Chapter 39
The Hunter
B lood pounds in my ears, drowning out everything but the toxic rage that fuels each vicious impact of flesh on flesh. Jack’s breath comes in ragged gasps, his green eyes blazing with fury and grief as he throws another punch at me.
“Ruby’s gone because of you!” he snarls, his voice cracking under the weight of his emotions. “You’re the reason she’s missing!”
The accusation slices through me like a razor, but I steel myself against the pain. Ruby’s life hangs in the balance and we’re wasting precious time trading blows instead of searching for her. With a quick dodge, I avoid Jack’s fist and retaliate with a swift strike to his gut, fueled by anger and desperation.
Next, I land a punch on Jack’s jaw; the impact reverberating through my hand. Desperation grips me, fueled by fear for Ruby’s safety. “Stop it!” I growl viciously. “You’re wasting my time. I need to find—”
“You’re the reason she’s gone!” Jack roars.
He comes at me again, and I duck, narrowly missing his next swing, and ram my shoulder into his chest. We crash onto the coffee table, glass and wood splintering around us. He wheezes, but I don’t move to hit him. Instead, I grip his shirt and pu ll him close.
My temper erupts like a volcano, a fiery inferno that consumes my thoughts and makes me want to rip Jack Knight limb from limb for daring to delay me. I seethe with rage, trapped in this cursed house when I should be out combing the streets for my pet, determined to bring her back home no matter the cost.
“You think I don’t care about her? You think this is what I want?” I roar, my voice cracking from the overwhelming rage. “The only thing stopping me from ending your pathetic existence right now is her forgiveness. But don’t push me, Jack. If you continue to stand in my way of finding Ruby, I will not hesitate to slice you into pieces.” My eyes burn with a deadly fire as I stare him down, daring him to make a move.
He lunges, and I’m not fast enough this time. His fist crashes into my cheekbone with brutal force, sending shocks of agony pulsing through my head. I stumble back, dazed and disoriented, as he grabs my collar and pulls me in close again.
“She trusted you,” he growls, spittle flying from his lips.
“Not enough,” I roar back, my own voice thick with fury and desperation.
I don’t know how long I was alone before Jack showed up, but it was enough time for me to get dressed and realize Ruby had to have known someone would come for her. She sent me out of the room on purpose, and I want to know why.
“None of this matters if we don’t find her, Jack,” I roar, my breath hot and ragged. “Blame me all you want, it doesn’t matter. Nothing does until she’s safe.”
Jack glares at me, his chest heaving as he catches his breath. The air around us feels heavy with unspoken threats and recriminations, but I can sense a flicker of agreement in his expression. He knows, just as I do, that our animosity won’t bring Ruby back any faster.
He shoves me off, and I take a step forward just as he takes one backward. Pieces of the broken table crunch under our shoes. “She was fucking safe, Valentine. Why the hell did you have to kill Michael? Now—”
“It wasn’t me who killed him,” I growl, not for the first time. “I didn’t plan for this, for any of it,” I say, my voice low, almost pleading. “I neve r wanted… she asked me to—”
“Shut up!” he shouts.
He cocks his fist, but I’m faster. I deliver a quick jab to his ribs, making him grunt as he doubles over, but before he can recover, I lock him in a headlock, applying just enough pressure to make him listen.
“Stop,” I grunt. “Fucking stop.”
Jack’s hands claw at my arms, his nails leaving angry red trails in their wake. I can practically feel his rage pulsing through his veins, his sorrow and fear for his sister fueling his desperation.
My own emotions mirror his, a boiling cauldron of anger, grief, and terror, but I force myself to maintain control. I fight to keep my focus, to push aside the chaotic turmoil threatening to consume me.
He taps out, and I release him. He stumbles back, gasping for air, sweat mixing with the shards of glass on his skin. “We’re not done,” he says, his voice a hollow echo of its former self.
“No,” I agree. “But Ruby comes first.”
Jack hurls me against the wall, and I see stars. I wipe the blood from my split lip, meeting his glare with my own.
Since I knew Jack was in the hospital forever, and only recently got out, I’ve clearly underestimated him. Even though we’ve been at it for half an hour, he’s showing no signs of tiring so I guess his anger must be overpowering any pain he’s in.
The entire room is a mess. The bagels and coffee he brought for his breakfast with Ruby are littered amongst the table and whatever else we’ve broken.
“Fine. But remember this, Valentine,” he warns, wiping blood from his split lip. “If anything happens to Ruby, I’ll make sure you pay for your part in all of this.”
