Page 90 of Secret Vendettay
I felt like I was letting Sean down somehow, but in fairness, I couldn’t afford to worry about my safety when I needed to stay focused on my dad’s case, so after a moment, I walked up to Sean and gave him a quick hug.
“I’m so sorry about all of this.” I held him against me, ignoring the stares of the bodyguard and Hunter. “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
I pulled back and looked at Sean. His shoulders slumped, his gaze distant and hollow—every ounce of vibrancy seemingly drained. I was grateful he chose not to argue further about this, grateful he agreed to go to his place for the night and cool off, regrouping tomorrow when we could figure out our next steps.
“Please be careful,” Sean said to me, eyeing Hunter. “Money can’t solve everything, Luna, and you’re in some serious danger.”
Sean’s eyes locked with mine for several more seconds before he trudged off toward the cottage.
“Wait,” I said. “How will you get home?” Could I convince Hunter’s driver to take him?
“I’ll call a ride.” When Sean answered without looking back at me, my stomach twisted, and I clenched my fists.
I waited until he was out of earshot before I crossed my arms and drilled Hunter.
“You can’t be angry at Sean. It’s not his fault,” I snarled.
Hunter took an angry step forward, and my heart raced, but I forced myself to hold his gaze.
“I’m angry because some asshole had the nerve to come onto my property and threaten the only thing I care about.”
The only thing I care about.
The words echoed in my head like a lullaby, and his eyes bored into mine, dark and unwavering, as if each syllable had been carved from his very soul. Before I had the time to process his declaration, he grabbed my hand and tugged me further along our path.
“Come on.”
My heart throbbed with a chaotic storm of emotion as Hunter pulled me toward his estate. There was a rush of passion from his unwavering defense of me; shame for hurting Sean’s feelings; fear, though I hated to admit it, as I was forced to accept that a madman had escalated into breaking into the very place I called home; and fury over the unfairness of it all.
“Call your men,” Hunter barked to his bodyguard. “I want this place surrounded. You got it?”
Adam nodded and pulled his cell out of his pocket as Hunter hauled me into his kitchen.
“Maria, you can take the night off,” Hunter said.
Her worried gaze darted between Hunter and me before she took off her apron and scurried out the door.
“You’re staying here until further notice,” Hunter declared.
Okay, protectiveness—sexy. Bossiness to the level of telling meuntil further notice—not so much. If he kept this up, he’d get a taste of what women of the twenty-first century were capable of when provoked. Namely, the female species didn’t hold back from thrusting her knee into the male’s crotch.
Especially since he was now pulling me through the kitchen by my hand.
“Hunter, stop.”
Through the great room.
“You need to calm down,” I said.
Up the staircase, down a long corridor of white paneled doors, and into what I presumed was a guest bedroom.
A chandelier cast a gentle, soft glow over a plush bed in the center—which was layered with white linens and matching pillows in various hues of gray and ivory. The walls were painted in a shade of blush, and the room was decorated with antique furniture that added a touch of elegance to the space.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the mansion’s lush garden. Outside, leaves rustled in the moonlight—a tranquil and peaceful setting that should have relaxed me.
But the look in Hunter’s eyes was wilder than I’d ever seen.
“I’m hiring you an army of bodyguards. And you’re staying here,” he commanded, clenching his fists so tight at his sides, that his knuckles whitened.