by Coralee June
I knew with the utmost certainty that this was Hunter. Where my mother was light and hope, Hunter looked dark and broken. Even in the blurred photos, I could make out bruises on his arm. His bones stuck out of his shirt, and he looked malnourished.
This was a photo of my mother and Hunter. But what the fuck did it mean? Another message came through.
Unknown: I know you want answers. I can give them to you. See you in fifteen minutes, Roe.
This person definitely had my attention now, but I still wasn’t so easily convinced.
Roe: How did you get this photograph?
And then there was nothing. No response. The unknown account went completely offline, and I stared at the screen for six minutes. The time passed with every exhale, and I waited for them to get back on and give me more. I had leaned in so close to the screen that my nose had brushed across it. My chest felt tight. Had the time started? Should I be leaving to meet them now? They said I had fifteen minutes, but I wanted to see just how desperate they were.
Another minute passed.
Another.
I hovered my hands over my keyboard and waited for the person to go online again. I wanted to see how desperate these people were to see me. I debated on calling Hunter, but we weren’t on good terms. I also felt like he hoarded our past, burying it deep in his chest and hiding it from the world. If he thought I had even an inkling of information, he’d be pissed.
Fifteen minutes passed, and I crossed my arms over my chest. Pulling my bottom lip between my teeth, I gnawed on it until the unknown person’s chat appeared online again. I then smiled. Gotcha, motherfucker.
Unknown: I found the photo.
Roe: How do you know Hunter?
The chat bubbles danced again.
Unknown: He stalked me too. He’s delusional. If you want to know more and how to escape, you better meet me.
I averted my eyes while rubbing at my chest. For some reason, the words this strange person typed sent a searing pain right to my heart. Who else was Hunter obsessed with? He wasn’t kidding when he said I wasn’t special. How many girls was he grooming and protecting?
These words hurt, but I still didn’t trust the person talking to me.
Roe: I don’t believe you.
Unknown: Fine. Years from now when he has you trapped, you’ll think back on this.
I swallowed, not sure how to take that. Feeling trapped was my worst nightmare. I was raised to fear death, but it really just made me fear the idea of never really living. I chewed on my nails for a moment while debating on what to say. I knew for a fact I wouldn’t be meeting this stranger at some strange address in a part of town I rarely went to. I wanted answers, and they obviously wanted to see me. I just had to do it in a place that didn’t put me in harm's way.
Roe: I’ll meet you. On my terms. Spin and Margie’s Diner off Highway 20. See you there in thirty minutes. If you want to chat, it’s going to be in a public place.
The response was instant.
Unknown: See you soon.
Letting out a breath I didn’t even know I was holding, I stared at those three little words until they didn’t feel so threatening. See you soon.
Fear enveloped me in a cocoon of anxiety as I got ready and climbed out my bedroom window. Walking down the street, I took steadying breaths while thinking about the photo they’d sent. I knew our pasts were intertwined, but I didn’t realize he knew my mother. It made sense, though. His protective tendencies felt like her. He was obsessive. Dark. Determined. All I knew was that I would finally get the answers I sought. I’d find the ties that bound us together and cut them.
ROE
As I walked, a cloud of air framed my face with each exhale. The chill was unbearable, and I wrapped my coat tighter around my body. I couldn't put my cast through the sleeve, so I simply cradled my arm against my chest.
The diner I’d told them to meet me at had been many things over the years. A craft store. An antique place. A restaurant. Right now, it looked like an ominous haunted house holding all the secrets to my future. Spin and Margie’s was a busy place, but it was eclectic and falling apart. Staring up at the grime-filled brick and the flickering lamp illuminating the walkway, I wished that I’d picked a brighter place in a better part of town. But this was one of the few crowded spots within walking distance.
My cell phone was turned off and in my pocket. I patted it reassuringly but frowned when I remembered I had no one to call. I suppose in a pinch I could call Mack, but he was so closely tied to Hunter that I wasn’t sure I could trust him. I briefly considered calling Nicole but decided not to. I didn’t want to drag anyone else into this fucked up situation. Joel was the last person I told, and he got beat to hell.