The words hang in the air between us like a dark promise, one I have no intention of letting come to pass. But for now, we must put aside our differences and work together to find Ruby. I nod curtly, the tension between us simmering with unresolved anger and distrust.
Jack’s fist shakes with unbridled fury, itching to release a devastating blow. But before he can strike, the door crashes open and Nicklas charges inside like a furious hurricane.
Rig ht, I’d forgotten Jack called his brother when he couldn’t find Ruby.
Nick’s sheer force is palpable, emanating from every muscle in his body as he roars. “What the hell is happening here?” he demands, his voice slicing through the tense air like a searing blade. Despite his own anger, there is a calmness in him that Jack and I lack in this moment, making him all the more formidable.
Jack takes a step back, wiping sweat and blood from his forehead. I lean against the wall, trying to steady the spinning in my head.
“Have you both lost your minds?” he asks incredulously.
“Tell that to him,” Jack spits, nodding in my direction. “He’s the reason Ruby’s missing.”
All color drains from Nicklas’ face, and I feel like I’m being sliced open. “Missing?” he echoes. “What the hell do you mean? Why would she be missing? Ruby? Answer me, Ruby!” He keeps shouting as he walks further into the house, but stops as he almost kicks Michael’s corpse. “Oh, shit.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” Jack seethes.
“Who would take her when Michael is dead?” he demands, scratching the back of his head. “I thought killing him would—”
“You knew?” Jack asks, interrupting his big brother. “You fucking knew she was going to kill Michael?”
“Of course,” Nicklas replies. “I promised to help. That’s why I left Marco behind, and he even helped her get a poison doing exactly what she wanted.”
“Fuck!” Jack’s scream echoes off the walls as he violently shreds at his dark hair, leaving tangles of ebony strands in his wake. His frantic pacing only intensifies as he rants, “You goddamn idiot, Nick! By murdering Michael, our sister has sealed her own fate.” A sinister glint flashes in Jack’s eyes, a clear warning of the consequences to come.
“What?” both Nicklas and I ask in unison.
Tremors wrack Jack’s entire body as he takes a deep, shuddering breath, trying to steady himself. His steely gaze bores into us with a ferocity that cannot be contained, his voice quivering but seething with an underlying rage that threatens to burst forth.
“ Because of Michael’s fucked up marital contract,” he says, voice low, barely concealing the depth of his anger. “In the event of Michael’s death Ruby—”
“Becomes a widow and she’s free,” Nicklas says, interrupting. “Dad told me all this.”
Jack’s jaw clenches, and he gives his brother a look that sends a cold jolt through my chest. “You really believe that? If you trusted Dad you’re a bigger fool than—”
“Careful, Jack,” Nicklas growls.
“Fuck off,” Jack snarls. “Our dad was a deceitful bastard who played favorites and lied to us all. If you believed anything he said, you’re either fucking stupid or willfully blind. Why do you think she never killed Michael? Or asked us to do it for her?”
When Nicklas opens his mouth to argue, I take a step forward. “Just spit it out, Jack. Why didn’t she kill him until now?”
“Because now she fucking belongs to John Simmons. If you thought Michael was bad, it’s nothing compared to his brother. And now that bastard is the goddamn legal owner of our sister.”
The air in the room becomes heavy and suffocating, as if it’s filled with a dense liquid. My body tenses up, every muscle straining to contain the overwhelming emotions that threaten to burst out of me. Jack’s words hit like a sledgehammer, each syllable driving deeper into my core.
“That despicable, conniving bastard sealed her fate the moment they said ‘I do’,” Jack seethes.
Nicklas’ eyes bulge with disbelief, his jaw dropping in utter shock. Every muscle in his face tenses with horror as he struggles to comprehend the enormity of the revelation. His voice is barely a whisper, choked with emotion. “How could she keep this from us? From me?”
A searing pain explodes in my chest, constricting my heart with a vise-like grip. The overwhelming feeling of dread consumes me, its tendrils coiling and squeezing tighter with each beat of my heart. The weight of responsibility crushes down on me as I realize that this is all my fault, every twisted and horrifying consequence.
I p ush off the wall, stabbing a finger in Jack’s direction. “I’m going to find her.”
“The hell you are,” he seethes. “For all we know, you set her up. Or maybe you brought John here.”
Taking a step closer to me, Nicklas demands, “Why are you here, Valentine?”
