HUNTER

My plan is to hide from Suzanne for a while. However, I text her on Siobhan's phone to say I'm okay. Unwilling to be ignored, Suzanne immediately calls me.

Taking the phone, I hide in Tack's bedroom and shut the door. His white walls are empty except for a 42-inch flat screen. His small closet is filled with clothes. My gaze zeroes in on a dog bed in the corner. Frowning, I can't recall Tack ever mentioning having a dog, even when we talked about pets last night.

I'm distracted from the dog question by my mother's sobs. "My baby," she whimpers, sounding broken in an unexpectantly fragile way. "I don't know what to do."

"There's nothing to do right now."

"I saw the videos of the shootout. I saw you trapped in that madness. You were covered in blood, but Aunt Fred said you weren't shot. I don't know what to believe."

A sob rises in me. "It's Atticus's blood. He just exploded from all the gunshots. He died because of me."

"No."

"I should have stayed at the estate."

"You were trying to get somewhere safe."

"I put them all at risk."

After mumbling no, Suzanne cries along with me. There's nothing really to say or do. After we cry for five minutes, we both settle down and regain our composure. Even after our tears end, I feel drained of all my energy.

"Are you in pain?" Suzanne asks.

"Yes. The injuries aren't serious, but I'm in pain."

"Aunt Fred wants you to stay at the farm. I've had the jet leave Banta City like she suggested. I want to send security to you. We can get you back to the estate. Or sneak you out of town and take you somewhere else."

"I want to stay with Tack."

Maybe startled by my curt tone, Suzanne hesitates before asking, "Is that safe?"

"I don't know, but he put himself on the line for me today."

"I saw him save you in the videos."

"Where did you find these videos?"

"They're all over the news, even here in Hong Kong."

My heart hurts at how I put so many people at risk and placed a target on Tack and the Backcountry Kings.

"And you can see me in the videos?"

"Yes, baby. People started recording after the initial accident. I saw you dragged out of the SUV."

"How can I leave the farm if people might recognize me?" I ask, startled by how panicked and high-pitched my voice gets.

"Are you safe there?"

"You know where the farm is located and how it's run. This place is probably as safe as the estate. Maybe more so since no one drives by the farm without wanting something. But even if it isn't as safe as the estate, I can't go back there. Not yet. It makes me think of Atticus and the other staff who died."

Suzanne sighs, feeling powerless after watching those videos of the chaos. "I should swoop in there and take you away," Suzanne insists.

"Where would we go?"

"I don't know, but it's a big world. We could throw on some wigs and go incognito for weeks or months. Whatever it takes. We can location hop until the problem is solved."

As much as I'd love to travel the world with my mom, I want to stay with Tack.

"The Backcountry Kings risked their lives for me today. The world outside the farm and away from these people terrifies me. Does that make sense?"

"We could stick a wig on Tack and bring him along."

Though I chuckle at the visual, we both know Tack won't want to run off. His people nearly died today. The club is in the mix now.

As exhaustion washes over me, I say, "The time difference is wild between us, but can I call you later? I need to talk to Austen. She sounded so upset in her voicemail. Stress is bad for her pregnancy."

"Hearing from you would likely help her."

"I'll call Austen and then rest for a while. I promise I'll call you before bed."

"Is staying at the farm what you truly want?"

"I'm scared to be away from Tack. He's saved me twice. If we leave, I feel like he'll be in more danger. That might change tomorrow. But for today, I need to stay here."

"Okay, baby. I'll trust Aunt Fred and the club to watch out for you."

After we hang up, I nearly talk myself out of calling Austen. All these years, I've wished she could let go of what happened to us at her father's ranch. Yet, now, after today, when people died because of me, I understand why she couldn't move on. Her panic attacks were never as much about what was done to her as what those men did to me. For over a decade, she carried such terrible guilt. I think a part of her will never forgive herself.

Now, I've become the catalyst for suffering. My guilt wants to destroy me.

When Austen answers, she speaks in a quiet, reassuring tone, "I won't ask if you're okay. I saw the news. I know you aren't okay, so I'll ask if you need anything."

"You sounded upset in the voicemail."

"I didn't know if you were alive when I called earlier. I was flipping out. Walla Walla helped calm me down. Everyone here at the Lodge is babying me tonight. That's why I sound sane."

"I'm not sure how to deal with these feelings. Not only the fear but the guilt. People died because of me. What do I do?"

"Do you really want to know or are you simply venting? Because it's okay to vent."

"I want the truth."

"My advice is to feel the guilt and fear. Dive headfirst into the pain. I was so afraid to feel bad that I twisted myself into becoming someone else. I was in a constant state of mild panic over the very idea of feeling panic. Now, when I feel bad, I don't hide from it. I face the pain, knowing it won't kill me. Your fear over what happened today won't kill you, either."

Feeling too depressed to edit myself, I blurt out, "I never blamed you for what happened at your dad's ranch."

"I know, but I blamed myself. I was why we were there. I trusted them. I put you in that position. Of course, I didn't make them do anything, but I still feel guilty. Just like you do right now."

"I keep seeing Atticus dying."

