Chapter Twenty-Seven
OCEAN
Three weeks until shit gets real…
Ever since Coby snuck out to the cabin only to come back shortly after, she’d been giving me the cold shoulder.
The space between us had grown so wide that today, I got my mom and cousins to take her out for brunch and a spa day.
In the meantime, I would get to the bottom of her attitude.
I knew Coby was angry at me for keeping Hunter my little secret, but something else must have happened because I’d overheard her grumbling shit about Hunter, too.
Once I reached the cabin, I let myself inside.
Hunter was sitting on the couch, a towel wrapped around her. Her dark-brown skin and the tight coils of her natural hair were still dripping water from her recent shower.
When she turned her head, I saw the tears streaming freely down her face as she stared back at me.
As if it hurt to see me, Hunter inhaled a deep breath and then returned to staring at the flames flickering in the fireplace.
I moved to the couch because I couldn’t help myself.
I had to be near her. But I forced myself to sit on the opposite end to give her space.
“Why didn’t you go with them?”
Because nothing gets by my mother, she discovered that Hunter was staying in the cabin days ago and took it upon herself to check on her and bring her and Coco supplies.
After meeting Hunter once, my mom fell in love with her instantly, which only got me an earful when she figured out alarmingly fast what I was up to.
She’d given me a withering look and said, “Boy, you better be careful.”
My mom had invited Hunter out with her and Coby, but apparently, the girl quietly sobbing on the couch alone had declined the invitation.
“I wasn’t hungry,” she whispered.
“Hunter,” I said after we sat in silence for too long. “What happened with you and Coby?”
“I told her everything, and we fought. We fought because I couldn’t.” As if he could sense his mother’s sadness, Coco whined from his spot between her feet, where he was curled up.
Unable to maintain so much space between us anymore, I pulled her into my side, and she came without a fight, curling into my side.
Coco followed, and I scooped him up since he was too small to jump onto the couch himself and placed him in my lap.
Once Hunter and Coco were settled, I tipped her chin back so that I could see her eyes. “What couldn’t you do, Vengeance?”
“I couldn’t be with her. I couldn’t be with you.”
“Why?”
“Because I was scared. I’m not meant to be happy, Ocean. I’ll just ruin it for those who are.”
“Who told you these things?” Hunter didn’t come to this conclusion on her own, and I’ll kill whoever put those thoughts in her head.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does.”
“Ocean.” She sighed, sounding more like herself already. “Let it go.”
Never. But I will… for now. My murder list never ends.
“Well, since you don’t want to hang out with my mom and Coby, you’re spending the day with me. Go get dressed.” I nodded toward the bedroom. We’re heading out soon, so wear something warm but comfortable.”
The cabin fever must have been setting in because Hunter didn’t argue. Ten minutes later, we were leaving the cabin.
“It’s freezing,” she remarked. Under her short, black winter coat with an oversized fur hood, she wore a black, fitted Dri-FIT jacket, matching leggings that highlighted her curves, and snow boots.
I touched my mouth, swearing I’d felt a little drool at the corner.
“We should be getting more snow soon,” I replied, wondering about the last time I had to make small talk. I was used to having conversations about death, money, and power. And the people on the other side of it always preferred skipping over the niceties and getting right to it.
A fully recovered Paul was waiting for us as instructed. Hunter taunted him with a wave of her fingers, and I punished her with a hard slap to her delectable ass that made her yelp before she quickly climbed into the back of the Denali.
“I assume this means the wedding won’t be taking place soon?” she asked once Paul drove off. Anyone else might think she was merely curious, but I knew better.
“The wedding will happen in a few weeks as planned,” I confirmed.
The winters were particularly dreary and harsh this close to the Great Lakes, so a winter wedding wasn’t ideal.
“You sure? I heard May weddings are all the rage,” Hunter suggested a little too amicably.
I slid my tongue over my front teeth and stuffed my hands in my pockets to keep them to myself. Sometimes, I didn’t know if I wanted to wring Hunter’s neck or kiss her. “And it’s time enough for Coby to get cold feet, huh?”
Hunter didn’t reply, telling me I’d hit the nail on the head.
“It doesn’t matter when Coby marries me,” I said without hiding a damn thing I was feeling from her.
“Only that she does. I know you want to stay, Hunter, even if you won’t admit it.
