank you,” Jules mouths to me, and I smile up at her. She takes a seat beside him and asks, “Why are you watching out for Ellie?”
He glances at me, unsure of what to say, so I step in. “I’m being stalked by Hunt’s brother, Dante.”
“What?!” they shout, and it echoes about the dome.
“I left Damian because his brother attacked me.” It’s becoming easier to say it, but Hunt might suggest that it’s because I detach myself. “He threatened him, and I made a choice. I only just found out that he’s been stalking me for years.”
“Ellie,” Jules whispers, her voice wrenched from shock, while Sloan stares with her large doe eyes.
“Yeah, it’s all pretty messed up…But, Hunt and Liam have everything under control. Isn’t that right, Liam?”
“Yes, she’s in good hands,” he assures, smiling and nodding at her.
“Jesus, Ellie, that’s just wrong,” Sloan says, tucking a chunk of cherry red hair behind her ear.
“Yep,” I say, picking at my salad. I desperately want to tell about Nicholas’ murder, but I don’t want it to raise more questions, or worse, have her blame me for it. After all, if Dante killed him because he was my ex-lover, I am to blame. I want to tell her, but this is neither the time nor place for that conversation.
“So, how long has this been going on?” I inquire, pointing my finger between them.
“I suppose it started that night when we all went to the club. I was really depressed about Chase and Maya, and we got to talking. We talked for about a month before he asked me on a date, and we’ve been together ever since.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Sloan asks.
“Well, with all the tension between Hunt and Elle, it didn’t seem right.”
“Jules,” I murmur, “you should never hesitate to tell me anything. I’m happy for you now and I would’ve been happy then. You know that.”
“Thanks, Ellie. I was freaking about what you’d think.”
“Your happiness is all that matters to me…And Liam is the worst guy you could choose,” I say in a sardonic, teasing manner. They both grin broadly at me. “But, now you have to worry about what Mr. Boss Man thinks about it.”
“We’ll cross that rickety bridge when we come to it,” Liam responds.
“I think you should let me tell him. I can soften the blow.”
“I bet you can,” Sloan retorts, flexing her brow and nudging my shoulder with hers.
“Why are all my friends such pervs?”
“Water finds its own level. Show me your friends and I’ll show you who you are.” Sloan smarts off, grinning proudly at herself.
“Oh, shut up. Who asked you?”
By the time I get home, it’s time to eat dinner and ready for our trip up to the Montgomery’s vineyard in Napa. I’m really looking forward to spending the weekend with them and maybe recoup from everything that has happened.
After dinner, we head upstairs and begin packing. I finish before Hunt and decide to help him pack the rest of his stuff. I love the normalcy of this moment, how he looks folding his shirts and stuffing them into his luggage. He glances up at me from counting his socks and boxer-briefs and smirks softly when he spots me admiring him in the ordinary moment. I think he realizes it, too.
He turns to me and leans in for a sweet kiss on the lips, taking me gently into his arms and holding me there while we smile stupidly at one another. He releases me after one more quick peck and asks, “Would you get my dark blue tie from the closet? It should be in the top drawer near my hanging belts.”
“Of course I will,” I reply, smacking him roughly on the rear and giving it a firm squeeze. He glimpses back at me with an elevated browed and a kinked smirk. I return one and head into the closet.
“You just want me for my body,” he states teasingly, and I burst out into laughter, shaking my head.
I turn back to him before I enter our small boutique and reply, “Oh, no, baby. I want you for your fat wallet, too.”
I give him an overly exaggerated smile, and he chuckles. “Go get the tie, smartass.”
I giggle as I head into the closet and over to his drawers. I open the first one near the hanging belts and find the dark blue tie tucked away under an array of colors. When I pick it up, I notice the corners of a few photos peeking out from under the green tie below it. I hesitantly pick them up, as I wouldn’t want Hunt to find me snooping, and stare down at it in shock.
