Page 17 of The Hunt
The bastards who had abducted her were in jail now, awaiting bond. Chantal and their parents had been allowed to come back home two days ago. “Hey, I thought you had gone to bed early?”
It was only nine-fifteen, and she’d disappeared a few hours ago.
She shot a look toward him and the men surrounding him. “Hardly. I’m going out. I’ve been cooped up for days.”
She had a bag slung over her shoulder, and her shoes were on. Chantal spent ninety-nine percent of her time in the house barefoot. “Where are you going?”
He didn’t like the idea of her out there this late. He knew he was being too overprotective, but he had almost lost his baby sister. He didn’t take that lightly. Hiding her away in his castle and building a moat around it was high on his list of priorities. Just… right after he nabbed his own queen first.
Chantal could keep Genny company in the tower. That would work out just fine in Chad’s opinion.
Somehow he suspected neither Chantal nor Genny would agree.
She looked at the Hillers. “I’m hoping to grab a ride with you guys back to your ranch. Genny has put out a red alert. She needs girl reinforcements tonight after an evening gone horribly wrong. I’m spending the night there.”
Gene straightened at that. “You are?”
Chantal shot him a pointed look and nodded. “With Genny and my friends.”
“You can ride with me,” Chad said. “I was going to drop Guthrie off on my way. The other three came in Gene’s truck.”
“That works for me. Let’s go. Genny says she needs me.” A look of concern crossed Chantal’s face. “She sounded upset.”
That was all it took for Chad. He would drop his sister off, go inside for a few minutes, and see exactly what was happening with the woman he wanted. She’d been avoiding him for two days.
It was driving him insane. The woman was doing it on purpose.
How could a man hunt the woman he wanted if his prey kept outsmarting him?
17
Their afternoon playingdress-up had just gotten worse after Dr. Hodges and his oily friend had found them. Now they had no choice but to hide out in Genny’s living room.
Genny was so angry she couldn’t think straight. “Dr. Michaels is a total jackass. Are you sure you don’t want to report this? We can call Sheriff Addy and he can come to our house, no problem.”
“I’m good. If I report it, it’ll get all over the hospital. And that is the last thing I want. I’m already the slut of the entire hospital, you know. Hard to miss that.” Aubrey gave a rueful grimace. “Mandy’s gearing up again. The rumors are getting worse. And with the new people from Carrington showing up all the time lately, I don’t want the trouble she can cause.”
“I know. I’ve heard. But if you are the slut of the ED, I don’t know what that says aboutme.I’ve dated twice as many guys there as you have.” Well, she’d only dated one, but wasn’t that twice Aubrey’s zero?
“Ah, but you aren’t working as Caine Alvaro’s assistant—the owner of the hospital’s far-too-hot husband.” Aubrey winced asthe antiseptic hit. “Thanks for letting us stay here tonight. I’m not comfortable with Ayla there if he comes back.”
Genesis could understand that. “I get it. I have a baby sister of my own, too.”
There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do to protect Greer, even as sassy and fiery as her sister was. She could only imagine how intense that feeling would be if she had been responsible for raising that sister for years like Aubrey had Ayla. And add in that Ayla had so many mobility challenges—a man showing up drunk would be terrifying. Ayla wouldn’t be able to get away. She just wouldn’t. “I have those three really strong brother-cavemans with rifles who live here with me. No one will get to you here.”
“Thanks. I’m sure everything will feel a bit better in the light of day. Or after I go back to the hospital.”
That might be sooner than Aubrey wanted. Genny was trying, but… “I don’t think these bandages are going to work, Aub. I think you may need sutures. At least two or three, in a few places. He dug in hard. And he probably has troll cooties. Are you up to date with your immunizations?” Aubrey should be—the hospital strongly recommended it to protect the staff. But sometimes things got missed. “I’m serious. He did some damage. It’s going to sting tomorrow. It’s already bruising, as well.”
“Great. I was seriously trying to avoid this.” Aubrey sounded like she was about ready to cry. Genny looked at her friend’s beautiful face. There was so much going on in that complicated Aubrey head right now. Genny hadn’t missed that.
Nightmares. That was what it was—there were nightmares in her friend’s eyes. Memories. Genny knew a little of Aubrey and her younger sister’s history. It wasn’t good. At all. And it hurt to even think about.
“We could call someone? I know you and Guthrie don’t exactly get along, but I can call in sister-favors and blackmail him to keep his mouth shut?”
Aubrey’s eyes widened and panic hit her beautiful face. Just like Genny had expected.Because of Guthrie.
Her brother had been a total ass to Aubrey a few times—and Genny had seen it. She understood Aubrey’s reluctance now. All of Genny’s brothers needed serious reprogramming before they were fit to be good husbands and fathers to the appropriate women who could put up with them.