I suggest you stop trying to jeopardize what I have with Coby and start figuring out what it is that you want from her, or else Coby will never forgive you. ”
Hunter crossed her arms, and the movement had my gaze lowering against my will. The tops of her heavy breasts were now spilling from the unzipped portion of her jacket, and I briefly lost my train of thought. “You’re one to talk.”
“Yeah? How so?”
“Because you want to have your cake and eat me too.” She smirked. “And when has that ever worked out for anyone?”
I grew hard at the thought of eating Hunter’s pussy. “Probably never. But I’m not just anyone, Hunter, and once I get my dick deep inside you, you’ll know it too.”
“I hate you.”
“No, Vengeance. You don’t. You only wish you did.”
I caught Hunter’s nostrils flaring before she turned her head to stare out the window.
The rest of the drive passed in stilted silence.
When we reached our destination, I smirked to myself when I saw her perk up in my peripheral, but I pretended I didn’t as I stepped from the Denali and held out my hand.
Hunter ignored it and climbed out. As soon as her feet touched the ground, I placed my hand on the small of her back, and she stumbled a step.
Abel, who had beaten us here, strode forward to meet us as we approached.
“I did a sweep of the building. It’s all clear,” he said while glancing nervously between Hunter and me. I already knew what he would say before he spoke. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“It’s fine,” I told him as we entered the building.
It was unusually quiet since we had the entire place to ourselves today, but Hunter was already looking around suspiciously, as if she were seeking out another trap.
Or planning her escape.
I led her over to the heavy double doors with multiple safety signs hanging on them and a grim-looking man standing in front.
“Kilpatrick,” the range safety officer greeted gruffly.
“Stoll.” I shook the older man’s hand.
He grunted grumpily and then turned to lead us inside the control booth—a long stretch of hallway between the bathroom, office, and cleaning room on the left side and firing lanes behind a bulletproof wall on the right.
“Your man got everything set up for you,” Stoll said after letting us inside the firing lanes and over to one of the booths in the middle. “Handguns, safety gear, mags, and ammunition.”
“Thanks, Stoll.”
“I’m told you have some experience. I assume you know the safety and firing regulations, young lady? Same as any other range.”
“Yes, sir.” Hunter’s smile was genuine now as she eagerly eyed the array of weapons for her choosing.
“Okay, then. I’ll leave you to it. Range is hot.”
Stoll shuffled out, leaving us alone.
Well, mostly alone.
Abel had taken up guard by the door, and I knew more were posted at every exit in the building to keep anyone from coming or going without my express permission.
Hunter and I secured our eyes and ears with safety goggles and earplugs, but when she reached for one of the handguns, she stopped, and I tracked her nervous gaze toward the door where Abel was openly watching her every move.
“No one will hurt you,” I assured her.
Hunter forced her gaze away from Abel to regard me. “I think he’s more afraid I will hurt you.”
“We’re all afraid of that, Hunter. Even you.”
Her expression was thoughtful now. “Then why did you bring me here?”
I leaned against the divider separating this booth from the next one. “Because I’m choosing to trust you anyway.”
Hunter inhaled sharply and then turned away from me to snatch up one of the magazines and a box of ammunition. “Well, don’t expect me to return the favor.”
I didn’t respond as I pressed the button to call the backboard from the end of the firing range, and then I grabbed a paper target to hang. Once that was set up, I sent the target back while Hunter grabbed a handgun, locked the magazine in place, and chambered a round.
The target stopped ten yards away.
Hunter looked over her shoulder at me with her brow raised, and I grinned as I pressed the button again and sent it to fifteen yards.
She rolled her eyes but took aim as soon as the target stopped. I watched her shoot maybe five rounds before I was willing my dick to behave. I brought her here to see her shoot for myself, but I did not count on what it would do to me.
Remembering why I needed to see her shoot, I opened my eyes just as she emptied the clip. I pressed the button to retrieve the target, and even before it stopped in front of us, I could see the tight grouping at the center.
One look at Abel had him walking over to see for himself.
Hunter was silent but tense as she silently filled another clip.
Abel inspected the paper and tried not to look impressed. “Can you do that again?” he asked skeptically.
Hunter shrugged while avoiding our gazes. “Sure.”
I hung another target and pressed the button. This time, I sent it to twenty-five yards. The maximum distance for the pistol range.
Hunter took aim and emptied the clip.