34. Greedy

Chapter 34

Greedy

now

I'm sitting in the basement, feeling like an absolute bag of shit, when the doorbell rings upstairs.

Assuming it's the caterers, I ignore it.

When the pounding begins, I throw my head back and curse.

Fucking hell.

Last time someone came pounding on my door, my whole world flipped on its axis. Who the hell is here now, and what do they want?

I stalk up the stairs, my anxiety rising with each step. The pounding is relentless, like it was the morning His Royal Highness first made his appearance. But Kabir is already here. He's still upstairs taking care of Hunter.

"Fuck." I jog the length of the hall, desperate for the echoing sound to stop.

Carelessly, I swing the door wide open without looking out the window on either side of the entry.

Three people stand on my doorstep .

"Is Hunter here?" Josephine Crusade asks, though the question is more of a demand.

She has both hands planted on her hips.

One of her boyfriends, Kendrick Taylor, stands to her right, lowering his fist.

Another man, Kylian Walsh, is standing on her other side. He's not looking at Josephine, though, or even at me. His gaze is fixed on a device in his hand.

"Hey to you too, Joze," I mumble.

"Can we come in?"

Fucking hell. Did Hunter call her? Shame and dread swirl up in a cyclone inside me. Rightfully so.

Every time I think about the look on Hunter's face—the fear I caused, the panic I created— Fuck . It wasn't intentional. I would fucking never… but the way she looked at me, and then the way her demeanor shifted once she made contact with Kabir…

"Greedy?"

"Yeah, come in." I move out of the doorway to make room for the trio. "Did Hunter call you?" I ask as they pull off gloves, boots, and winter coats.

"What?" Josephine asks, pulling the hat from her head. "No. I'm here because I can't get ahold of her."

Kendrick helps her out of her coat, then takes a knee to untie her boots for her, too.

"She hasn't returned any of my calls or texts for the last few days."

I wince and give her an apologetic smile. "The reception sucks out here sometimes."

Kylian lifts his head, taking his eyes off his phone. "I could fix that."

Joze wraps her arms around Kylian's waist. "We're heading out of town the day after tomorrow," she says to me. "I just wanted to see Hunter before we left. "

My heart softens at that. As uncomfortable as things have been between Hunter and me since she returned, I couldn't be more thankful that she's got a friend like Joze.

"Come on in," I tell them, guiding them deeper into the cabin. "Kitchen is that way, and there's a bathroom down that hall."

The guests follow me to the staircase, where I pause. "Hunter's upstairs," I tell them, nodding to the landing above. "All the way up, then take the narrow set of stairs up to the primary."

Kendrick searches my face, and Josephine knits her brows together in a clear show of confusion. Before she can question me, I shake my head.

"I have a few things to take care of," I offer casually. "Good to see you guys. Merry Christmas if I don't see you again before you leave."

With a dip of my chin, I turn away and leave them at the base of the staircase.

I need out. Out of this house. Out of this whole situation.

I'm glad Joze is here. Hunter needs her, especially now.

It wouldn't surprise me if her perception of me changes by the time they leave today. Either way, I'm not interested in sticking around to find out.