I fixed my gaze on a cracked window while steadying my breath. There was a cute couple sitting inside, staring at one another from across a cluttered table. Their hands were clasped together, and the sly smiles on their faces looked intimate, like they were sharing a joke for only the two of them. I wondered if Hunter and I would ever date or if the kisses we shared were just inevitable side effects of our fucked up situation.
“They look cute, huh, Roe?” a soft, feminine voice said at my back. I froze, digging my shoes in the concrete while taking a steadying breath. It wasn’t a threatening tone, but the familiarity in her voice clued me in that this was my mysterious messenger.
Slowly, I turned around and found myself facing a young-looking woman. She had dark blue hair and grooves in her face like she'd been doing meth for the last five years. She was skinny—too skinny. The woman looked deceptively weak, and I felt a bit better, though I wondered if this was her intent.
“Are you the person that's been messaging me?” I asked, keeping my feet firmly planted on the ground. “How did you have that photo of my mom? How do you know Hunter?” Each question ran out of me in rapid procession. My mouth couldn’t keep up with my brain, and I watched her smile in satisfaction with every syllable. I knew that look. It was the look of someone that thought they had you right where they wanted you.
“Why don’t we go somewhere private? Hunter Hammond is a nosy fucker. He’ll probably be here any second,” she replied softly while holding her hand out for me to take. I eyed the offering with suspicion. The glow of the streetlamp above her cast shadows on her face, giving this woman a demonic look that made my nerves go haywire.
Hammond. His last name was Hammond. If this strange woman wasn’t staring, I would have rolled the name along my tongue like a decadent treat. It had a certain ring to it, and I liked knowing it. It was almost shocking how satisfying it was to have Hunter’s full name. I hadn’t realized how desperate I was for information, and this girl was already proving to be useful. I took a step closer to her while tilting my head to the side. I didn't trust her at all, but she was bribing me with what I wanted most. “Who are you?” I asked.
“My name is Rosemary.” There was something off about this woman, something other than the holes in her face or her gray teeth. She was wearing a leather jacket too thin to truly protect her from the cold. “I’ve seen what Hunter is capable of. He’s a bad man, Roe.”
“Is that why you reached out?” I asked while tapping my foot and glancing around. The shadows of the chilly night were messing with my eyes, making me think I was seeing people hidden around the corner and in the alley across the street.
“I wanted to warn you, Roe. Do you know what Hunter is capable of?” she asked.
I mulled over her question for a moment as the truth slapped me in the face. In fact, I was sure what Hunter Hammond was capable of, I’d just been pushing it to the back of my mind for the sake of my sanity and survival. I knew he’d killed the men in the car chasing after us. I knew that he was ruthless. I knew that he worked for a dangerous gang and broke Mack’s arm. I knew that he’d been watching me my entire life. I knew that he wanted to control me out of some convoluted need to protect me.
“He’s dangerous,” I admitted.
“He’s
insane,” Rosemary replied while running a hand through her blue hair. I watched her while taking a step back. For some reason, I wanted more distance between us. “He was obsessed with me. It started with simple control. He’d watch me and convince me there was no other way,” she began, and my heart sank.
He’d done that to me. He manipulated me with threats and his version of sound reasoning to keep me from going to the cops. Rosemary must have seen the wheels turning in my mind.
“He did that to you too, huh?” she asked. “I bet he told you he was teamed up with powerful people. Did he tell you he knew cops? That he could end you if you talked?”
I looked down and studied the cracks in the concrete as tears filled my eyes. “Yeah,” I replied.
“Then he started showing physical affection, right? He started to kiss you. Taste you. He made you feel good so you’d stop asking questions. So you’d stop fighting.”
I nodded, my mouth too dry to speak. My blood had run as cold as the air between us. I couldn’t believe what she was saying. “How did he know my mom?” I finally choked out.
