by Nicole Fox
Hunter reached over and clapped his hand on Nicholas’s shoulder. “Thanks, man. And if you ever want training for how to be better in these types of situations, you know who to call.”
“I hope to never be in anything like that again, but thanks.”
They pulled up to Vanessa’s apartment complex. Hunter ran inside and up to her door. He knocked and waited. When she opened the door, she exclaimed in surprise and jumped into his arms.
“How are you here?” she asked.
He kissed her and squeezed her tight. “Nicholas,” he said, turning to face the man.
Vanessa gave Nicholas a quick hug. “It worked? Thank you!”
Nicholas left shortly after to give them time alone. But they agreed, they owed him one for Hunter not only being able to post bail, but being the one to actually put up the money. They both seemed to have forgiven him of all prior wrongdoing.
When they sat down to dinner that night, just Vanessa, Opal, and him, it felt like every second was precious, borrowed time. He could be sitting in a mess hall with hundreds of criminals, fighting over nasty food, but instead he was here, eating the delicious meal Vanessa had prepared.
He slept fitfully that night, even with Vanessa by his side. His mind kept bringing back his arrest and Jeremy’s murder, and his dreams were full of lies. Jeremy killing Vanessa and Opal, Jeremy killing him first, and then him being locked up forever and Vanessa moving on. In one particularly cruel dream, Vanessa came to see him in jail to say she was pregnant, but was going to marry Nicholas and tell everyone it was his kid instead of Hunter’s. He woke up from each dream having to reassure himself of reality, and then hold Vanessa close as he drifted back to sleep.
In the morning, he made a decision. He still had money saved from his past jobs. He got up early thanks to his most recent nightmare, and got on the computer in Vanessa’s living room. He looked through site after site before he found just the right thing. He made a phone call, then waited for her to wake up.
“I want to take you somewhere today,” he said to her as she made coffee.
“Okay, sure.”
Once they had showered, eaten, and dressed, they got into the car and he drove to the location. They pulled up to an adorable house—white siding and a wooden fence, cute landscaping, and plenty of room to play in the backyard.
Vanessa looked at the “For Sale” sign, then over at him. “Who’s house is this?”
“Ours if you want it.”
Her mouth dropped open. “But, how…”
“Let’s go see it.”
He held her hand and Opal’s as they walked up the front steps to meet the realtor. They went room by room, and he loved the excited look in Vanessa’s eyes.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered to him at one point. “And so big.”
When she’d seen the whole place, he asked her privately, “Do you want it?”
“I can’t afford this place on my salary.”
“I know. That’s why I’m paying cash for it. There will be no mortgage, and your salary should cover the other bills just fine if I’m… not here to pay them.”
She squeezed his hand. “Don’t say that. You’ll be here.”
“Is that a yes, then?”
She closed her eyes and let out a small squeal. “I love it.”
“I love you.”
He explained to the realtor that they would pay full asking price in cash, and wanted to move in as soon as possible. The realtor would call after talking to the sellers, but Hunter wasn’t worried. Who wouldn’t take a full-price offer, and in cash with no hassle of mortgage companies to deal with?
Opal excitedly talked about how she would decorate her new bedroom in pink and kitty cats as they drove back to the apartment.
“Oh, can we have a real kitty?” she asked, her face twisted into a deep plea.
“I think so,” Vanessa said, looking at Hunter.
“Just one? I thought maybe we’d have a couple. Maybe a dog, too.”
“Really?” Opal squealed in delight and went on talking about the new house and her future dog. She had named them all many times over during the short ride. He hoped that “Lollipop” didn’t stick as a name.
That night, he had no trouble falling asleep. Knowing that Vanessa and Opal—his two greatest loves—would have a new place to live, a place without the horrible memories of all that had happened in the apartment, a place they could heal and grow together, gave him tremendous comfort.
They spent their days preparing. Once the offer was accepted, it was time to pack and buy new furniture. In no time, their days became filled with house details, and moving took over everything. Hunter felt like a family man in every sense. He walked through the building supply store, picking out appliances and curtains with his woman by his side and her daughter, and he almost laughed. Never did he think this would make him happy. Being part of a family, being able to see himself taking food from the fridge they had just purchased. It was a dream coming true that he’d never before dreamed.
At night, when he curled up in bed with Vanessa, they made love or simply talked. He tried to comfort her as best he could, but they both knew he could be going away soon. Tonight, he ran his fingers over her forehead as she let silent tears drip down her face.
“It’ll be okay,” he said. “I’ll get off on self-defense and the nightmare will finally be over. Jeremy can’t hurt you anymore. After this trial, we’ll never have to think about him again. We can pretend like he never even existed.”
“I like that idea.” She closed her eyes.
