Page 38 of Silent Vendetta (Vendetta Duet)
I swallowed hard, my heart racing as my mind told me to pull away, to put an end to this madness. But the raw passion in his gaze, the fervent promise in his voice—it was intoxicating. It was a kind of love I’d never experienced before, wild and unyielding.
“Why?” was all I could manage, my voice a whisper.
“Because,” he murmured, “I love you with an all-consuming intensity.”
Tears welled up in my eyes at the weight of his confession. As much as I wanted to deny it, there was a primal allure to being loved with such an intensity that he was willing to kill for me.
“It’s still not right, Hunter.”
His eyes searched mine. “Love isn’t always rational. Sometimes it’s wild, fierce, and dangerous.”
His thumb breached my mouth, touching my tongue.
“These aren’t just words,” he said. “I’ve shown you what I’m willing to do for you.”
“Murder isn’t love,” I said. “You can’t romanticize it, Hunter.”
“Tell me it doesn’t feel good. To have a man who’d snap the neck of anyone who harmed you.”
It does, but it shouldn’t. It’s wrong.
But I wouldn’t act on these unwanted emotions.
“And if I can’t love you? What then?” I asked.
His face fell as he considered this, his voice a mere whisper. “Then I will hide in the shadows and protect you for the rest of your life.”
I blanched. “You’ll be in prison.”
Hunter looked at me for several moments before taking a step back and clearing his throat.
“I brought you food.” He looked at my injuries. “And a first aid kit. Take a shower and rest.”
After a few more empty seconds, Hunter stepped away.
“Wait, where are you going?” I asked.
“I have something urgent to attend to.”
CHAPTER20
Hunter
Ihad roughly forty-eight hours to solve two decades-old cases. Any longer, and the police might come looking for Luna. And once that happened, all hell would break loose, and any hope I had to solve anything would go up in smoke.
Including my ability to save Luna from whatever asshole was out there, threatening her over her father’s case. Thankfully, I had the best PI in the country, eager to solve my father’s murder.
“Mind if you tell me what this is about?” Barry Mansfield asked.
I’d thrown on a T-shirt so I looked as normal as possible, since what I was about to say was anything but.
“I appreciate you meeting with me on such short notice,” I said.
“I’m happy to drive over.” Barry’s face monopolized my twenty-seven-inch computer monitor via a video call.
No way I could risk him coming into the house. With Luna hidden here, I’d told my staff to stay away to give her privacy after her ordeal. They didn’t complain since they were still on my payroll.
“That’s unnecessary, and this is too urgent to wait for you to drive over.”