13. Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Hunter
I don’t wait for Blake to come back out to grab the cig from the yard; I just go out there to grab it myself and put it in the ashtray. Call me old-fashioned, but I can’t stand the filters being thrown into my yard.
I wait outside for another thirty minutes, but she never comes back, so I go in search of her. I ease open the door to my bedroom that she has left unlocked and spot her with her head resting on her knees on the side of the bed.
She has her phone beside her on the floor and is sound asleep. If she doesn’t move from that position, she is going to hurt like hell in the morning. I walk further into the room, attempting not to wake either of them up and gently lift Blake from the floor.
As soon as she is in my arms, she opens her eyes lazily until they widen with fear.
“What are you doing?” she gasps and tries to fight to get away from me.
I squeeze her tighter to my chest so that she doesn’t hurt herself or her child and lean down close to her ear. “I’m not going to hurt you, Blake. I was just helping you into the bed.”
Realizing I am doing nothing but standing here with her in my arms, she relaxes a little. A moment later she shimmies out of my arms and stands on her own two feet. She looks over at her child, who is still sound asleep, and then rubs her eyes. “What time is it?”
I chuckle. “It’s only been thirty minutes since you went in the house.” I look down at the phone that is still on the floor. “What were you doing on the ground?”
She lets out a heavy sigh and leans down to pick up her phone. “I was just thinking and didn’t want to wake Charlie. I must have fallen asleep.”
I tilt my head. “Do you want to lie down, or would you like to come back outside with me?”
She shrugs. “Will you give me a smoke?”
I chuckle softly. “Sure.”
I follow her out of the room and back out onto the deck. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my pack of cigs and hand them to her. “Here.”
She takes one and snags my lighter from my grip before lighting up her cig and taking a drag. She seems worked up about something new. Like something else happened after she went inside.
She takes drag after drag, until there is nothing left but a filter and she puts it out in the ashtray. “Thanks.” I grumble.
“Why are you thanking me?” She sits in one of the empty chairs and plays with the sleeve of her shirt.
I point at the ashtray. “For putting that in there.”
“Oh, of course. I didn’t want to litter in your yard.”
“So, what has you all worked up?” I sit in the chair across from her and lean back, spreading my legs.
She nibbles her bottom lip as she stares at the ground, then shakes her head. “Just this entire situation. The way my life has turned upside down in such a short amount of time.” She penetrates me with her gaze. “I used to have plans. Big ones. I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I got old enough. I was planning for a good career, a family that would love me, and a simple life.” She sighs. “But you see where I have ended up.”
“Is that why you fell asleep on the floor?”
She shakes her head.
I shouldn’t pry. Whatever she is going through is her business, but I want to know. “Then what was it?”
Her phone lights up in her hand, and she looks at it with a grimace. Then she points the screen toward me. “This.”
I lean forward to get a better look and see an incoming phone call from her husband across the top. “Hell, answer it.”
She finches back. “What? No way!”
“Give it to me. I’ll answer it.” I hold out my hand. When she still doesn’t hand it to me, I quickly snatch it and answer before she has a chance to protest.
I put the phone on speaker and listen to the man on the other line cursing and screaming at nothing. I haven’t even said hello yet. Once he takes a breath, I say, “Jesus man, no wonder she doesn’t want to speak to you. No one’s even said shit to you, and you already started talking.”
He is quiet for a moment until he says, “Who the fuck is this?”
I stand and walk to the railing to lean over the side. “Me? I mean, I can be whatever you want me to be, I guess.” I look over my shoulder at a wide-eyed Blake and smirk. “Or I could be whatever Blake wants me to be–”
“I don’t give a fuck who you are. You’re dead anyway for laying your hands on what belongs to me.”
“Did your mother never teach you manners? It’s not polite to interrupt someone when they’re speaking.”
“Did you hear me asshole? Give the fucking phone to Blake.”
I raise my brow and turn toward Blake, who shakes her head. “I don’t think she wants to talk to you.”
“It wasn’t a request. Give her the phone or I will—”
It's my turn to interrupt him now as I watch Blake visibly shaking in her chair. “What exactly do you think you are going to do?” I pause but only for a second before I start again. “You think you’re some tough guy because you make threats and beat women? That shit doesn’t make you tough. It makes you a fucking coward.”
“A coward?” he screams. “I will show you who a fucking coward is! Give me your address.”
Blake’s eyes plead with me not to. I can tell she is terrified in the way she holds her arms against her chest and rocks slightly back and forth in the chair. Everything in me wants to just meet up with this guy, put a bullet in him, and be done. But I know that wouldn’t win me any favors with Blake. “Why would I need to do that when I know where you live? No need for you to come to me. I’m sure I’ll be making an appearance soon.” I can feel the anger billowing off of me in waves, and I close my eyes to simmer it down. “See you soon, Princess,” I grit through my teeth and then hang up.