Chapter 15 #2
Regan was coming out of her shell, and this past semester, she started attending classes on campus a few days a week. She was slowly making friends, but since she hadn’t spoken about anyone coming over, I was immediately intrigued.
“Who’s her friend?” I questioned as we walked toward the end of the house.
The house was enormous, with nine bedrooms, twelve bathrooms, workout rooms, a theater, a chef’s kitchen, formal dining room, and enough space between it all for real privacy. We were almost at the end when my security replied.
“I got a call this morning from Regan saying your cousin was bringing a friend over to visit. I let him in like I always do, and when he left, her friend stayed.”
“No fucking way,” I barked and began to stalk around the side of the house as the sounds of firing continued.
My security chief was hot on my heels, asking, “Did I fuck up?”
“No, but remind me to smack the hell out of James when I see him next,” I said and saw him visibly relax.
My temper wasn’t a secret, and my security knew if anyone jeopardized Regan’s safety, they would pay with their lives.
Just thinking about James hiding Hannah at my house with Regan made me want to strangle him.
He could have said something instead of beating around the bush with his bullshit.
But then again, I didn’t tell him anything, so why did I feel like he somehow needed to do more than I would?
We rounded the side of the house, and the closer we got to the back yard, the louder the gunfire became.
As soon as I saw her, I exhaled the worry and anger that had been eating me alive since I’d heard from Lucian that she’d gone underground for a few days.
Finding her standing in my back yard, joking with Regan as they took turns firing down range, was a relief.
Almost like she sensed me, she glanced over her shoulder then turned back to fire another magazine at the targets.
My sister turned to look at me and whispered something to Hannah, who nodded. Regan approached me as I stood off to the side and watched as Hannah reloaded and began firing again.
“Damn, I think I love her,” Regan remarked, and I leaned over and gave her a hug.
“Has she said anything?” I asked, and Regan shook her head. “Why didn’t you text me that she was here? I’ve been out of my mind with worry, and James made it seem like he’d stashed her in a safe house.”
“He kind of did, though,” Regan stated as she shrugged.
Turning to look at me, she explained, “She’s hurt and scared, but James thought she’d enjoy the peacefulness around here until you got back.
And she’s wonderful, so don’t run her off,” Regan remarked as Hannah placed the gun back onto the table.
“Don’t be a bulldog when you speak with her.
She’s got a lot on her mind, from what it seems.” I nodded, and she lowered her voice.
“James said something about her father and some secrets when he called this morning about her staying here for a few days.”
I nodded again, and she pinched her lips before patting my shoulder and walking back to Hannah.
Regan said something else to her and gave her a hug before walking inside, leaving me and Hannah alone but still separated by at least fifty feet.
Hannah glanced over her shoulder and back to the table in front of her as I slowly approached.
Just as I got next to her, she stepped to the side and swiped under her eyes.
Knowing I was the cause of her pain and worry was gutting a part of me I didn’t know existed.
Vowing at that moment to be honest and forthcoming with Hannah from that point forward, I moved one step closer to her and spoke softly.
“I know I fucked up, but if you’ll give me a chance to explain, I think you’ll understand. But I want to start by saying I’m sorry and it won’t happen again.”
She brought her blue eyes to me, and I saw hurt looking back at me, hurt I’d caused, and all I wanted to do was pull her into my arms. But that wouldn’t solve anything. I needed to show her I meant what I said, so I carefully reached out and placed my hand on her shoulder.
Deciding to rip the Band-Aid off and be completely honest, I explained.
“I was hunting two men who thought it was okay to catfish a teenage girl, get her to send nudes, then pass them out online to anyone who wanted to see them. I left my phone behind so I couldn’t be traced, and I lost track of time. ”
“You . . . you were hunting someone?” she asked as her eyes grew wide.
I prayed I didn’t scare her with the truth. “I make sure that people who slip through the fingers of justice get the reckoning they deserve.”
“And is that something you do often?” she inquired as she took a step closer to me, her face filled with curiosity.
She was within my reach, and with slow movements, I placed my hands on her hips and tugged her closer to me, expecting her to give me some blowback. I wasn’t expecting her to wrap her arms over my shoulders as I pulled her against me.
“It’s something I do when the need arises, but going forward, I’ll make sure you know so you don’t worry.”
She went to say something, but closed her mouth and turned her head away from me, depriving me of her beautiful gaze. Carefully, I turned her to face me and raised my eyebrows, silently asking what was going through her mind.
“Ask whatever you need, baby,” I said and waited for her to reply.
The silence dragged on longer than I thought it would, and when she said the next statement, I admit I grew deeper in love with her, and discreetly, I pulled my crotch away from her.
She didn’t need to know it was taking everything in my soul to not carry her in the house over my shoulder and fuck her until we both passed out from exhaustion.