Chapter 34
It had been a week since what had happened to Garth’s wife and his former son-in-law.
And Greer’s brother and best friend. Kurt was trying to run the ranch that was the backbone of his empire without Garth now.
The older man had always been so invaluable.
And he was trying to make sure to spend as much time with the girls as he could.
But whatever had happened to his ranch in Oklahoma—it had definitely been arson.
Kurt just didn’t know who had that much of a problem with him.
He had one more hour on the clock and then he was getting out of there for a while.
Greer’s older sister—the fairy, not the scary—had invited him for dinner at the ranch with the rest of the Hillers.
She’d called him personally. And had even said Greer was okay with it.
If he brought the girls, and if he behaved himself.
Well, Kurt was going to be on his best behavior. This was the first real sign Greer was getting close to forgiving him at all. And Kurt…damn, he loved that stubborn woman. More than words could ever say.
He just had one more thing to deal with in the office first.
Kurt grabbed the stack of notes from Luna, who told him his last meeting was waiting for him—but she didn’t know what it was about. And headed into his office. It was time to wrap things up. His woman was waiting.
He stepped into his office—and stopped.
Kurt didn’t know the man staring at him.
He was ninety-nine percent certain of it.
He would have remembered. The smell to begin with, and the man just looked ragged and unkempt.
He hadn’t shaved in several weeks, but Kurt didn’t think the guy was trying to grow a beard.
And there was dirt streaked across his cheek. “Can I help you?”
He ran the list of open positions he currently had—he didn’t have many.
He tended to fill job openings in his businesses—and keep them filled.
He paid well, he had excellent benefits, and he treated his people the way they should be treated.
But this wasn’t a type of individual Kurt would hire, not with him showing up looking like this.
“You don’t remember me, do you? Knew you when you were a kid.”
“I’m afraid I don’t.”
“Knew your brother. We’re in the system together for years. I heard…you’ve been asking questions. About what happened that day. I’m here to tell you what I know.”
That was when it clicked. Photos—he’d seen mugshots of this guy in the files Lassiter had provided. Hell, they were in the desk drawer at his elbow now. “You’re Dwayne Yunderhall.”
The redheaded man who had tried to take Greer when she had been only nine years old. The bastard.
“Yeah.”
“How long have you been out?” Kurt battled back the rage.
“About ten months. See you’ve done well for yourself. Kev would be proud.”
“If he was alive.” Kurt bit back the anger. This asshole wanted something from him. It was obvious. This was the man who was responsible for the scars on Greer’s body. For the years she’d hurt after. For Kevin’s death. For all of the years Kurt had been so angry.
And he was just casually sitting in Kurt’s office like he had every right to be there.
“What do you want?” Kurt wanted to kill this man. To rip him apart for everything he had done.
For Greer.
The most beautiful, amazing, wonderful, incredible woman Kurt had ever known.
“Just wanted to catch up. Let you know…your brother would have been proud.”
“I don’t think that’s a good thing. Definitely not a compliment. Kevin was there and a thug and apparently a drunken pervert who put his hands on little girls. You think I want to be associated with that?”
“It wasn’t like that. We just drunk and doing something stupid.”
“You almost killed a nine-year-old girl, and you think it was just something stupid? She’ll have lasting pain and scars from you, and what do you want me to give you—a damned cookie? Get out of my office, and stay away from anything or anyone that’s mine. Am I clear.”
If he didn’t get this bastard out of his office, Kurt would kill him.
For her.
How he had ever thought Kevin was a victim that day?
It sank in hard: Kevin hadn’t been any better than the bastard sitting there in front of him.
Kevin had made his choices back then.
Kurt was never going to forget. “Get out.”
The man just stared at him, a sneer on his face. “What makes you think you can make me?”
Kurt stood, to his full six-four height. “Get out. Before I rip you apart. You don’t deserve to breathe the same air as Greer Hiller, and you know it.”
“Hillers got to you, didn’t they? Probably bought you off and everything. Your brother deserves better from you. You were all he cared about, you know. Always talked about reconnecting.”
“Then he shouldn’t have made the choices he did. More than two dozen arrests in ten years, Yunderhall. What kind of a man was he? I wouldn’t have wanted him in my life after what he did to the Hiller girls. How could I? Get out.”
It took a moment, but Yunderhall finally headed for the door. He looked over his shoulder at Kurt. “Must be nice to have all of this. Be a shame if someone took it all away. From people like you…from people like the Hillers, too…Such a shame.”
“Stay away from the Hillers. You go anywhere near them and I’ll destroy you, Yunderhall. I didn’t get to where I am by playing nice. Remember that. You won’t like what happens next if you cross me. Remember that. I am not a man who plays nice now.”
Kurt escorted the bastard to the parking lot himself. He didn’t want Luna anywhere near Yunderhall at all.
After the man was in his truck and driving out of the parking lot, Kurt looked at Luna. “Go home. Lock up everything now. I don’t want you in the building until at least tomorrow afternoon, understood?”
“Who was that man?”
“His name is Dwayne Yunderhall. He’s the one who was driving the car when my brother was killed—and when Greer was hurt. Fifteen years ago. Apparently, that asshole’s been out for almost a year. Just wandering around out there, all over the place.”
Luna’s beautiful green eyes widened. “Does Greer know? I remember when it happened, and the years after. I was in the same class she was. She used to be terrified those guys would come back and take her. She needs to know he’s out and in Value.
She’s going to be so afraid, Kurt. I just know she will. ”
“I’m going to go to her now. Tell her family that he’s back.”
There were tears in her eyes. “She’s going to be so afraid.”
Kurt was going to find the woman he loved. Yunderhall wasn’t ever getting near her again.