Heart of the Hunter (11 page)

I just sat there. He was right. Who the fuck was I kidding? Sticking it to Old Man Donnelly felt great and I liked the idea of him sweating, but I was running. It felt fucking awful. Working nine to five, listening to Dennis’s shit talk, trying to be polite and pretending to be a normal fucking human being. This shit wasn’t me. Deacon was right. I wouldn’t admit it to the cocky fucker, but he was right.

“The old man is going to come for you, Hunter, and he’s going to tear this town apart. He’s going to fucking murder. Now, I don’t give a flying fuck, but maybe you do. Anyone or anything you’ve touched here, he’ll fucking burn to the ground just to prove a point. You really want to bring that here?”

I stood up, walked over to Deacon, and shoved the bottle into his chest.

“Fuck it. Fuck this town, fuck Boston, fuck the neighborhood, and fuck the old man. Let the bastard come. I don’t give a shit about any of it, Deacon. There, here, whatever. I’m not running, but I sure as shit ain’t going back home. There’s nothing for me there anymore. I’m heading to a cabin in the mountains. If the old man wants to war, he can fucking come to me. I’m done doing that cocksucker any favors.”

I walked back to the cot and sat down. The old man would come and he would bring hell with him. I needed to get out of this place, get far away from these innocent people. I wasn’t good for anybody and I didn’t give a shit. It’s how I liked it.

“Well, if
fuck it
is your only plan, you know I’m in,” Deacon said tossing me the bottle. “Been like a motto for us sorry motherfuckers for a long time. Let’s finish this fine beverage and then ride, pal.
Fuck it
, right? I assume you’ve got no goodbyes you want to make?”

I hesitated before answering. I looked him in the eye.

“No one that deserves one.”

I took a big hit of booze and Kelly shot across my mind. I needed to get far away from her and whatever hold she had on me. It was no good for me and was fucking awful for her. She was burned into my mind. The memory of her, with her green eyes looking at me like a savior, her sweaty body writhing under me as she moaned with every thrust of my cock, her nails raking my back as I came deep inside her. She didn’t deserve a goodbye. She didn’t deserve to meet me in the first place. I was a fucking animal and I had devoured and claimed an innocent girl. That was it. That was all that had happened. It was time to walk away. I never had an issue leaving a chick before and this time wouldn’t be any different. She didn’t need me fucking up her perfect little life, and I sure as fuck didn’t need her slowing me down.

“Figured as much,” Deacon laughed.

Well, Kelly. You get your fucking life back, sweetheart. The big bad wolf is leaving town. You’re welcome.

Chapter 19

Kelly

G
RACE GENTLY KNOCKED ON THE
screen door so she wouldn’t wake Lucas.

“Hey, baby,” she whispered as she smiled and waved from the porch, holding a brown paper bag full of groceries in her other arm. “Open this door and let’s get this show on the road. This is far too late for an old girl like me to be thinking about eating dinner.”

I was so happy to see her. Grace gave me a warm feeling in my stomach whenever something was wrong. I felt like I was about to cry tears of joy just from hearing her voice.

“You’re not old and it’s not that late,” I whispered back, slowly opening the door for her. “It can’t be more than nine, Grace.”

“I know,” she said softly. “Other folks my age ate hours ago and have tucked themselves in for the night like little Luke. How is the dear? Keeping his grades up? Still working his charm on the ladies?”

“How did you know about his little ladies?” I asked with a laugh.

“I have my sources, honey. Don’t you worry that pretty little head of yours. Plus, I’m his Grandma Grace, remember? We have ways of prying things out of our little guys.”

“Yes,” I smiled back at her. “This I know.”

Luke had taken to calling Grace
Grandma
when we started living with her. All our grandparents had passed away before we were born, so we never knew them. I think he just assumed that Grace was it. And she was. She had fought the name briefly, but as soon as I gave it the okay, she was fully behind it. She would never admit it, but I knew the joy it brought her every time he called her that. It warmed my heart to hear as well. It made both of them very happy and that was all I wanted.

“So, what’s for dinner, Grace?” I said as I walked into the kitchen and realized what a mess it was. I was going to get an earful.