The first is of a woman, but she isn’t tied up, or being flogged, or sexually displayed. It’s a picture of Vanessa with her fiery hair fanned out around her, lying in a bed of white crumbled sheets, while she smiles and rubs her belly, rounded with Hunt’s child.
The next one shatters me. It’s her very pregnant tummy, exposed and smooth, while Hunt kneels beside her, tenderly kissing and caressing his unborn child. With his eyes shut and face serene, he pours his love, hopes, and dreams into his child, a future that would never come.
I stand there, stunned and sorrowful, but it turns to jealousy. I become upset by the sight of this woman, girl really, experiencing something I realize only now, I truly want. Then, I feel an emotion that rattles me to my core, relief, relief that she hadn’t taken away the opportunity to have Hunt’s firstborn child. This disgusting thought followed immediately by depression and hatred for myself. I know what had to happen in order to make that a possibility, and it kills me that I feel the way I do. I’m a terrible, sick human being.
“Elle?” Hunt calls out.
I climb myself out of the pit as best as I can, but it isn’t much.
“Yeah, I’ll be…right there,” I manage to choke out and shove the pictures back where I found them, slamming the drawer shut. I take a shaky breath, clenching his tie in my hands, and head back out to him.
I haven’t spoken more than a few lousy words since I found those damn photos, and Hunt seems to be catching on to my mood shift. We aren’t too far from his parents’ house, driving down a narrow county road, and there’s a sweet smell in the warm night air.
We’re in the Spyder with the wind whipping through our hair, when he finally says, “You haven’t said much this entire ride up. What’s wrong, angel? Why are you so quiet?”
I shrug my shoulders and stare out at the blackness surrounding us.
“Gabrielle, I’ve worked really hard to open up to you, so will you do the same for me?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I mumble.
“You really can be a stubborn brat, Elle.”
I whip around, glaring at him with rage flushing my cheeks, and reply in a huff, “I’m stubborn…? You want to know what’s bothering me?”
“Yes, I do,” he says.
“Fine! I found your pictures of Vanessa, pregnant and happ
y, with you. I know I shouldn’t have touched them, and you’ll probably punish me for it, but seeing that was more of a punishment than you could ever inflict on me…It was torture.”
“Why?” he inquires through razor sharp lips.
“I don’t know. I was curious I suppose.”
“No…Why was it torture?”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I whimper as tears fill the edges of my wide eyes, and before I can think much about my next words, I blurt out, “I love you, Damian. I want to be the mother of your children. I want to make you happy like that, me, not her. I want to be…”
His eyes shoot to mine. I’m not sure what he’s thinking or feeling. He just stares with an unsteady gleam in his eyes, concealing whatever lurks behind.
Chapter Twenty
The Wrong Hands
Suddenly, the car turns off the road, coming to a jolting halt in the dirt alongside it. Hunt rips his seatbelt off, nimbly climbing out and striding about the car to my door. While I stare with confusion and a bit of fear, he swings it open wide and leans over me, quickly unbuckling my seatbelt, then snatches up my hand in his to haul me out of my seat.
He drags me to the hood of the car, turns me around to face it, and bends me over, flipping my skirt up and ripping my panties down to my ankles. I can hear the clinking of his belt buckle and the gravelly sound of his feet moving on the dirt as he readies himself.
“No, Hunt, please don’t…” I clench together, ready for a severe spanking, but, instead, his cock plunges into me with one swift thrust of his hips. I gasp, desperately clawing at the hood of the car. He pulls out and slams himself back in to the sack, causing it to slap against my clit. He continues this rough, slow, deep attack on my aching cunt, gradually picking up the pace until he’s going at me like a fucking wild animal. I bounce and scream with pleasure as he takes me so completely, fucking me in front of the headlights so our shadows cast out along the road. I feel the warmth of the engine against my flesh as I slide across the hood.
He grasps at my ponytail and yanks sharply with a growl, keeping at me with a relentless, rolling rhythm. His stressed breath brushes across my neck, his thighs slap against the backs of mine, and his body seems to stiffen.