CHAPTER FOURTEEN
T hings were good. Hunter’s three-week vacation meant they were making the most of the honeymoon period. They’d wake up together. Shower together. Drive to Fairy Baked and spend the day working together. Evenings were spent in Hunter’s apartment where clothing was most definitely optional.
It was so natural that it was hard to comprehend it had only been five weeks. Five action-packed weeks of Hunter by her side. And she wouldn’t change a thing. Well, not between them anyway.
Today was no exception. Having an extra hand also meant she could bake during the day while Hunter covered the counter, which was what she was doing now. It was muffin-making time, and she was making extra lemon poppyseed just for her man. Despite his claim to love every flavor equally, she’d definitely noticed the lemon poppyseed depleting quicker in Hunter’s presence.
After placing her second batch in the oven, she frowned over at the kitchen bin. Hunter must have forgotten to empty it.
Oh well. No time like the present.
Removing the overflowing bag from the bin, she attempted to pull on the drawstrings before stumbling out the back door.
As soon as she stepped outside, everything happened so fast. Her eyes barely had time to adjust to the daylight before she was being pushed against the closed door. The trash bag instantly dropping to her feet.
By the time she registered what was happening, a greasy face was in hers, the scent of whiskey and stale tobacco drifting up her nose as a strange man leered at her.
“Look what we have here, Den,” the man hissed, his black eyes narrowing on her. “Who’d have thought an ugly bastard like Leo would have such a pretty little thing as a daughter?”
Her stomach sank. They were here. The men her dad owed money to. The men who’d broken into her apartment and had also apparently been watching her.
Shit. She could feel the bile rise up. Where was Hunter when you needed him?
Don’t panic. It’s gonna be okay. Hunter will come looking for you any second now.
“You’ve been a hard woman to get alone, darlin’,” the man continued. “That boyfriend of yours doesn’t let you out of his sight, does he?”
“Not today though,” the shorter man, who she was guessing was Den, spoke up. “We were sure to keep him busy while we had our little chat.”
Oh God. Hunter.
“W-what did you do?” she managed to croak out.
“Nothing you need to worry about, darlin’.” The walking ashtray sneered. “Now, let’s get down to business, shall we?”
“I don’t have any money,” she blurted.
Her words were met with snickers. “Oh yeah? What did you buy this bakery with then, huh? Cupcakes?”
“I got a business loan,” she started, before realizing that explaining what a business plan was to these two men was likely a monumental waste of time. “I’m not rich. I make enough to pay my rent and bills, but that’s it. I don’t have the money Leo owes you.”
That was about the time her heart stopped. As a shiny blade was brought to her cheek.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“I’m sure we can work something out, darlin’.” Sleazy eyes dragged down her body, making her stomach turn. “Let’s take a drive, shall we?”
If she’d learned anything from binging detective shows, is that you never, ever, ever get into the car. If you did, you were fucked. She had to buy time. Time until Hunter could get to her.
“Wait,” she stammered, “I have some savings. Not a lot,” she rushed out, “but I have a few thousand.”
Both men snorted. “ Now you have money,” the man still holding the damn blade to her face mocked. “I guess we’ll be making a stop at the cash point, Den.”
Shit. They still wanted to take her.
As if to prove it, the knife went to her throat as Ashtray Man clumsily pulled her into him and rearranged them until her back and his front met.
“I-I need to transfer the money. It might take a few days,” she tried to reason.
When the man’s hips thrust into her, she trembled. “Don’t you worry about that. I can think of plenty of things we can do over the next few days.”
Her vision started to blur and the tears she’d been fighting back broke free. Next thing she knew, she was being propelled forward through the concrete yard. Stumbling over every step with the force in which she was being shoved.
This was it. After years of fighting it. Leo had finally managed to break her. And she had a feeling it wasn’t just her spirit that was going to be shattered if she stepped foot into the blue pickup they were leading her to.
Just as she was about to empty the contents of her belly, a loud thud rang out. The man holding her swung them both around until she was looking at the heavy door she’d just been pressed up against. Hunter.
Air finally filled her lungs. There was still a chance. Still hope.
“Move and I slit her pretty little throat.” The man sneered as he dug the blade further into her skin.
It was hard to gulp. Hard to move. And even harder to watch Hunter’s handsome face crease in fear.
She had to do something. She had to untangle herself somehow, so Hunter could go all Hulk on these guys.
Think, Rachel.
Suddenly, Cat came into her head. Last month, her friend had been telling Luke how she could damage his balls from any angle if he continued to give her husband shit.
Rachel followed Cat’s instructions to a tee. Shifting her hips, she dropped her arm and smacked the man’s groin as hard as she could before letting her body drop down.
Yes! She was free.
Not for long though. Scrambling to her feet, she cursed as he grabbed onto her leg and yanked.
Goddamnit.
With an almighty thump, she was back on the ground. But the man who’d put her there was too busy being dragged up by his collar to worry about her. The one doing the dragging was an extremely pissed off Hunter, who slammed him against the dumpster next.
“You think you can come here and touch my fucking woman?” he roared, not noticing Den was preparing to strike him in the back.