“Well, that is up to you, my dear. You’re the cook. My goodness, child. It looks like a tornado blew through this kitchen.”

I knew she was talking about the dishes that had piled up since I made Lucas dinner, but a part of me was afraid she could see signs of Hurricane Hunter. I could still smell him, could still feel him, and I hoped that she couldn’t too. Or at the very least, I hoped I wasn’t wearing my feelings on my face.

“I know, Grace, I know. With everything that happened today at the diner, I just didn’t get to cleaning up like I normally do. I’m sorry.”

“Goodness, Kelly. It was an interesting day, but I still managed to clean my diner up just fine. And your kitchen didn’t have that bull come charging through it. I know he was trying to help, but my Lord. I’ve never seen such a disgusting display in my entire life. Such violence. Not very becoming of a young man.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

Grace hadn’t seen Hunter leaving with me, and had no idea he had been here or what we had done. It was better that way. Much, much better.

“You’re right Grace. I have no excuse. I’ll get it cleaned up and then I’ll make you a great meal. Is there any pasta in that little bag of tricks you brought over?”

Had Hunter really been there, or had I imagined the whole thing like some odd mixture of fantasy and nightmare? I took a step toward the table where Grace had set the groceries and felt the soreness between my thighs. I looked at the table, at the dried watermark Hunter’s beer had left on the table. He
had
been there. I was just getting better at forgetting.

By tomorrow he’ll be gone, Kelly. Just keep moving forward.

“You read my mind, dear. There’s some spaghetti noodles in there and I even had some of my famous sauce in the freezer. Cook those noodles and I’ll defrost the sauce. Then we’ll clean this place up a bit after we eat.”

“I thought I was making you dinner. Now you’ve gone and done all the leg work for me.”

She looked over at me with her warm eyes.

“We’ve all had a long day, sweetie. Plus those noodles don’t cook themselves. Hop to it before I fade away to nothing in this filthy room!”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I couldn’t wait to sit down and enjoy a meal with her. I liked making small talk about the business, the silly books she was reading, the weather. It was time to forget Hunter and, for the first time since I met him that morning, it seemed like I was going to be able to.

“The Christian in me says we should invite that troubled boy over and see to it he gets a good meal tonight. His kind tend to fight sin with more sin and I think we could show him a better path with some kindness.”

My stomach sunk.

Please. Please, God, no.

“Grace, I don’t know if that’s,” I started.

“Oh hush, child. I don’t want to see him anymore than you do. I said, the
Christian
in me. There’s also a tough old woman in there that wants to teach him some manners. Even if he did protect my baby, he’s got no right playing executioner at his will and destroying my livelihood for a day. That boy is lost and has no business around you, me, or this town. I’m going to tell Dennis to cut him loose tomorrow, first thing. We don’t need someone like that around here and I think it’s best if he just moves on. Maybe I’ll speak with the sheriff as well, and see if he can just, you know, shuffle him along. Surely he can.” Grace crossed herself. “Forgive me, Lord. I’m just protecting mine.”

Grace was right. I had no business with Hunter and he had no business with me. We weren’t the same and he was dangerous. I needed to take the day for what it was and move on with everything that was good in my life. Grace, Lucas, my quiet and peaceful town. Hunter was sin in the flesh and had led me to temptation with his ways.

Never again, Kelly. Never again.

When Elle had been here, she’d found herself a bad boy and gone off to California to create an exciting new life with him. That’s what I’d thought I wanted. I’d been to her wedding. I’d seen the mansion her man, Forrester, had taken her to. So many times I’d daydreamed about some guy coming along and sweeping
me
off my feet like that. Something told me that wasn’t going to happen for me. At least, not with a man like Hunter. He was a thug and a criminal. He was nothing like Forrester and the brothers who lived with him in California.

No. I would never allow myself to be alone with Hunter again. I would never even think of him again.

I kept repeating that to myself in my head as I started to boil the water, and I began to feel better. Mostly because I knew that it was a bold faced lie. He’d
claimed
me that afternoon. He’d taken me as
his
. Hunter wasn’t gone, he wouldn’t leave me, he would come for me. I could feel it in my bones. I just prayed I could resist him when the time came.

