“Hunter, please,” I begged, trying to get both of their attention.
“It’s my fucking house,” Jagger roared, throwing his cigarette to the floor and pushing Hunter against his chest. He stumbled back a few steps but caught himself, standing back up straight.
“Don’t start this, man,” Hunter warned, holding up his hands to tell Jagger he’s not going to push back. That’s a start. Not much I was able to do at that point.
“This is bullshit,” Jagger mumbled and shook his head, then took a swing at Hunter. I held my breath and closed my eyes for a split second to not witness what would happen next.
“Jesus Christ,” I heard Hunter say and I looked back up at him, relieved at the sight of his unpunched face. He must’ve dodged Jagger.
“Stop!” I shouted, trying once again to step between them. They still ignored me and I was so damn close to just screaming until they paid attention to me. I didn’t want to wake up the whole neighborhood, though. The ones who weren’t already awake, that was.
“Are you done now?” Hunter asked, keeping his distance from Jagger.
“Are you done playing this game? She’s fallen for your shit already. Stop fucking my sister in my damn house now.” Jagger’s words sounded rough. Every single one of them hit my heart hard, making me hold my breath. I could tell he was saying all that just to make Hunter angry. Jagger was looking for a fight and that’s the only way he got one.
Hunter was tense. He was holding it all in, for my sake. I knew that much. “I’ll stop fucking your sister when you stop fucking mine.”
My jaw dropped and I was scared to move. This was getting messier every second.
Jagger’s face fell and it seemed as if he forgot everything that had just happened. He frowned, realizing his secret wasn’t so secret anymore, then he shook his head and turned away, walking toward his car. “Whatever,” he said quietly, then opened the car door, ready to step in.
I ran after him, wrapping my hands around his arm and pulling him to me. “Where are you going?” I asked, confused. He tried to shake me off but I held onto his sweatshirt.
“Nowhere,” he said and tried to push me away.
“I’m not letting you go without you telling me where you’re going.”
“Nowhere,” he repeated, then took a glance at Hunter before looking down at me. “I’ll be back in the morning,” he told me quietly, then he got into his car and drove off.
I watched as his car disappeared in the darkness, leaving me standing there in the cold fog. I felt Hunter coming up behind me, taking my hand carefully. “He’ll be fine,” he whispered and pulled me back toward the front door.
I knew he was safe, but it still hurt to see him leave like that. I’d never felt that way and I hated it.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Hunter
Harlow was hiding her face, silently crying and pouring herself a glass of water at the sink. Her back was turned to me and I wasn’t sure how to approach her after seeing the hurt expression on her face as Jagger drove off. I leaned against the doorway to the kitchen and crossed my arms over my chest.
Quiet sobs escaped her, and I could see the tension on her body rising. She was blaming it all on herself and that wasn’t right at all. But that’s just Harlow. No matter how wrong the other person was, she always felt like she had to be the one making it all right again. It was a beautiful trait but fucking stupid in this situation.
Sure, we were too loud, but she wasn’t the only one taking part in what we did. And Jagger overreacted. The things he said were also not triggered by hearing her sister scream my name. Something else was bothering him and he just let all his frustration out on us. Never actually experienced Jagger acting all fired up.
When Harlow finally moved, she turned to look at me for a second before checking her phone for a message from her brother. The tears on her face kept on coming and the pain in her eyes was visible from miles away. It was heartbreaking seeing her like that, but then I wondered if there were any way this beautiful girl could ever see the bad in people. Jagger treated her like shit back then and she probably thought she deserved it. Fucking hell.
“He’s not answering. And he hasn’t seen my texts either,” she said with a trembling voice. I sighed, stepping closer to her and taking her phone in my hand. I put it on the dining table next to me and then cupped her face with both my hands.
“He’s fine. He just needs some time, all right? He’s just upset, and he needs to calm down.”
I tried my best not to talk too much or say something that would upset her. I knew Jagger had some guns in his car and he knew how to deal with people who try to start a fight.
“But what if Dean finds him?” she asked in a small voice. I shrugged.
“That’s why Bennett’s around. Come on, we gotta get some sleep. I bet Jagger will be home in the early morning and everything will be back to normal. He’s thrown his fit and now he’ll get over it.”
Harlow studied my face, almost as if she were trying to see if she could trust me. “Okay,” she whispered and reached up to brush the back of her hands over her cheeks to wipe away the tears.
“Now, go ahead. I’ll make you some tea. Helps you sleep better.”
She nodded her head, then with one last glance at the phone, she left the kitchen. When she was out of sight I walked over to the living room and picking up my phone, I sat down on the couch table and unlocked it to open my sister’s chat.
Hunter: Is Jagger with you?
Bliss: Yes
Hunter: Is he all right?
Bliss: Pretty upset. He’s been crying. Did something happen?
Hunter: No. Just let him know Harlow’s upset too.
Bliss: Hunter…what’s wrong? Hun?
Hunter: We’ll have a talk about your little secret another time.