Next thing she knew, instinct kicked in and she was on her feet and jumping onto Den before he had a chance to hurt Hunter.
She might have overestimated her strength, though, as he easily flipped her and held her down, angry curses raining down on her as she struggled in his tight hold.
But Hunter had noticed and came to her rescue once again, lifting Den with only one hand and literally throwing him across the deserted parking lot, giving her some relief and a chance to push up onto her elbows to get a good look at what was going on.
Hunter’s eyes were roaming all over her as he twisted to face her. He was still clutching ashtray man by the neck off to the side, and she could have sworn the man was off the ground, his feet kicking out beneath him.
“You okay, honeybun?” He wasn’t hiding his concern or the despair creeping into the corners of his mouth. “Jesus Christ, you’re bleeding. Son of a bitch.”
His back was to her now as he turned and slammed the man back against the metal dumpster.
“Go inside now, baby, and wait for Cody,” Hunter yelled as he tossed the man around like a rag doll.
She didn’t go inside though. As soon as she was back on her feet, she backed up against the wall, watching the violent scene in front of her unfold. Hunter administered not just one punch but three, leaving the man’s face bloody and bruised.
“Stop it.” Her voice was barely a whisper as she started to shake. “Please. Stop.”
Another punch went to the man’s ribs before Hunter let go and let him slump to the floor. He turned then, getting another look at her and the panic attack she was pretty sure she was having. He started toward her, and that’s when it happened.
A shot rang out, and almost in slow motion, Hunter dropped to the concrete.
“No!” she cried, her heart going a million miles an hour as her gaze flew from Hunter’s lifeless body to Den. The man with the goddamn gun, who was now up and running as fast as he could.
Rachel ran too. To Hunter. Plummeting to the floor next to his big body and lifting his blood-soaked hand to survey the bullet wound on his side.
“Stay with me, Hunter. You’re gonna be okay. Just stay with me, yeah?” Pulling her vest over her head, she tried to stop the blood, putting as much pressure on it as she could. “I’m here, honey.” Hunter’s eyes struggled to stay open. “Stay awake for me, sugar. Please. Just a little while longer.”
Sirens were ringing out. Loud enough that she knew help was on its way. He just had to hold on a little longer.
Trying her best to soothe him, her attention never wavered as chaos ensued around them. Police descended and arrests were made.
But it was when the EMTs came that all hell broke loose. The fire department had been called, which meant Hunter’s friends were there, horror on all their faces as they surrounded them both on the ground.
Zach, a trained EMT, was the one who took charge, ordering others around and using all sorts of instruments to check Hunter’s vitals. When it came time to assess the wound, she knew she would have to move, but the idea of leaving Hunter’s side wasn’t computing.
“You did a good job, darlin’.” Zach’s voice was gentle. “But I need to take a look.”
“You’re supposed to keep pressure on a bullet wound. I read that. You shouldn’t stop. I don’t want to stop. Please don’t make me stop.” Even to her own ears, she sounded hysterical.
“You did good, Rach. Let me take over now, yeah?” Zach was the epitome of calm. How was he doing that? “While I do that, why don’t you hold his hand and keep talking to him? It’s important he stays awake as long as possible. Can you help me do that?”
She nodded and reluctantly released her blood-soaked vest. It wasn’t until Luke placed a shirt around her shoulders that she realized she was in just her bra. But her public flashing concerns would need to be placed on the back burner for the time being. Hunter was fading right before her very eyes.
“Honey, listen to my voice. Stay awake for me. That’s it. Stay with me. I love you, Hunter. I love you so much. Please stay with me. I can’t lose you. Do you hear me? I can’t lose you. Please just stay with me.” Tears were back and burning her eyes as strong arms wrapped around her and brought her to her feet.
She didn’t let go of Hunter’s hand though. Not even as they prepared to transfer him onto a stretcher. And she didn’t leave his side as men carried his big body across the lot and into the ambulance. Without even asking, she followed him inside and crouched beside him.
He had to be okay. There was no other outcome she could comprehend. He just had to.
***
T he more time that passed, the sicker Rachel felt. Hunter had been out of surgery for more than an hour now, and she still hadn’t been allowed in to see him. Which meant she was alone with her thoughts. And that wasn’t a good thing.
This was her fault. The man she loved was lying in a hospital bed because of her. She was stupid to think she could escape her past. No matter what she did, her life would always be just one drama after another. And now poor Hunter was paying the price.
No wonder her mom left when she did. Rachel and Leo were trash. Always had been, always would be. There was no escaping it.
Please let Hunter be okay.
If anything happened to him, she would never forgive herself.
Hello? Something did happen, dumbass!
Right. Hence the guilt churning in her stomach. Zach and Benny were hovering around her again. Every few minutes one of them would ask her if she needed anything. Apparently, it was that time again.
Surprisingly, it was Luke giving her the most comfort. He hadn’t left her side once, his strong, silent presence probably the only reason she’d not completely broken down.
“You want another coffee, Rach?” Benny asked, his big sympathetic eyes boring into her.
She shook her head. What she wanted was to see Hunter. Why the hell had she not been allowed in yet? A question she was about to ask the nurse again when she spotted an older couple entering the waiting room. She recognized them immediately.