I plant my feet firmly, my body tense and ready for battle. After fighting Jack, I don’t like my odds against Nicklas. Not that it matters. If he stands between me and Ruby, I’ll kill him. I’ll fucking kill them all.
My rage is a wildfire, consuming me with each passing moment as the pieces of the puzzle click into place, revealing the unbearable truth that tightens around my determination like a suffocating noose.
“I am the goddamn reason Ruby is in this mess,” I seethe, every syllable dripping with a venomous hatred that burns through me. Jack’s mouth gapes open, but I silence him with a cold, bitter laugh, one that holds no joy, only the crushing weight of truth. “Michael hired me to take her life. That’s why I’m here.”
Silence floods the room, thick and suffocating, before it erupts in a violent outburst.
Jack’s rage surges to the surface, his fists clenching as he steps forward. “You—”
But he’s once again interrupted by Nicklas. “Why would Michael hire you?”
With zero hesitation, I push my sleeve up and show them the mark on my wrist. The only thing giving away their surprise at my identity is their wide eyes. Apart from that, there’s no other tell.
“You’re the Hunter,” Nicklas mutters, his voice laced with bitterness and disappointment. “I fucking trusted you, Valentine. I let you near the two most important women in my life, and you abused my trust.”
His words are like daggers, slicing through my defenses, but I refuse to show weakness. Years of dealing with ruthless individuals like him have taught me to keep my composure.
“I am,” I say, confirming it with a sharp nod.
Jack curses under his breath. “So, what? You came here tonight to kill her?”
I s hake my head. “No. I came here to be with her. To… because she’s mine. ”
“The fuck she is,” Jack growls. “She ran away from you.”
“She did,” I confirm. “After drugging me. But she didn’t do it to get away from me, she did it because… I don’t know why.”
I do know why. She did it because I wanted Michael dead, and she decided to follow through. But not before having some time to herself. Rationally, I know Ruby wouldn’t have killed her husband if she didn’t want him dead as well. But I planted the fucking idea, and I gave her a reason.
Where she deserves credit and respect, I need to own the blame. Especially for the things I never told her. Not from a lack of time, but simply because I didn’t think I had to, or because I didn’t want to.
Like the game of Russian Roulette. Yes, a part of me wishes I hadn’t done it, but a bigger part regrets that I never took the time to show her that there weren’t any bullets in the chamber. I removed the one I showed her before handing over the gun.
Jack shoves me back against the wall, anger emanating from every pore of his body. “You played her, Hunter.” Disdain and hatred coats my title as he speaks it. “You even lured her to your place of work.”
“I didn’t need to lure her, Jack,” I bite through gritted teeth. “Michael forced her into Holloway University to be close to me. I merely planted the idea, and he took care of the rest. But I didn’t once try to kill her. She was safe with me.”
Jack’s face hardens, a mixture of doubt and defiance. “So, what? You think your little confessions mean we’re just going to let you play the hero now?” he spits. “I don’t trust you. I don’t want you anywhere near her.”
Nicklas cuts in, his voice steely and cold. “Neither of us do. But right now, we don’t have the luxury of choosing our allies. Ruby’s our priority, and that means putting aside personal feelings.” His hard gaze never leaves mine, a warning and a challenge all at once. “You’re no friend to the Knights anymore, Valentine. But for now, we’ll work together.”
I nod, accepting his terms without hesitation. “Work together?” I questi on. “No. I work alone, and I’ll be the one to bring her back.”
“Valentine,” Nicklas growls.
Shaking my head, I meet his cold gaze with one of my own. “You’ll get in my way, Nicklas. I’m not slowing down for you, or risking either of you fucking this up—”
He steps closer, stabbing his finger into my chest. “Listen to me you piece of shit. That’s my sister, and no one is going to—”
“I don’t care,” I interrupt him. “I’m the Hunter and New York is fucking mine right now. Step aside, or try to step through me. This is the one and only warning I’ll give you; if you interfere, I’ll kill you.”
Jack shoves his brother out of the way. “You’d better pray you bring her back alive. Because if you don’t, you’re dead. I’ll fucking kill you myself.” There’s a pause, thick with hostility. His voice drops to a cold whisper. “Go find her, Hunter. Bring my sister back.”
Nicklas’ jaw clenches as he gives a single nod. “Bring her back,” he echoes. His expression is unyielding, his voice laced with a deadly edge.
Without another word, I turn on my heel, quietly leaving the house. Before I’m completely gone, I hear Nicklas mention that he needs to check on Marco.