It seemed pretty damn necessary to let her know we all knew about her and Jagger and I was satisfied enough to just put the phone down and go make my girl a cup of tea. When I entered the bedroom, I saw Harlow curled up on the bed, her head next to the pillow and the covers all over the bed but not on her body. Somehow, it was the most adorable thing I had ever seen.
Her eyes were closed but I could tell she was awake by the way she hiccupped and frowned.
“I don’t like crying,” she muttered, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“Then don’t,” I simply said and set down on the edge of the bed, holding the warm cup in my hand tightly. “Come on. It’s not too hot, so you can drink it already.” I took her hand in mine. “Sit up.”
She did as I said and took the cup from me with both her hands, then slowly took a sip with her eyes on mine. “Jagger’s with Bliss.” I couldn’t keep it from her. I knew where he was, and I didn’t like Harlow all nervous and worried. Her eyes lit up immediately.
“Did you talk to him?” she asked, eyeing my body to check if I had my phone with me. I shook my head.
“I texted Bliss. She said he’s fine and he’ll be back tomorrow. Now, drink some more and then we gotta sleep.”.”
***
Harlow
Nine a.m. came quickly. I wasn’t very fond of sleeping only a few hours, but last night was incredibly painful for me. I was probably just overreacting, but never in almost twenty years had I felt so incredibly empty because of Jagger. He was my safe place for all those years and then seeing him drive off angry pulled something out of my chest, ripping it apart right in front of my eyes. Dramatic, but true.
Hunter was surprisingly energized and was ready before I got dressed after my shower. He even made coffee. It was another rainy morning and I could hear low thunder outside. Not sure why, but those kinds of mornings made me feel protected and safe.
I put on my work uniform and tied my hair into a high ponytail, just how Frankie expected from me. As I walked out of the bathroom, I heard Hunter talk on the phone. Before I could reach the kitchen, he pushed the phone into his front pocket and let his eyes wander all over my body.
/> “Who was it? Jagger?” I asked, hoping to hear some news. Hunter didn’t answer me but instead, he shook his head in disapproval. “First thing I’ll ask Frankie is to change those damn outfits. Too fucking short. And it’s freezing outside.”
I let out a small laugh, shaking my head and holding up one of his sweaters he once let me borrow. “I got this to keep me warm on the way there. Besides, the diner’s heated,” I explained while putting on the sweater and hoped he would drop that topic as quickly as he picked it up.
He shook his head once again. “Don’t care about that, love. It’s too short.”
I rolled my eyes and changed the subject. “Did you talk to Jagger just then?” I asked and took a step toward him to wrap my arms around his neck. He studied my face, then bent his head to kiss my lips.
“Work,” he simply said, and I knew not to ask any more questions.
I let it slip, running my hands into his hair and pulling him closer to me while his tongue asked for permission. I parted my lips, letting my tongue touch his and I had to make sure not to forget about work.
His hands moved slowly over my body and his kiss got gentler with every stroke of his tongue against mine. One thing I knew for sure. Hunter was able to make me forget certain things in those moments.
When his hands cupped my bottom, I couldn’t help but smile and press myself against his body. “We gotta go to work,” I mumbled into the kiss and to my surprise, he let go of me immediately.
“Too bad,” he said mockingly and walked right past me without another word. I laughed and followed him out the door. With Jagger’s car still being gone, I hoped I would see him later tonight when I got back home.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Hunter
We arrived at the diner, and before getting out of the car, Harlow and I kept our discussion about her work uniform going. I hated how much skin was visible and how tight it was on her body. I wasn’t trying to be the jealous guy, but I just couldn’t help it.
“Isn’t that uncomfortable anyway?” I asked, trying to keep my voice low.
“It’s very comfortable,” Harlow said and pulled on the handle to open the door again. I had locked the car so she wouldn’t just walk away from this. “Hunter, I don’t wanna be late,” she said in a tight voice while her eyes went wide.
“Will you talk to Frankie about your uniform?” I asked. Harlow sighed and shook her head.
“Let me out or I won’t talk to you for the whole day.”
I grinned, finding it adorable rather than scary, the way she threatened me.
“I don’t think so,” I told her and lifted an eyebrow. “It’s just the uniform I’m complaining about, Harlow.” This was a stupid conversation to have at nine-fifty-three a.m., but I hated the thought of older men eyeing her right in front of me. That is if Frankie would give me the job, of course.
Harlow studied me for a while before throwing her head back and groaning, obviously annoyed with me. “I will talk to him about it, now let me go.”
“Was that so hard?” I mocked and unlocked the doors for her to get out. She didn’t respond with words, but her middle finger was right in my face before she slammed the door shut. I watched her walk over to the back entrance and unlock the door, then she looked back and raised her brows.
“Come on,” she said and I couldn’t bite back a laugh.
“Too fucking sweet,” I said to myself and stepped out of the car to follow her.
Harlow led me through the back of the diner, passing some doors which were labeled as the toilet, closet, and basement. Before we reached the kitchen, Harlow stopped in front of an open door. I could smell a cigar and beer. I liked both those things, but it was too early for even me to consume them.
