Hunting Her Box Set

Her

I escaped to my room hours ago to catch up on sleep while we waited to hear from Torian. It took an hour before Hunter silently opened the door and crept in bed beside me.

I pretended to be asleep, not wanting to encourage the co

I even groaned a few times, feigning restlessness, so I could turn and snuggle farther into his chest.

Pathetic, I know.

I don’t regret it.

Not even when Decker knocks on the door and walks inside the room, exposing my needy position.

“Torian is calling me.” He flashes us his phone. “What should I do?”

“Answer it.” Hunter sits up beside me, alert and ready for action while I struggle to shake my lethargy.

Decker nods and takes the call. “What’s going on?”

There’s a pause, and I lean on my elbow in an attempt to get a better view to read his expression.

“Yeah, I’m here with him.” Decker keeps his focus on Hunter as he talks, a million and one silently relayed messages passing between them. “Yep. We’ll be there.”

He lowers the phone and disco

“When?” Hunter asks.

“Now.”

There’s the slightest stiffening of Hunter’s posture beside me. His anxiety is almost hidden.

“Right…” He slides from the mattress and turns to face me. “Are you still ready?”

“Yep.” I move from the bed, hoping the nervous bubble of nausea threatening to burst from my throat isn’t written all over my face. “But why did he call Decker and not you?”

“I guess he wants to know how deep this runs.” Hunter starts for the door, and I quickly follow, pulling on my sneakers. “He’s checking to see if I’m wasting his time with false information or if I’ve involved Decker because we mean business.”

“So, it’s a good thing?”

“I guess.” Decker shrugs. “You can never tell with Torian.”

The men lead the way out of the bedroom and down the hall. Decker grabs his jacket from the sofa while Hunter disappears into his room and comes back minutes later, shrugging into a leather jacket.

“We ready?” he asks.

“Yep.” Decker starts for the hall leading to the garage. “Locked and loaded.”

Shit. My lack of foresight is showing. “Do I need a weapon?”

“No. Torian will expect it from us, but might consider it a threat from you.” Hunter gives me a sad smile. “It’s best to go without.”

“Don’t worry.” Decker shoots me a wink. “The big guy will be your shield and your weapon if you need it.”

That’s what I’m worried about.

“Ignore him.” Hunter jerks his chin toward the garage. “Let’s do this.”

I follow them down to the rental car and climb in, Decker in the back with me riding shotgun, trying not to burst an artery with my elevated pulse.

We drive into the heart of Portland, and the closer we get to the imposing buildings and busy streets, the more my stomach tumbles. I’m not concerned so much for my own safety. I’ve thought about this day for too long to not be at peace with whatever could happen to me—good, bad, or horrendously ugly.

What doesn’t sit right is what Hunter and Decker are risking for my personal vendetta. This has nothing to do with them. Yet, they’re here, driving me to a meeting they organized, to deliver a plan they came up with.

“If something goes wrong,” I speak to the window, unable to face them, “you need to turn on me. If he finds out I’m not telling the truth, do whatever you have to do. Make him believe you aren’t a part of this. Just get yourselves out of there safely. Okay?”

They don’t answer. There’s no response bar the soft hum of the radio.

“Hunter?” I turn to him. “Are you listening?”

“We won’t go down like that.” He flicks his gaze to the rear-view mirror, glancing at Decker. “Will we?”

“No, siree. We go down with this ship,” Decker adds. “In a blaze of glory and bloodshed, if necessary.”

Hunter sighs and focuses back on the road. “There won’t be any blaze of glory or sinking ship. This is going to work. And if Torian decides not to believe you, then that’s his problem. Just don’t change your story, no matter how strongly he doubts you.”

“But if—”

“We’re not discussing this, Sarah,” he growls. “Stick to the plan, and stop jinxing us.”

Right. I’m jinxing us.

I turn back to the window and hold my apprehension in check.

“This is it.” Hunter slows, pulling the car to the curb.

I glance around, trying to find our destination.

“Across the road.” Decker releases his belt and scoots toward the front seats. “The restaurant with the ugly motherfucker standing out front.”

I lean forward, taking in the quaint building and the overweight Italian-looking man standing at the front door.

“You wanted to know who ran you off the road.” Hunter taps his window, pointing at the ‘ugly motherfucker.’ “That’s him. My buddy, Carlos.”

My palms sweat. That guy has information on my past. Information that could get us killed once we walk inside the restaurant. “Aren’t you worried he’s told Torian about my past?”

“I wouldn’t have risked bringing you here if I did. I know him. I know what he’s like. He’s more scared of me than his boss and too spineless to do anything about it. After what I did to him the day he went to Seattle, I promise he won’t dare to cross me again.”

I want to ask what happened that day. What exactly did Hunter do? But the walking stick and full arm of plaster on the man at the door is a great indication. Especially after all the weeks that have passed.

“Should I be worried about approaching him?” I try to hide the concern from my voice.

“With me by your side?” Decker scoffs. “No way.”

Hunter grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze. “You don’t need to worry at all. Okay?”

I nod, trusting him.

Actually trusting him.

I unfasten my belt and meet them outside the car, Hunter yet again reaching for my hand as we cross the road.

The man at the door leers at me as we approach, his dark eyes spiteful.

“Carlos,” Hunter greets. “How’s the arm?”

“Fuck you, asshole.”

Hunter chuckles, entirely unconcerned, and continues into the restaurant, me by his side and Decker close at our back. We pass a mass of filled tables and chairs with couples dining, and push by a staff entrance to enter a quiet hall.

“His office is the one at the end.” Hunter stops and turns to face me. “Just remember what we said. Keep it simple. Then this will all be over.”

I nod.

He’s making me nervous. His palm is clammy, and he keeps scrutinizing me. He’s panicked, and it’s rubbing off on me.

This is like any other job. If something goes wrong, I bend and adapt. Bend and adapt. I don’t stop until I’m safely on the other side.

I can do this. Easy.

I lean on the tips of my toes and place a kiss on his lips. Chaste. Quick. When I lower, he scowls and weaves an arm around my waist, yanking me back into him.

“Is that all I get?” he snarls and slams his lips against mine as if in punishment. Harsh and strong and deep. He kisses me and kisses me, making the world disappear and my heart sizzle.

Decker clears his throat. “I guess we all get a little horny when it comes to life-threatening situations. But can we save the celebrations until after we escape the drug lord’s lair?”

Hunter inches back and rests his forehead against mine.