Rosemary gave me a sad smile. “I don’t know. I found the photo when I was going through his things,” she replied. My hope plummeted right then and there as she continued. “I’m sorry. I needed to find a way to get you here. Hunter took something from me, Roe. I ran away for a little bit, but when I came back, I saw that he’d moved on and was lying and obsessing over someone else. I couldn’t in good conscience leave you here with him. I have a van around the corner. If you come with me, I’ll get you out of Colorado. I’ll help you start a new life, away from him. I won’t let you be trapped by Hunter like I was.”
Her promises sounded so good. I’d been looking for a way out since the moment I woke up in his cabin in the woods. I didn’t really know Rosemary, but she seemed so accurate. Could this be my way out?
“I don’t know…”
“It’s Stockholm syndrome, Roe. It took me a long time to clear my head of Hunter’s lies, too.”
I nodded and patted the phone in my pocket again. Something still didn’t feel right. I took another step back, and she took a step forward. “Roe, we don’t have much time,” she said, this time her voice was less soft and compassionate.
“I just can’t leave Mack,” I whispered while looking around. “My life is here. Maybe I can convince Hunter to give me some space. Maybe he’ll leave me alone…”
She took another step closer and reached out to grab my wrist. Squeezing hard, she pulled me closer with a strength that surprised me. “He’ll never leave you alone. Your only way out is with me. Come on. He’ll be here soon.”
“I-I don’t think so,” I stammered. My intuition was screaming danger, no matter how appealing her explanation and escape may have seemed. I was trained to read a situation, and this woman reeked of desperation and evil. I needed to get out of here.
Just as I'd bolstered enough courage to run, a hand wrapped around my waist, and my body became flush with a soft stomach and hard chest. The smell of whiskey and tobacco invaded my senses as I lifted my hard cast to try and slam it against my attacker's face.
“You took too fucking long, Rosemary,” the man holding me said as I screamed and jerked my body away. His meaty, greasy hand clung to me. “Let's get her to the van and be done with this shit,” he grunted while dragging me.
Rosemary rolled her eyes. “I was trying to avoid a scene. This place is fucking crowded. Try not to make any noise. I almost had her convinced, too. Good call on bugging her place, by the way.”
She’d been listening to me? Watching me? It felt wrong when Hunter did, but knowing this woman was invading my privacy too made me sick. I did the complete opposite of what Rosemary wanted and opened my mouth to scream, but a gloved hand covered my mouth, muting my sounds of distress. I braced my feet against the concrete as the strange man tugged my body along, keeping my arms pinned at my sides with his stronghold. I glanced at Rosemary and pleaded with my eyes for her to help me, but it was useless. She had a cold, cruel gaze that seemed smug. She practically strutted like a proud peacock as the strange man dragged me down the alley.
“Hunter is going to lose his shit. I’m finally getting revenge for Dad, Willie, and Rodger,” she said while rubbing her hands together. The strange man yanked me around the corner and down a dark alley. “The Asphalt Devils will never question me again.”
I jerked my body and stared at the man dragging me, trying everything I could to get out of his grasp. I couldn’t see much, thanks to the dark night and the way he was pinning me. But he had a round, scruffy face and beady little eyes. My movements felt futile, and though he didn't have the muscle mass of Hunter, he was still impossibly strong, moving me like it was nothing. The only weakness he had was displayed in the subtle grunts.
An hour seemed to pass in mere seconds. I struggled and screamed against his hand, begging someone—anyone—to come to my rescue. And then flesh scattered, a shot sliced through the air. Rich, deep red blood splattered across my cheek, and the beefy body holding onto me went completely limp.
Strong arms pulled me to a hard body, and I melted at the familiar woodsy smell. Hunter. “Stay still,” he grunted. Wearing his typical uniform of dark jeans and a hoodie, I stared slack-jawed at my knight in shining denim.
“What took you so long, Hunter?” Rosemary said while pulling a gun from inside her jacket. Her teeth chattered as she stared maniacally at us both.
“Figured I’d give you a head start,” Hunter replied with ease. I glanced sideways at the gun in his hand. From his posture to his tone, Hunter sounded and felt completely confident. He wasn’t fussed at all about the crazy woman pointing a pistol at us in the creepy alley.
