Chapter 11
Hunter
The sound of Spencer’s phone ringing tugs me from my deep sleep, stirring me from the quiet calm.
I don’t want to open my eyes. I’ve never slept so well.
My nights have always been restless. My mind playing out all the things I need to do.
My father’s voice chastising me in the background, bearing down until I wake up in a sweat.
But last night, the tension that’s had me leashed all my life wasn’t there. And this morning, I feel lighter.
I roll over, reaching for the one who’s to blame for the peace—and the incredible soreness in my bones makes me very aware of my morning wood.
Fuck, it was a good night. The best of my life.
And now I’m hungry for more. When my hand comes up empty, gripping onto nothing but a cold sheet, my eyes open.
Spencer isn’t here. I sit up, looking around the room, suddenly feeling like I’m caught in a dream still.
There are no dark wooden walls. No picturesque view of the mountainside.
No navy plush blankets that smell rugged and sexy as fucking hell.
There’s nothing but white. White sterile walls.
White light beaming in from the glass wall overlooking a dirty city.
A cold white comforter that smells like me.
I rub my eyes, shaking my head, but it doesn’t change. I’m home. In my condo. Why the fuck am I here?
I’m out of bed, getting woozy at the dizziness and dropping back down. He drugged me. He drugged me and brought me home. What in the fuck happened? We weren’t done. Last night was fucking everything.
The tension is back. Rage tearing through the memory.
How could he fucking do this? Why did he bring me back?
I felt it down to my soul. There was something stronger at play.
Something so powerful it imprinted on my heart.
And I know I wasn’t alone. I saw it in his eyes.
I felt it in his touch. In the way he kissed me. Fuck.
The phone ringing makes me jump. I reach for it, hope flaring that he’s calling to explain what’s going on.
But it’s my father’s name on the screen.
I hit the button sending it to voicemail then I scroll through checking for a text, an email, something from Monk.
But there’s nothing. No trace of him anywhere.
My dad starts calling in again, and I toss my phone on the bed, storming into my bathroom to check the mirror. The bruises are still on my face, starting to turn yellow, and my ribs are still sore as fuck. I didn’t imagine it. It wasn’t some twisted fantasy my mind conjured up. It was real.
A roar tears from my throat, rattling the mirror hanging on the wall.
Why the fuck did he bring me back? Because he fucking despises you, Hunter.
I shake my head, refusing to accept that answer.
If he hated me so much, he would’ve followed through with his plan.
He would’ve broken me limb by limb and torn my world to shreds, but he brought me home knowing I could call the cops and have him arrested for what he did.
He made love to me for hours last night.
He held me in his arms and listened as I poured my soul out, revealing truths I’ve never told a soul.
He opened up to me about everything. Prison. Banks. His mom.
No, goddammit! There was a connection between us. I fucking felt it, and I know he did to.
I’m storming out in search of clothes and my keys, heading to Boon Ridge.
But as I drive up through the mountains, winding through the roads, I can’t find a single road leading to any log cabin.
His place was huge, there’s no way you can’t see it from the road, yet I drive for hours and never come across it.
I slam my hand down on the wheel, swerving off to the side of the road and put my car in park. “Fuck!”
My phone goes off for the millionth fucking time and I need it to fucking stop.
“What?” I shout into the line. Why the fuck won’t my father just leave me alone?
“What?” he snaps back. “Don’t you mean ‘yes, sir’? I’ll let that slide since your ass is sick, but I demand respect, Hunter.”
Yeah, and I demand him to fucking leave me alone. I’m done with him. I realized last night how toxic he’s been in my life. I’ll take the blame for my actions, but I’ll definitely say I was operating under fear. He terrorized me. But I’m not a kid anymore.
“Now, tell me what the hell is going on, Spencer? I just got word that Colannas has another heavily interested party. They’ll be meeting with the company on Thursday. That gives you two days to find out the terms of the deal they’re being offered and then make them an offer they can’t refuse.”
Like hell I’m stopping anything. My father is going to burn at the stake. I’m going to take him down and let him answer for his sins.
“Now, you need to find out everything about Monk Enterprises and what their interest is in Colannas. We don’t need anyone coming in and trying to uproot the system.”
Wait… What did he just say?
“What is the name of the company?”
“Geez, boy. Are you hard of hearing? I said Monk Enterprises. Now get your sick ass out of bed and get to work.”
The line goes dead, and my heart starts to race. Monk Enterprises. That’s him. It has to be. Which means I know exactly where he’ll be this Thursday.