I crossed myself as well, but suddenly knew nothing could protect me anymore. I had followed him down into the fire and my only hope was that he would have mercy on me.

I could feel myself heating up as the lid on the pot started to rattle with boiling water.

Chapter 20

Hunter

I
DRAINED WHAT WAS LEFT
of the bottle of whiskey, threw it in the corner of the room, and lit a cigarette.

“You know, every time you break something in here, I think you’re actually improving the place,” Deacon said. “They say cleanliness is next to godliness, Hunter. But maybe you killed the motherfucker that coined that phrase.”

“I’m a filthy fucking man, Deacon. Don’t you forget it. Where are my fucking car keys?”

“You’re fucking wasted is what you are,” Deacon laughed. “But fuck it. So am I. Your keys are probably in your pocket, asshole.”

I reached in and fumbled around. My keys weren’t in my pocket. My keys weren’t anywhere on me. Why was it that you never noticed this shit until you were swimming in liquor? I looked around the room and tried to focus on the empty spaces for any sign of the little pieces of metal that would start my car and get me back on the road. No sign of them.

Fuck. You’re slipping here, Hunter. First the diner, then getting caught up with that chick. Get your shit together, man.

I kept looking around the apartment, kicking random objects out of my way, hoping the keys would jump out at me.

Then it hit me.

My keys must have fallen out at Kelly’s place. When I tore my clothes off and fucked her sweet brains out, my keys must have fallen to the floor.

Fuck
.

I was in such a goddamn rush to get the hell out of there I didn’t even notice, but that was the last place I had them. How could I be so fucking stupid? I split so fast and walked back to my place not even thinking about my car.

Damn it, Hunter. Losing your mind over a piece of pussy.

I couldn’t go back there right now. I’d either have to wait until later when she was asleep, or go tomorrow when she was at work. That girl kept fucking with my plans. Every time I tried to get gone, those green eyes and perfect body kept pulling me back. I started to think about creeping into her house after she went to bed and grabbing my keys, but my mind wandered to her. I thought about slipping into her room while she slept. I could see her lying there, beautiful, tits moving up and down with every breath she took in through her pouty lips. I thought about waking her up by sliding my tongue into her tight pussy, listening to her gentle moan, and then taking her again right there. I could feel my cock getting hard and I wanted to run back to her house right then.

Deacon’s voice slapped me back into reality.

“Hey! Where the fuck are those keys? We riding or what?”

Soon, pal. Not soon enough, but soon.

I tried to shake Kelly out of my mind and get back to the task at hand.

“Listen, man. I don’t know where those motherfuckers are and I don’t feel like banging on doors to find them tonight. Wherever they are, they’ll still be there tomorrow. Some old broad probably found them and took them to her church lost and found or some shit. Who knows? Let’s just take care of business tonight and then I’ll fucking split tomorrow. This place I’m thinking of setting up in, it warrants some checking out before I set up shop anyhow.”

“Oh yeah?” Deacon asked with a hint of excitement in his voice. “There’s a chance we might have to take this place from someone? Where you heading, pal, and who are we going to find there?”

“You remember Gino? That old Italian fucker who tried to slide into the neighborhood a few years back?”

“Yeah, yeah. Of course I do. Greasy fucker. No class. Liked his girls young. Too young. He tried to move in on your old man’s territory and then suddenly he was gone. Just up and left. What the fuck does he have to do with this?”

“The place I’m heading used to be his and it should be sitting fucking empty. He used to bring his little ladies down there for a pervert’s getaway from the wife. A very select few scumbags knew about it and since he
up and left
, word is he doesn’t use it all that often anymore.”

Deacon just smiled.

“And how do you figure that?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“Because he up and left to the bottom of the fucking Charles River after I showed him what I thought of pedophile pieces of garbage.”

Deacon coughed and spit into the corner of the room, shaking his head in approval.

“The white knight of Boston. You’re a fucking psychopath, Hunter.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t know about white knight. I took pleasure in gutting that motherfucker. I think you’re closer with psychopath.”