“You can’t just kill my father, end the Asphalt Devils, and get away with it,” Rosemary gritted. “There are consequences for what you’ve done!” Her voice was shrill and shaky as her posture staggered. Her entire existence seemed unsettled.
“And there are consequences for trying to take the Bullets’ turf. Your father knew the dangers of going up against the Bullets, and now you do, too. Put the gun down, or I’ll make your death painful and slow,” Hunter replied.
Rosemary laughed like his threat was inconsequential. My vision seemed to blur as I hyperventilated. All the fears my mother had buried in my soul bloomed to life with vibrant devastation. This was it. I was going to die.
“An eye for an eye, Hunter Hammond,” Rosemary said with a giggle before aiming her gun at me.
She didn’t even have time to pull the trigger. In a split second, Hunter was shooting at Rosemary with calm precision. Another silent bullet traveled gracefully through the night sky and landed between her eyes. I gasped when chunks of brain and bone splinters scattered around her. One second she was alive, the next her brain was nothing but cells and blood on the concrete. Her body went limp, and she fell to the ground with a thud. I watched with rapt attention as her legs twitched and her blood watered the ground. It was so fucking fast. Efficient. Tragic.
Hunter sighed and holstered his gun. Strong arms that should have terrified me wrapped around my middle, and I sunk into the familiarity of it. Hunter. He was here. He'd saved me. He...shot them.
I breathed in and out, the feeling of panic coursing through my veins. Death was holding me in his arms, and my mother’s warnings seemed more tangible now. “Roe?” he said. “Are you okay?”
I panicked some more, breathing until the spots in my vision had disappeared. “Roe?” he called, this time louder. “We have to get out of here. Do I need to carry you?”
The tender way he spoke seemed uncharacteristic. I was expecting him to yell.
I stared at Rosemary as her broken body bled. It was gruesome and gritty. Hunter kept asking me questions, but I couldn’t get past the sight of her body on the street. Her blue lips were parted like there was still a scream on the tip of her tongue. For some reason, Mack’s words played in my mind on repeat.
You’ve got to let your
damage breathe.
You’ve got to let your damage breathe.
Let it fucking breathe.
ROE
“Who were those people?” I rasped while bracing my good hand against the dash. My heart was racing. My skin felt alive with adrenaline as I stared at my deadly savior. Hunter looked murderous. His ice-blue gaze could kill.
“Why did you go to them, Roe?” he asked stoically, not bothering to look at me as he entered the highway and pushed the gas pedal down.
“They had a photo of you, Hunter,” I replied, like the reason was excuse enough. It sounded lame and ridiculous now. I willingly walked into a trap and nearly died for it. Adrenaline was still coursing through my veins, and my fingers felt numb. Was I in shock? Every word felt laborious to spit out.
“A photo? You fucking risked your life because of a photo? I have half a mind to spank your ass,” Hunter growled in response. My eyes unwillingly snapped to where his hand was gripping the steering wheel. His white-knuckled hold lacked the calmness he exhibited when he shot Rosemary and her man. Little tremors traveled up and down his arm, making him shake as he drove.
“It was a photo of you with my mom. You were just a little boy...” My voice trailed off as I spoke. After I said it out loud, it seemed foolish for some reason. “How do you know my mother, Hunter?” I wanted to focus on that. I wanted to tunnel vision my mind on the information I was given today instead of letting my thoughts wander to the brutal murders I’d witnessed. Oh shit, I was an accomplice to murder. “H-how do you know her?” I asked again when he didn’t immediately respond. I craved a distraction like it was air and I’d been tied to a cement block and thrown into the ocean.
“I'm not going to reward you with answers when you deliberately put yourself in harm's way,” Hunter said before cursing and exiting the highway. I was so busy watching the glow of the moon casting hazy light onto his angry face, that I wasn't paying attention to where we were going. The woods looked ominous, and the trees lining the street towered overhead, causing a wave of dancing shadows to caress the road and block the night sky from view. I shivered when he turned onto a dirt road.