"After what happened at my father's ranch, you clung to Mom and went everywhere she did. Even if you were in pain from your broken nose, you wouldn't hide. I think that helped you. Meanwhile, I was afraid of my own shadow and hid from the world. I've only gotten better here in McMurdo Valley once I stopped hiding from what scared me. But you always knew to face your fears. Don't let the guilt trick you into thinking differently now."

"What if being here puts Tack and everyone else on the farm in danger?"

"Let them decide. You and I aren't accustomed to this violent world. These people aren't shrinking violets. They kept you alive today. Trust Tack to be square about what to do."

Exhaling deeply, I tear up. "I'm afraid to leave this room."

"I love you, Hunter. You've been through the wringer over the last few days, but you will survive this darkness. So, I want you to say you love me. Then, I want you to hang up and open the door. Go find Tack and stick close to him. Siobhan too. Don't be alone. That's not you."

"I love you, Austen."

"When I see you after this is all over, I expect lots of juicy gossip about Tack and you. Until then, go get a hug from your sexy biker."

Smiling, I hang up the phone and do as my sister instructed. I force my ass to the door. Once I'm through it, I keep walking until I reach the porch, where Tack sits on the front swing with Siobhan and Indigo. They all look up when I appear. Siobhan jumps to her feet and hugs me.

"It's going to be okay."

Sniffling, I relax in Siobhan's familiar embrace while looking over her shoulder at Tack. His temple is swollen from a bullet grazing his flesh. His blue eyes are relaxed. I see him searching my face for signs of my mood.

"I talked to Suzanne and Austen. They agree I should leave what happens next to you and the club."

"You'll stay here?" Siobhan asks and releases me before wanting another hug.

"Yes, as long as Tack and Aunt Fred think it's safe. I want to avoid more people getting hurt."

Elvis strolls over from the main farmhouse and tugs his daughter away from me. "I had a scary day, too, baby. Give me some sugar."

As Siobhan hugs her father, I sit next to Tack. When he doesn't kiss me immediately, I ask, "Are we still together or back to being friends?"

Tack smirks. "I think I forgot."

"It's only been a day," I whisper and press my lips against his.

While Tack deepens the kiss, Elvis dances his daughter around the porch until she finds her smile. Once she loses her mopey vibe, he deposits her in the spot between Indigo and me.

"Pigs will be here soon," Elvis announces and stretches. "Zoot and the lawyers will supervise to make sure no one asks any inappropriate questions."

Wrapping my arm around Tack's, I ask Elvis, "Will my family's lawyers be here?"

"Can't risk anyone might be keeping an eye on people tied to you," Elvis explains and rubs at his clean-shaven face. "Our lawyers will make sure you don't get asked anything you don't want to answer."

"Is it safe for the pigs to know where Hunter is hiding out?" Tack asks.

"Probably not," Elvis admits as he glances toward the farm's entrance, where motorcycles approach. "If they ask where you'll be, the club's lawyers will shut that shit down."

"But I'm not heading out, right?"

"Not yet. We've got to see what we can find out about the assholes today," Elvis says as his dark eyes study me. "But I don't know how long we can hide you here. The farm isn't a private place. We've got a big community here. Someone's bound to blab."

"I told them if you leave, I'm going with you," Tack explains.

"Aw," Siobhan says, and I smile at her before cuddling closer to Tack.

"You saved me," I coo and kiss his cheek. Glancing at Indigo, I add, "So did you."

"I don't need a kiss," he mumbles while Siobhan pats his leg.

Motorcycles appear from the tree-lined road leading to the main farmhouses. I tense when Zoot rides right up to the porch. He flies off the back of his motorcycle and hurries to Tack. Yanking, the younger man to his feet, Zoot hugs him hard and pounds on his back.

"Before I got updated, I saw a video of you taking a shot to the belly," Zoot snarls when we stare at him. "For a few minutes, I thought you were fucking dead."

Wearing a big smile on his handsome face, Tack teases, "I always knew I was your favorite."

Zoot rolls his eyes. "I don't have favorites. I mildly care about all of you idiots the same."

"Aw," Aunt Fred says, appearing through the screen door. "Zoot's getting emotional. I adore when you go all tenderhearted teddy bear."

"Precious," Elvis adds. "Someone open up a fresh box of tissues. My brother is about to share his feelings."

"I'm not playing with you today. My people nearly died," he grumbles, sounding almost fragile before shifting gears and adding, "Plus, if those Hills Chapter fucks had gone down, I'd never have heard the end of it from Caveman."

Aunt Fred pats his cheek. "No, you wouldn't have. He's already called me to say how you should have planned everything better so his people weren't inconvenienced."

"Did you tell him to ‘fuck off' from me?

"Of course, but my brother wasn't impressed and shared a few choice words about your leadership skills."

"What words?"

"I can't say them," Aunt Fred demurs. "I'm too much of a lady."

Everyone enjoys a chuckle over their teasing. An amused Tack returns to my side. For a moment, I forget about the bloody mayhem earlier today. The reprieve is fleeting. My body hurts from the accident. My eyes are swollen from crying so much. I feel dehydrated and broken down.

Rather than focus on my pain, I zero in on Tack's hand now wrapped around mine. I feel Siobhan leaning against my other side. I hear the affection in the voices of people who put their lives on the line to keep me safe. Despite today's carnage, I feel hopeful.