# # #
Vanessa enjoyed the feel of Hunter’s fingertips on her skin. His presence and words soothed her to an extent. But he could only do or say so much. The worry built in her every day. While they were in the process of moving, she’d been able to put things aside. But now that they were mostly settled in their new house, her fears returned.
They’d talked with lawyers about how the trial would go. It was still weeks away, but the time was going too fast. She wanted it to be over, but she was terrified that Hunter would be gone when it was. That wasn’t the only thing keeping her up at night, though.
His lawyer said she should testify. If she did, she worried that Jeremy’s family might retaliate. She’d been afraid of them enough as it was before she knew they were part of the mob. But even if the cops knew Jeremy was involved in that level of crime, how could they stop his family from coming after her if they were alive and walking the streets doing their crimes? They might kill her or take Opal and start the nightmare all over again.
But if she didn’t testify, it could hurt Hunter’s case. And she’d do anything she could to make his case strong. She needed him to be here with her and Opal. Needed him as part of their new family. How could she refuse to testify, knowing it could hurt him, and by extension her and Opal? She couldn’t.
So she wrestled. For weeks she had, since the lawyer first suggested she take the stand in the court room. But now she was realizing she really had no choice. She had to stop worrying so much. Stop being suspicious over every person and every little noise she heard. Stop living on the edge. Stop giving Jeremy the power to still make her fearful and suspicious of everyone she came across in her life.
She had found love in Hunter. She had her daughter and a new house. Even if she couldn’t be absolutely sure they were safe, Jeremy was gone. The real threat had been buried. It was time for her to stop worrying, to stop seeing everyone as a threat and trust the lawyer when he said that she wouldn’t be in any danger if she testified. If Hunter could be so sure and so full of hope, then she could be, too. He didn’t see any problem with her testifying, and if anyone was trying hard to keep her safe, it was him. So she had to trust him, too.
“I think I can do it,” she said.
“What’s that?”
“I can testify for you.”
“I thought you were afraid,” he said.
“Well, I realized that I have to start trusting and
having hope at some point. If you can do it, and you think it’s okay, then I have no reason not to go ahead and do it.”
“You’re sure?” he asked. “You’re going to sit up on the stand and tell the world what Jeremy did to you and Opal?”
She nodded. “And to you. He hurt you, too.”
“And you’re really okay with doing that?”
She smacked his arm lightly. “Don’t talk me out of it.” She giggled.
“I’m just making sure. I don’t want to you to do this only because you think I want you to. I want you to really be okay with it.”
“I am. Really.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Vanessa
The weeks passed quickly and they found themselves in the trial. Vanessa sat now, too hot, too nervous, in the witness stand. The room in front of her seemed to be filled with malicious people, all ready to hurt her.
No, she reminded herself, they’re not. It’s okay.
Then she looked again and saw Mari, who smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up. Nicholas sat near her, and he, too, gave an encouraging smile. This was going to be fine. This was all for Hunter. She pictured going home with him after the trial and letting their lives start for real. That was the picture she had to keep in her mind in order to keep going and not run out of the room.
The trial so far had been horrible. She’d sat with Mari and Nicholas in the seats, where they both sat now watching her. She’d seen photo after photo of dead bodies being displayed, heard prosecutors talk about Hunter like he was ruthless killer. Then Hunter’s lawyer tried to defend him and show a true picture of who Jeremy was. Every time the prosecution’s lawyer talked about Jeremy, he tried to paint him as some harmless victim. It made her sick. And now was her chance to make it known what Jeremy was really like, what a monster he really was and had been for years. What a nightmare he’d made their lives and how they’d had no escape from it without Hunter.
Hunter’s lawyer had advised her for hours on what she should say, how she should answer the prosecutor’s questions. They’d even practiced this part, going over which questions he would ask and which questions they thought the other side might ask. Now was her time to put it all into action. She was sworn in and ready to go.
“Ms. Powers, can you tell us how you came to know Hunter Perrin?” the prosecutor asked.
“Sure.” She smiled and took in a breath. “He was hired by my ex-husband to kill me. He put himself in my path to get to know me, to be in a better position to accomplish that task.”
“So, you admit that Hunter Perrin is a hit man as a profession?”
“Yes, he was. I think that’s pretty clear from the surveillance footage.”
He gave her a stiff smile. “It is. Has Mr. Perrin ever confessed to you that he’s committed murder?”
“Yes. He was convicted of that murder and served ten years. Likewise, he did confess that he’s done other hits in the past. But he’s not on trial for those.”
“Correct. Ms. Powers, I’m merely trying to establish his character.”
“I can expand on his character, if I may.” She waited for the prosecutor to respond.
“Okay.” He crossed his arms.”Go ahead.”
“Hunter has been a murderer and a hit man, but he also has a conscience. He never kills someone who doesn’t deserve it. That might not make it okay to take a life, but if he told you the people he’s taken out, you’d seen that it’s done more good for society than bad. I know he looks like nothing more than a felon, but he’s much more than that. He’s a hero, a savior, and an unfailing friend.
