My heart jumps. The way he says that so casually almost makes me laugh. “Right now?”
“Yeah. I won’t be able to sleep until I know that asshole got what he deserves. And monsters only work in the dark. I need this done before sunrise.”
I don’t try to argue. I don’t ask him not to go. Because Reese deserves it. He deserves every single thing that’s coming to him.
“Won’t you get in trouble? Like with the police?”
He laughs and shakes his head. “Reese will be thanking me for not burying him, not running to the cops. This is how we deal with shit here, baby. Just trust me.”
I don’t know what to say. All I know is that I want him to come back to me.
“I won’t be long. I’ll be by your side again in no time.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and press my face against his throat. “Be safe, Hunter Sterling,” I warn him.
“Always.” He winks.
He sets me back down in the bath, and I finally let myself sink into the warmth. The bubbles come up to my chin. My muscles unclench for the first time in hours.
“I’ll bring up your hot chocolate and get you some clothes out to wear. Okay?” he tells me as he climbs out and reaches for a towel.
“Hmm, mmm. Thank you.”
He leans back over the edge, cups my face, kisses me once more, and then he’s grabbing his clothes, and he’s gone.
I settle back against the bath and close my eyes, and eventually his boots echo down the stairs.
I sink deeper into the water, rest my bandaged hand on the edge of the tub, and stare at the ceiling.
I came here bloody and barefoot and terrified. And this man ran down his porch steps, carried me inside, cleaned my wounds, made me hot chocolate, offered me a home, and then put me back together in his bathtub.
I don’t know what I did to deserve Hunter Sterling, but I’m never letting him go.
I’m not sure he’d let me go anyway.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
HUNTER
Song- Bleed It Out,Linkin Park.
“Ace, let’s go!” I shout into the war room in the barn as soon as I swing open the door. This place is becoming my brothers’ second home. Even though we all live on the ranch in our own properties, they’re mostly at mine to help with keeping me out of jail.
Colten looks up from his laptop. “Go where?”
“To end a thirty-year friendship and maybe add a second murder conviction to my total,” I tell him.
“What the fuck?” Colten shakes his head.
Ace doesn’t ask a single question. He grabs his gun off the desk and strides toward me. No hesitation. No doubt. Just my brother, by my side, no matter what. That’s Ace. That’s always been, Ace.
“You can’t leave New Falls, remember?” Beau calls out from behind his wall of paperwork, not even looking up.
“Well aware. Reese lives ten minutes away.”
Ace falls into step beside me. Colt stares me down from across the room, frustration pulling his brows together.
“What’s he done that deserves this?” He asks.