“Good morning, Frankie,” Harlow said in a sweet voice, and now that I stepped behind her, I saw him sitting in a large chair behind a desk. He looked up and smiled tiredly, then got up to walk over to us.
“Morning, Low,” he mumbled, then looked up at me and eyed me before nodding once.
“Hunter, is it?” he said, and I nodded, holding out my hand for him to shake.
“Yes, sir.” And at those words, I cringed. The only guy I had to call sir was that son of a bitch foster dad who took Bliss and me in. Shit times bring shit memories.
I shook the thought away and concentrated on the important things that were happening. “Harlow told me about your need of cooks. I could cover that,” I told him and watched as Harlow left toward the kitchen. She probably thought this was my shit to deal with. Hell, and she was right.
Frankie studied me, taking his time to let my offer sink in. “Ever cooked for a big crowd?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Not really. But I don’t think it’s an obstacle. I’m a great cook.”
I was probably being too confident, but I wasn’t leaving without him giving me a try.
“We’ll see about that. First day I won’t pay you. If today goes well, you can come back tomorrow. Let Nixon introduce you to the kitchen,” he said and turned to go back to his chair.
“Yes, sir.”
***
Harlow
When our last cook quit, Frankie had to find another one to make sure we still had someone to prepare all the food. Frankie was lucky enough to talk his nephew into coming in until he found someone and now Nixon was showing Hunter around the kitchen, telling him what to do.
I loved how well Hunter cooperated and listened. Normally, being bossed around wasn’t his thing and taking the lead was more likely to motivate him. Not this time, though, and I started to wonder if he kept it together just for me.
Of course, he didn’t have many choices now. He was around to protect me from Dean. So, he had to make the best out of it.
It was around eleven a.m. when I grabbed some lunch for Frankie and myself from the kitchen, letting Hunter and Nixon talk and cook. They seemed to get along, which I never expected them to. Nixon was a rich kid, living his best life over in Grand Island. His parents owned some sort of business, and after finishing college, he just took some years off to do basically nothing. He told me he moved here to help out Frankie but will move back home as soon as Frankie had found someone to work full time.
“He’s a good kid,” Frankie said as I handed him his plate and sat down on the small couch in his office. I smiled, nodding my head.
“He’s a great cook too. The people also seem to love the food. I got big tips,” I told him.
Frankie nodded, then took a bite from his food. “You think he can work here every day? Nixon will probably leave when he finds out I’ll keep Hunter. And I didn’t get any more applicants yet.”
There was one thing coming to mind when he asked about taking over the kitchen full time. Hunter had his other job to attend, mostly by night. And sometimes he left for more than one day, and when he came back, he was tired or just not in his right mind. I mean, after killing someone, that’s normal, right?
“Maybe I can talk to Nixon. Ask him if he’d be okay with staying a little longer,” I suggested, and Frankie shrugged.
“You can try to convince him. He already got the hots for you, anyway.”
Perfect. “I’ll make sure he understands Hunter and I are together.”
Frankie chuckled and shook his head. “Nixon thinks he’s the greatest. He’ll see Hunter as a challenge. Only thing bigger than his ego is his bank balance.”
I laughed, knowing there was no way Hunter would even let it go that far. “I guess he’ll just have to accept the fact that I’m Hunter’s.”
Frankie nodded and smiled, studying my face for several seconds. “He making you happy?”
“Very,” I told him. “I don’t think I have ever loved someone the way I love Hunter.” Because he had my heart and I didn’t want it back.
“You just make sure he keeps on making you happy. You’re an amazing young woman and you know you’re like a daughter to me. If he fucks up, I’ll kill him with my bare hands.”
I bit m
y bottom lip, trying not to smile like a fool. “Don’t worry, Frankie. I know I got him all wrapped up around my finger.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Hunter
Nixon stopped explaining things to me after breakfast rush hour and just let me do my thing in the kitchen. He was helping me out, but he mostly was talking about his private life. Quite honestly, they were the most boring stories I’d ever heard in my life. He was living off his parents’ money and didn’t have a clue about his future. A lot of the time I had to hold back and make sure not to tell him to shut up and just do his work, but then I watched Harlow waiting the tables and everything else that bothered me vanished.
Frankie came into the kitchen from time to time to check on us, making sure to watch me for several minutes so I could prove to him that I was indeed a good cook. I knew what I was doing and didn’t need any help. But still, working full time at this diner was impossible for me with Gunner calling me up almost weekly to assign a new job. I somehow needed to explain to Frankie that I couldn’t take this job full time.
“I was worried you would be too distracted watching her work but you’re actually doing a good job,” Frankie said and leaned against the counter. I looked over at him, stirring the pot with the pasta in it.
“I’m more distracted by those guys eye-fucking my girl. You think there’s something we can do about that uniform? It’s too short.” I knew it was up to Harlow to talk about it, but she was busy, and deep down I knew she wouldn’t approach Frankie about it anyway.
“I like it,” Nixon called out from next to the fridge and I gave him a serious look.
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