Chapter 13
THIRTEEN
KYLIE
I was back in my scrubs again with my curls tied up in a bun at the top of my head.
In the physical therapy room, I was working with one of my usual patients who had been making immense progress.
The day had gone by more quickly than I anticipated.
It was nearly six in the evening already, and he was my last client of the day.
As I helped him back on to his wheelchair, the doors of the therapy room burst open, and I looked up with a jerk to find Hunter at the door.
I felt my muscles stiffen and my body tense up with fright. Hunter did not look pleased. But what else could I have expected from a guy like him? I had deserted him without warning while he was in the shower. A man like Hunter would not simply let it go.
I helped the older man on his wheelchair and tried keeping my eyes averted from Hunter.
The last thing I wanted was for him to cause a scene in front of one of my patients.
I had seen the look in his eyes already, bloodshot and narrowed.
Hunter’s blue eyes were dripping with rage.
He looked dangerous standing there by the door.
His legs spread apart, his clenched fists by his side, his shoulders heaving.
Despite myself, I couldn’t help but feel that sizzle under my skin again.
He had a strange way of turning me on. Unlike with Tony, I wasn’t afraid of Hunter.
I was attracted to him. I was reminded of his hands on my body, that firm mouth of his on my nipples, on my pussy.
I had to press my thighs together, because I could feel a throb between them. I was wet just looking at him.
“Same time next week?” I spoke to my patient in a calm manner, hoping that Hunter would see he couldn’t scare me. No, I wasn’t scared; I just didn’t expect my body to react with such physical force to his presence in the room.
The man nodded, patted my hand in the way of gratitude then started wheeling himself towards the door.
I looked up to see that Hunter was still glaring at me.
Almost grudgingly, he stepped aside to let my patient wheel passed him, and when he was gone, Hunter swiftly turned the key in the lock.
There was absolute silence in the room, and I was sure that he could hear my madly beating heart.
“What are you doing here?” I asked him, jutting my chin up in the air.
It took Hunter four long strides to come to a sudden jerking halt right in front of me. I felt goosebumps erupt on my skin. I could smell him and feel the warmth of his hulking body right in front of me. I had to crane my neck up to look at him.
“I could ask you the same thing,” Hunter said, and I widened my eyes at him.
“I’m at work. This is my job. It’s not surprising that I’m here,” I replied and crossed my arms over my breasts. I glanced at the locked door again, and he saw me do that.
“Don’t worry, Kylie. You’re not a prisoner here. You are free to leave whenever you like. I just wanted some privacy while we talked,” Hunter spoke, and even though he was trying to reassure me, I could see that he was still angry.
I squared my shoulders and met his eyes straight on. If there was one thing that being with Tony had taught me, it was the importance of not portraying weakness.
“Okay, then tell me what you are doing here,” I said to him, and Hunter took in a deep breath.
“You left while I was in the shower. You left without a word. You made me think that you wanted to stay. So, tell me, Kylie. What’s your game?
” Hunter was snarling as he spoke, and his nostrils were flared.
While I could tell Hunter was angry, this wasn’t the same familiar rage that I would see on Tony’s face.
I jutted my nose up higher in the air, clutching my arms tightly with my hands as I hugged myself.
I could feel my voice cracking already. Would he even understand?
But there was no point in lying. It was for the best that he knew the truth.
I had no other explanation for why I left so suddenly other than the truth.
“I saw your patch,” I told him and tipped my chin towards the patch on his leather jacket, the one I foolishly hadn’t noticed earlier. In fairness, Hunter had never tried to hide it. He looked confused now, his brows crossed, and he looked over at his arm.
“And?” he said, jerking his head back at me.
“You’re a member of a Motorcycle Club,” I said to him, gritting my teeth.
He still didn’t realize the significance of what I was saying, that I didn’t want to be with a guy like him.
“Bad Disciples. That’s what it says, you’re a part of a MC,” I continued, and Hunter still looked lost. The anger in his eyes was diffusing only to be replaced by more confusion now.
“I know that, and now you know that, too. What is the problem, Kylie?” he was speaking in a low growl, and I took in a deep breath and licked my lips. I would have to spell it out for him; I had no other choice.
