Chapter 16
Hannah
“ W ould you . . . would you tell me what it’s like to kill someone?”
Rhys’s eyes grew wide, and he looked at me like I might be a little crazy, but over the last couple days, I felt crazy.
I’d been pissed when I went to work yesterday, and Samuel had picked up on my distress.
During lunch, he and I sat outside at one of the picnic tables, and he asked me what happened and why I was so upset.
After telling him basically nothing but enough for him to know I hadn’t heard from Rhys, even though he promised to keep in contact, Samuel gave me a look of understanding.
He reminded me there were always growing pains in a new relationship and that we often bring baggage from our last into the next.
That wasn’t exactly the case with me, but I got his point. I needed to be more understanding of Rhys.
Samuel suggested I work from home for a few days, and the longer I thought about it, the more I agreed.
I would be worthless at the office, so I made the arrangements, and when I woke up this morning, I decided I needed to stop staring at the same four walls in my house.
After calling James to see if Lucian had made any progress on discovering who had sent Granny all that money, he suggested I get away for a day or two.
I tried to reason with him that Rhys would worry, and he had the brilliant idea for me to stay at his place until he returned. It would free up Lucian’s man for other jobs and make watching me easier. It took a little persuading, but I eventually agreed.
Regan and I hit it off from the start, so James left us to get to know each other, promising to let Rhys know where I was, so he wouldn’t worry. Now, it seemed my question had stumped him.
“Why . . . why would you want to know something like that?” he asked. I stepped back and ran my hand down my face.
“To tell you the truth, I’ve got a feeling deep in my stomach that it’s information I’m going to need to know.”
“What’s going on?” he inquired, and I wanted to ask what wasn’t going on but held my tongue. “And not that I’m not happy to have you in my home, but why did James decide to stash you here?”
“Stash? No one stashed me anywhere. I needed a few days off, and he suggested I wait here for you, so Lucian’s security could have a break. He . . . he said I would be safe here and you’d be okay with it.” I paused, feeling like I was a pawn in a game. “Was that wrong?”
“I called, and he made it seem like you wanted to get away from everything . . . including me.” I turned around, not wanting him to see the look on my face, but he approached me from behind and placed his hands on my forearms as he rested his head against the back of mine.
Softly, he pleaded, “Please talk to me.”
“Is there someplace we can sit down?”
He took my hand and guided me into the house. Regan was making something delicious-smelling in the kitchen as we walked through, and to our retreating backs, she said, “I’ll have dinner done within the hour.”
I could hear her giggling as Rhys guided me through a large dining room and down a hallway.
There were doors every fifteen feet or so, but it was the bright light shining through glass doors that drew my attention.
Rhys turned and walked us out the doors and into a beautiful enclosed area with lush plants, comfy-looking chairs, and a small fountain.
After walking me to the table, he pulled out a chair and helped me get comfortable before taking a seat next to me.
He took my hand back into his and looked deeply into my eyes.
I could see madness dancing behind his brown irises, and I wondered if it was always there or if his ‘hunting’ was the cause.
“Tell me what’s going on,” Rhys requested, and I exhaled deeply.
“I’ll admit, I was mad at you for ignoring me.
” He went to speak, but I gave him a look that must have conveyed my need to speak without interruption.
He sat back and gave me a nod, so I continued.
“I now know you were . . . busy, but after you promised to return that night and you didn’t respond to my text or voicemail, the little voices in my head began telling me how you were so much better without me.
” My eyes grew watery. “I know they were lying, but it was hard to fight the fear of abandonment. When I went to work yesterday, Samuel asked why I was upset, and I told him without really telling him anything.”
“And what did he say?”
“He reminded me that every relationship has issues when they first start and the only way to make things better is to talk about it.” I added, “And I understand why you couldn’t contact me, but you didn’t even give me an idea of where you were, and I didn’t know when to worry about you being gone too long. ”
“Remind me to thank him for the solid advice.” He leaned over slowly and pressed his lips to mine. The kiss was simple, and all too soon, it ended. “James said you found something while going through your Granny’s stuff.”
I nodded. “I was going through some of her stuff, trying to keep busy. There was a shoebox with letters, and I found the one from my mother. I kept digging and found all these envelopes filled with cash. Lucian met me yesterday morning and I gave him the letter and the money so he could investigate where it came from.”
“Did the envelopes say where they came from?” he asked as he kissed the back of my hand and smiled at me.
“The postmarks were barely visible, and there weren’t any return addresses. I . . . I don’t know why she kept them or didn’t use the money to help with bills.”
