Chapter 12

12

M y heavy eyelids finally open.

The moment they do, I have a moment of panic. Where am I?

Then everything comes flooding back in short bursts, switching from one to the next in rapid fire.

Hunter.

My father.

Being kidnapped.

My grandmother.

My pending death.

It's all too much.

My chest aches from the turmoil. I'm not sure I'll survive this world—a world I know nothing about. A small part of me wants to give up and run away. I'm not strong enough for this life—for Hunter's life.

A new pain settles in my stomach. Hunter's words from last night replay in my mind. "I'm the son of someone who wants to cause you and your family harm. I'm a killer. I'm only here because you were promised to me."

I thought I could have actually meant something to him. Who am I kidding? I hardly know the man. How foolish was I to expect someone like him to have any kind of honest feelings for me?

Rolling onto my side, I face the glass door Hunter pushed me against last night. I bring my hand up, wiping my face and clearing that thought from my mind. Hunter is nothing to me, and I am nothing to him.

The sunlight shines into my room, and the clear blue sky and the tops of green trees are visible in the distance.

Where exactly am I?

Picking up my phone, I see six missed calls from the diner. I groan. This can't be happening. For someone who seems to be so on top of everything, I wonder why Hunter didn't call and tell them I've quit.

I slide from between my blankets and settle the cover over my legs. After a deep breath, I dial the diner's number and wait. Jenny, the diner manager and chef, answers.

"Hey, Jenny, it's Aelina."

I hear a sigh. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry, I should have called."

"It's okay. I understand you had an emergency."

"I'm sorry, what?" I question hesitantly as I climb out of bed.

"Aelina, we received a phone call before closing last night saying that you weren't coming back, that you'd quit."

"What? And you believed them?"

"What am I supposed to think? He said he was a family member and that you had an emergency you had to leave for."

Hunter.

"Sorry, Jenny."

Jenny sighs, then says, "There was also a guy who came in here last night looking for you, and I told him you'd quit."

I shift my attention out the glass door and slide out of bed. I'm too distracted to reply to Gary as I walk to the door, unlock it, and step out onto the patio.

It's a fresh morning. Goose bumps rise as the cool breeze brushes over my skin.

"Wait, Jenny..." I hold my breath, hoping she's still there.

"Yeah?" she grumbles.

"Uh...who was it that was looking for me? Did he give you a name?"

Jenny releases a huff. "I don't know. Some guy. Said he was family like I said."

"Thanks, Jenny. I'm sorry about that. I really am." I grimace and end the call before she can say anything as I wrap my arms around myself.

Who would be looking for me there?

Could it be my father or possibly someone from Hunter's family who was at the diner?

"Why is this happening to me?" I ask the forest that stands proud and tall in front of me.

"Because you're someone important."

I spin around at the sound of May's voice. Her slim body leans against the doorway leading from my room to the patio with her arms folded. She's wearing a fitted dark pair of jeans with a light pink and white floral button-up shirt. Very country-like.

Rolling my eyes, I say, "What? Do you and Hunter practice those lines together?" My lips purse.

May simply laughs. "You have your father's smartass attitude." She shakes her head.

"I think he went to my old place of work last night."

May's brow furrows. "Last night, you say?"

I nod, not taking my eyes off her.

She shakes her head, then unfolds her arms and rubs her hands on her dark jeans. "Well, get dressed, and come have some breakfast."

I open my mouth to respond, but she's turned her back and is now rushing out my bedroom door. "Was it something I said?" I mumble.

Stepping back inside, I catch a faint smell. It causes my heart rate to spike. It's Hunter's woodsy scent. My eyes trail around my room, but he's not there.

Picking up the top of my shirt, I smell it. His scent is all over my clothes. I grab a new shirt from the closet, slip off my old Hunter-scented one, and toss it to the floor. My door flies open, and my hands instantly react. I cover my chest, even though I have a sports bra on, but it probably shouldn't worry me, given he pretty much saw everything in the shower last night.

"What the hell?"

Hunter stops, assesses my attire, and promptly turns around, shutting the door. I pull the fresh shirt over my head while Hunter stands there. "Sorry for barging in."

"Ya think so?" I snap.

All the bitterness he left with me last night returns the moment he speaks.

He doesn't want you, Aelina. He probably wants you dead.

He sighs, his shoulders sagging. "Can I talk to you, please? "

"I guess I don't have a choice, do I? You're in here, so speak." I fold my arms across my chest and put on my best not-interested-in-you face—pursed lips, angry eyes, and a furrowed brow all make the list.

Hunter turns, his stare causing my breath to hitch. Right away, I hate myself for my reaction. He is dressed as though he's about to go strutting down the catwalk—black suit pants and a light blue button-up shirt. My thoughts reflect on last night and how my fingers traced over the perfection of his body.

My body heats on its own accord.

Hunter clears his throat, pulling me back to the now. Angry Aelina. "May told me about what happened at the diner last night."

I roll my eyes. "Yes, and?" I ask, unable to hide my sarcasm.

"And... you should be more concerned, Aelina. This isn't some game. If you were there last night, you most likely would have been taken by your father and delivered to mine. My father has been waiting for the last twenty-six years for revenge on your father because he thinks they took you and your sisters away from them, and the promises made between the families were broken. How much more do I need to spell this out for you? If your father gets a hold of you before I get to present you as my future wife, he'll take you to my father, who will hold nothing back because of your family's betrayal. He will kill your father and you," he shouts, his face going red and the veins in his neck popping out.

I step back, but Hunter tracks my movement. He walks around the other side of the bed and stands at the patio's glass door, blocking my escape. "I don't understand, why now? And why haven't they just killed my father? Surely, he isn't that good at hiding. None of this makes sense. I have no knowledge and grew up thinking I had no family. How is my death a form of payment? And if my father is going to be killed, why would he risk that?" I'm exasperated with the circles we keep talking in.

"I know this is a lot, and I'm sorry. If I thought there was another way, I would have pursued that, but things have escalated with your father's reappearance. I need you to understand the severity of it all. Death is all that awaits you unless you're at my side. And yes, I'm being selfish in this. I want what is mine." His eyes flare with the last word, a slight growl rumbling in his chest, making my breath catch. "My father is unpredictable at best, but with you standing by my side, my family isn't allowed to touch you," he states, hanging his head low.

It's obvious this is weighing on him. I want to touch him, reassure him that I'm okay, but I don't move, even though a part of me is being pulled toward him. I have to fight the desire to go to him, to keep my feet planted on the spot. "I get it. But would this have happened if you hadn't shown up at my place of work?"

Hunter shrugs, and my eyes land on his large shoulders, moving up and down. "My father told me that he'd heard talk that you are alive. He didn't tell me how he knew." He turns his body and leans against the glass. "He told me that a year ago and set me the job of finding you. It took me months to locate you, and it was a good thing I did."

"So he sent you to find me. Why bring me here then?"

"Because I want things to be different, and so do our grandmothers. Those silly old bats concocted this whole thing. My granny made sure I was brought up right and not a stone-cold killer who followed every single one of my father's orders."

I move toward my bed and sit on the edge. "I get that you want things differently. I get that maybe us working together will do that. But I guess I'm not on the same page."

Hunter moves to the opposite side of my bed. "When couples from separate families come together, they're the most powerful. They have a hold over both parties. Your words could mean the difference between whether someone lives or dies. You get to decide what becomes of the underworld and the people who follow those families, who work with them, who run their business. Every aspect. Me and you together are something so powerful no one could stop us."