“He warned me when I was in danger, even though he’d been paid to kill me. He stepped in to save my daughter and me, and he put his own life and freedom on the line for our sakes. When he found out the truth about Jeremy, and about me, he would never kill me. But he also saw that Jeremy was an abuser who was trying to take a child from her loving mother and put her in a harmful situation. And he sacrificed himself to make sure my daughter stayed safe.
“Each of the men who are dead, whose photos have been on display, were men who ruthlessly came after me, my daughter, my friend, and Hunter. They shot at us, and they killed two innocent people—Mari’s parents. They drugged me and beat me, they kidnapped me and my daughter and threatened to kill her before my eyes as they pressed a gun to her head. Hunter was the one who defended us and protected us. He was the one risking everything for our sake. Everything he did, every life he took, was in self-defense, and in our defense. And that’s who Hunter Perrin is. A protector and defender to the victims of domestic abuse.”
The prosecutor looked at her, then the judge. “No further questions.”
She wasn’t sure what that meant. Did he not know how to respond, or did that mean she’d gone too far and said the wrong thing?
Hunter’s attorney stood up next. He walked over to her. “Thank you, Ms. Powers, for your honest assessment of Mr. Perrin.”
She nodded.
“Can you tell us now, what Jeremy Beale, your ex-husband was like? Explain why you feel Hunter acted in self-defense.”
Vanessa went into full detail of what her life with Jeremy had been like. It was painful at times, to admit to the way he’d treated her and to feel like she was ashamed of it, of staying with him for so long. But she had no choice. She’d been told before that she had to make Jeremy look like every bit the monster he was.
“Hunter saw the photos,” she continued. “And I told him about everything I told you. Jeremy had hired him to kill me, so that was a pretty clear indicator to Hunter that Jeremy wanted to harm me. Then all the men who followed us and shot at us, us being kidnapped, and being shot at again, being drugged. I think when you consider all of that, it’s easy to see that Jeremy would not have stopped until I was dead, or Hunter, or Opal, or all three of us.”
“Thank you, Ms. Powers.” He gave her a small smile and she was dismissed from the stand.
# # #
Hunter could feel Vanessa’s presence behind him. His heart pounded so loudly, he tried to calm it so he would be able to hear what was about to happen. He couldn’t swallow and he could barely breathe. He wasn’t sure who seemed to be winning the case. His lawyer assured him things had gone well for him, but could he really believe that? Did it even matter?
Maybe it would have been better to have stayed in jail and not gotten out on bail. Then he wouldn’t have had those six weeks with Vanessa and Opal. They’d been the best weeks of his life. Buying a house and starting their family, being together for real with nothing hanging over them, nothing keeping them in fear.
He couldn’t go back to prison now. He’d lose everything. Once again, he decided that he’d rather die than face Vanessa leaving him and moving on, or to have to end things if she refused. He couldn’t do it. He wanted her and the life they’d started. He wanted to marry her and be hers forever. And he wanted to love and care for Opal as his own, too. He wanted the whole picture more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life.
But with his past and all he’d done, there was no way he could win this. He had to face reality at some point. His lawyer had to tell him it’d gone well. He was telling Hunter what he wanted to hear so he would stay calm. Who wanted a panicking client on their hands? He’d killed Jeremy and a lot of other men, and he had a history of killing. They’d be crazy not to find him guilty. He’d find himself guilty if he were on the jury.
And that was it. He really did feel like he deserved to go to prison. Why should he be happy? He hadn’t earned it. He had done nothing to think he could have this beautiful family, the love of this amazing woman. His whole life, he’d been a fuck up. From the time he was little, it was drilled into his head. He was dumb and couldn’t do anything. He wasn’t good enough at sports, he didn’t clean fast enough, he didn’t talk quiet enough. It was always something, and for everything he did wrong, there was a fist, a smack, a belt.
He’d tried to redeem himself with his first kill. He thought he was savin
g someone who loved him, someone who had suffered like him and seen past the junk into the real him. He’d been willing to do anything for her, anything to be seen for real. Yet that had fallen apart, too.
His ten years in prison had only served to make him angry. He learned how to kill better. He’d decided while there that he would become a hit man, that he’d gladly face prison if it meant taking out those who’d done wrong in the world. He thought about killing his girlfriend, to pay her back for lying. But when he’d found her, she was so wrecked on drugs, he hadn’t needed to bother. She’d paid herself plenty.
And then there was Vanessa. Who’d actually truly seen him. Who loved him for real, for his true self. Who would be by his side forever. She didn’t see him as only a criminal. She saw him as a hero. A true hero to her and Opal. Their love and admiration made him want to be better. They made him want to give up the life of crime and be that family man he’d never pictured himself being. They made him want to live a real life, not this going from job to job, killing people for a living life.