“I can’t be with someone in a MC. I can’t have you in my life, not when I have a son to think of,” I continued, and Hunter scanned my face for more clues, looking me up and down.
“I thought you knew when you met me. Didn’t you see my patch? I thought it was evident,” he said in a different kind of voice. He wasn’t as enraged as before, just at a loss of words.
“No, I hadn’t figured it out till I saw the patch in your apartment.
Maybe I was being naive and knew all along but just didn’t want to admit it to myself, because I was attracted to you,” the words came out in a gush from me before I could stop it.
I hadn’t wanted to admit to him how I felt, but there it was, hanging out in the open for him to digest.
Hunter’s blue eyes diffused more, and he took a small step in my direction. When I stepped away from him, he stopped.
“What is the problem, Kylie? So what if I’m in a MC? I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said in a softer voice now, and once again, I was reminded of how different he was from Tony, how he could make me feel safe around him with just one look.
I shook my head wildly, sensing hot tears pricking the backs of my eyelids. I hadn’t spoken about Tony and what I had been through for a long time. Even with Joan, I had only skimmed through the basics. I had not given her any details.
“My ex, Carter’s father…he joined a MC, too. It’s what ruined our relationship,” I said and looked down at my feet with embarrassment.
Hunter was silent for a few moments, and then I heard the growl in his voice.
“What did he do to you?” he asked through gritted teeth. The rage in his voice made me look back up at him.
“He was a heavy drinker, he cheated on me multiple times, he was violent…” my voice trailed off. I wasn’t able to bring myself to tell Hunter exactly how bad it got with Tony. I looked over and saw his fist clench.
“What is his name? Who is he?” he snarled through gritted teeth, and the anger I saw in his eyes was new to me.
His face was tight, red with rage. It was like he was blinded by what I had said.
For some reason, though, I could tell that the anger was not directed at me. It was directed at whoever hurt me.
“You don’t need to know his name,” I said flatly, and Hunter strode towards me and placed his arms gently on my shoulders.
“What is his name, Kylie? I’m going to kill that motherfucker for laying a hand on you!” Hunter said tightly. I could see that he meant every word of what he was saying.
“He joined some MC called the Dragon Knights. That’s all you need to know,” I said, a shake entering my voice now. The last thing I wanted was to cause violence. No matter how much I despised Tony, or how afraid of him I was, I didn’t want him dead.
Hunter dropped his hands from my shoulders.
“The Dragon Knights? Your ex is a part of the fucking Dragon Knights?” he was loud, his voice was ringing around the room, and I was glad that it was nearly the end of the day. There wouldn’t be too many of my colleagues still there in the building.
“Do you know them?” I asked, and from the look on his face, it was clear that he did.
“Did they do anything to you?” he growled, and I shook my head in confusion. I had no idea what he was talking about. This wasn’t about The Dragon Knights; it was about Tony.
“No, I don’t know what you mean,” I cried as Hunter paced around, running his hands through his hair over and over again. What the hell was going on? I reached up and lightly grabbed Hunter’s shoulder.
“Hunter, what’s the matter? Why is it such a big deal that he’s a part of the Dragon Knights?”
Hunter finally stopped pacing and turned to look at me.
“They were running a prostitution ring. Did you know about this? Did they try to get you involved?” Hunter’s voice was full of concern.
My mouth fell open as images of Tony and his friends raced through my mind.
Everything started to slowly click into place.
The random girls that would call asking where he was, him leaving in the middle of the night saying he had to take care of things, all of the comments the rest of the guys made whenever we were together.
All this time I thought he was cheating on me or getting drunk with the rest of the guys.
I never realized how truly wrong I was. I felt tears begin to form in the corners of my eyes.
“I had no idea. They never got me involved. Maybe it was after I had left him already?” I said in a small voice, and Hunter was staring at me again, his eyes were full of worry.
“You can tell me if they forced you into anything, Kylie. I won’t let any of them get away with it. I will burn all of them if I have to. You just have to say the word,” he rushed towards me again.