Oh my God, the universe really is against me.
Hunter’s parents.
Every one of her muscles tensed, her breath no longer steady as she watched Zach jump out of his seat and stride toward them. Talk about the worst way to meet your boyfriend’s parents for the first time. Life was really just having a laugh at her expense now.
“Hey.” Luke’s hand went to her thigh. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”
She begged to differ. She was not okay. The teardrops breaking free from her tear ducts again confirmed that.
“I-I can’t face them,” she stuttered. “Not after what I did to their son. It’s my fault. Everything’s my fault.”
Next thing she knew, both of Luke’s hands were on her shoulders, turning her to face him. “Hey, stop. None of this is your fault, sweetheart. Do you hear me?”
“It is.” Her head was shaking again. “I’m bad news. Trash. He deserves so much better than me, Luke. If it wasn’t for me, he wouldn’t be lying in that bed, and you know it. Those guys wanted me, not him.”
“So you’re to blame for your dad’s shitty decisions?” He didn’t let her answer. “That’s bullshit and you know it. He’s the one at fault, not you. What kind of man puts his own daughter in danger?”
Leo.
The sound of footsteps approaching had Luke’s grip on her loosening. It was time to face the music.
Rachel’s head twisted to find Hunter’s mom towering over them. She was tall and willowy, her chestnut hair cropped into a sensible bob. But it was her chocolate eyes that held her captive. They reminded Rachel so much of Hunter’s, it hurt her heart.
“You must be Hunter’s girlfriend.” The older woman certainly got to the point. Just like her son.
Shit. Here goes nothing.
“Uh, yes, ma’am. Um, I’m Rachel.” After swiping her wet cheeks, she pushed to her feet and held out her hand, expecting a handshake. She definitely wasn’t expecting to be swooped into a hug, which was exactly what happened next.
“It’s nice to meet you, Rachel, even if it is under these awful circumstances,” the woman gushed, emotion thickening her voice. “Hunter called me just last week and told me all about you. I’m so glad he found you.”
He did? You are?
It didn’t matter though. Rachel was pretty certain his mother wouldn’t feel that way for very long. Especially after finding out that she was the one responsible for her only son being shot.
“Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Campbell.”
Finally releasing her, the woman’s face softened as she took the sight of Rachel in. “Heather. You can call me Heather.”
Rachel nodded, not really sure what else to say. Luckily, she didn’t have to think on it too long, because she was saved by the doctor, who had managed to sneak up on them.
“Campbell family?” He looked questionably between them.
Heather was the first to reply. “Yes, I’m Hunter’s mother.”
After pleasantries were exchanged, Dr. Philips went on to detail Hunter’s surgery. From what she understood, they’d managed to remove the bullet and close the wound. Even though he’d lost a lot of blood and they’d had to perform a transfusion, he hadn’t suffered any internal damage.
Technically, everything the doctor was saying was good news. He rattled off positive buzzwords like “responding well” and “signs of improvement,” but the knot in Rachel’s stomach continued to twist. Getting so tight, it was going to be hard to unravel.
“Yes, you can go in and see him,” Dr. Philips confirmed. “But only one at a time, please.” The doctor scanned the waiting room before continuing. “I think today, we should keep the visits to family only. He’s not long out of surgery and needs as much rest as possible. I don’t want him overexerted.”
Rachel’s heart sank. Family only.
She wanted to protest and was about to when Heather’s palm came to her bicep. “You go in first, Rachel. I’m sure you’re the only person he wants to see right now anyway.”
“Really?” Rachel breathed, her eyes no doubt widening in shock.
“Yes, dear. You go on ahead. I’ll go in after.”
She wasn’t about to argue. So she went. Quickly. Without looking back, in case his mother changed her mind.
It was only when she reached the hospital room door that she hesitated. She could already hear the machines beeping, and the smell of disinfectant, which had been stuck in her throat ever since she’d arrived, seemed more potent.
You can do this. He needs you. And you need to see for yourself that he’s okay.
Clicking open the door, Rachel warily entered, her gaze immediately going to the machines he was hooked up to, then slowly traveling to his IV drip, before finally settling on his face. His handsome and very tired face, which all the color had been leached from.
His eyes remained closed as she approached. It was only when she sat in the chair next to his bed that they fluttered open.
“Honeybun,” he croaked. “Are you okay?”
He tried to turn his head toward her, but it wasn’t cooperating. It only made her heart ache more.
“Am I okay? Are you okay, sugar?” Her hand covered his arm. She had to touch him. Remind herself he was still here. Alive. Breathing.
“Don’t worry about me, honeybun. I’m gonna be fine. Doc says I’ll be good to go in a couple of days.”
Good to go her ass. Google had already told her otherwise. He was looking at a minimum of six weeks recovery. But now was not the time to debate recovery times. Now was the time to thank God he was going to be okay.
She did that in the form of a cuddle. A slightly restricted cuddle where she was more or less just lightly pressing herself against him. But it was what she needed. What they both needed.
“I love you, baby,” Hunter whispered into her neck.
“I love you too, Hunter.”