“Granny’s letter from the lawyer said she found out about Sergey a few years after you went to live with her?” he inquired, and I nodded. “What if she didn’t want to spend it for fear it would give him some kind of control over her, and by proxy, you?”
“I didn’t think of that. When I found it, I got confused, then scared, so . . . I tried to call you. That’s when I started to spiral and, well, here we are,” I admitted, and he pulled me into his arms and hugged me deeply.
“There’s nothing I can say to fix what I’ve done wrong over the last few days, but I promise you’ll never have to worry about where I am again.”
“I don’t understand. You said you couldn’t be traced when you’re . . . hunting.”
“Do you remember Devlin telling you about Hailey’s old man, Jacob, or Hatchet, as they call him?
” I nodded, and he smiled at me. “Jacob is super talented, and like your brothers, me, and the Death Hounds, we want to make sure the people we love are protected. Jacob has created a line of jewelry and clothing that allows the wearer to hide weapons for safety. And with James’s help, he’s added a locator to each piece.
I’d like to order us each a bracelet, so when I’m gone or we’re not together, we’ll always know where each other is. ”
I paused for a minute, thinking about the implications of his suggestion.
I had nothing to hide from him since I’d already shared my greatest shame, so I had no objection to him being able to track me.
I liked the idea of knowing where he was and felt protected that he wanted to know where I was too.
It sounded stalkerish, but it made me feel loved.
“I like that idea,” I remarked, and his smile grew. “And I’m sorry for James not telling you where I was. I had no idea he would make it seem like I was running from you.”
“The reason he said that makes sense, even if he won’t admit it, and before you ask, it’s not important. Being here with you, talking about what’s been bothering you so we can have a happier future, is what’s important. I don’t want you to ever question how I feel about you.”
It was hard not to when we’d only been together for five days, but for the last six months, it was Rhys who’d kept an eye on me, checking in and making sure everything was okay.
It was Rhys who’d watched me, ensuring I wasn’t a target.
And it was Rhys who’d explained that the shame I was feeling was natural and nothing to carry guilt over.
I knew he would be patient with me, but at that moment, I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anyone, ever. But it wasn’t the time yet. When it was, I knew the moment would be life-altering, so for now, I hoped he was okay with waiting a little longer.
A noise came from the open doorway and a perky Regan stuck her head into the room. “Dinner’s almost ready.”
“Thanks, Re,” Rhys said, and she smiled before walking away.
“I really like her,” I admitted. Rhys leaned over and kissed me until my toes curled.
“Good, because she likes you too, and I’m afraid if I upset you again, I’ll have to deal with her wrath. And I’d rather fight the madman and the lunatic before I’d piss off Regan.”
He stood and held out his hand to help me. When I was standing in front of him, he pulled me into his muscular chest and kissed my forehead. I looked up at him and asked, “Who’s the madman and the lunatic, and why would they want to fight?”
Rhys burst out laughing so hard, he had to step back and bend over to catch his breath.
I waited for him to explain what was so funny when a baffled Regan slowly walked back into the room, her face filled with confusion and worry as she saw Rhys laughing.
She walked up next to me as Rhys wiped his eyes, his laughter slowing to a chuckle.
“What’s so funny?” she asked me in a low tone.
“I asked who the madman and lunatic were, and he started laughing,” I explained, and she smiled and turned to me.
“Devlin is the madman and Lucian is the lunatic, but I don’t know why that’s so funny,” Regan answered.
She glanced over her shoulder and shook her head with a smile aimed at Rhys before disappearing back down the hall. When he gained his composure, he draped his arm over my shoulder, and we turned to walk out of the room.
“Sorry. I forgot you don’t know them by their reputations,” Rhys said, and I stopped walking and looked at him.
“My brothers are known for being a madman and a lunatic?” I questioned, and added, “Should I be worried?”
“Never of them,” Rhys replied as we walked toward the kitchen. “And never of me.”
“Is there someone I do need to worry about?” I asked, and he shook his head without responding.
After kissing me on the cheek, he walked to the stove and peeked into the pots before saying something to Regan. She nodded and smiled before handing him a pair of oven mitts. I watched them interact and work as a team, and I wondered.
Where do I fit in around here?
Was Rhys being honest about my brothers and their tempers?
Was there really no threat against me, or was he guessing, hoping to ease my concern?
One thing I’d learned over the last few months was there’s no way to know what deal was made with the devil, or when he would be coming for his payment. The only thing I could hope for was that my payment had been made and there weren’t any additional enemies wanting to take Sergey’s place.
Little did I know, it wasn’t Sergey’s place we needed to worry about.