Shattered King(38)

"Get the fuck out of the car!" he screamed.

I unfroze, jolted from my frozen terror and all but dove over to the  driver side, slamming my hand down on the horn, holding it there.

Pierce turned instantly and took off.

He was going to get away.

I don't know that came over me; I just knew I wanted this to be over. I  wanted Pierce to pay for what he'd done to me. I'd unlocked the door and  opened it before I knew my intention. Lifting the gun, hand shaking  like hell, I aimed it at his retreating back and fired-then I kept on  firing until there were no bullets left.

The ear-splitting bang, bang, bang was now a far less satisfying click,  click, click. But I couldn't stop. I continued squeezing the trigger  over and over again . . .

Hunters inked fingers seemed to come out of nowhere, curling around mine. He took the gun from me, handing it to Van.

"He was here," I whispered.

Neco and Jude took off after Pierce. I watched them disappear into the night.

"He was here," I said again. "I . . . I wanted to hurt him. I wanted to  make him pay. I . . ." Hunter curled his hand around my shoulders and  pulled me into him. I buried my face against his chest. "I missed.  Goddammit, I missed."

Hunter's hands lifted, cupping my jaw and tilted it back, so he could see my face. "We'll get him. I promise we'll get him."





CHAPTER FIFTEEN


Lulu

Hunter wrapped his large warm hand around mine, leading me down the hall to his apartment.         

     



 

Something big was going to happen tonight, something besides me trying  to blow Pierce's brains out. The night I'd woken and found Hunter on the  couch with Josh, his arms protectively around his little body, I'd felt  the shift . . . deep inside me. And I knew I couldn't fight it anymore.  So I jumped off a cliff, praying like hell I landed on my feet and not  my ass.

I wanted Hunter more than anything, and I refused to let Pierce take him  from me, not again. And that's what could happen if I didn't give us a  chance. That bastard would win. I owed it not only to myself but also to  Hunter and Josh to try and make our little family work. I didn't know  what the future held for us, how we would make it work, or if I could  give him all he needed, but I needed to try-I wanted to try.

Starting tonight.

We reached the door and I pulled him to a stop before he could open it.  He turned to me wordlessly, brows lifted in question. I didn't say  anything. Instead, I went up onto my tiptoes, pulling him down at the  same time and kissed him, deep and slow, giving him everything I had.

When we finally broke apart and he looked down at me, heat in his pale gaze. "What was that for?"

My belly fluttered and I shrugged, pressing closer to that tall, solid strength. "I just . . . I needed you."

His eyes flared and the heat in them got a whole lot hotter. "Yeah?" He  tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "That all you need?"

I shook my head, even while nerves fluttered to life. The two times we'd  slept together since he kidnapped me didn't count, that hadn't been  Hunter. He'd been angry and hurt, the situation volatile and confusing.

Tonight was different.

And for some crazy reason, taking that big step back to him, back to us,  I was afraid, nervous I'd disappoint him. We'd both waited so long for  this. We were finally back together, and I wanted it to be perfect.

For once Hunter didn't question me, or ask me if I was sure, if I was  all right. He trusted me to know what I wanted, what I needed. I clung  tighter to his big, callused hand as he opened the door and led me  inside.

Josh had fallen asleep while Ruby was looking after him, so now he was  having a sleepover. A quick call from Hunter, and Zeke had agreed to  stay with them as well.

We were all alone.

I bit my lip, nerves fluttering madly in my belly, along with  excitement. I hadn't decided which was winning out at that moment and it  was throwing me off balance. I wanted this so bad I shook-to get back  what we'd once had, what we'd lost, but I was terrified it wouldn't be  the same between us. So much had changed.

I just didn't want to screw this up.

He carried on down the hall, towing me along behind. "I have something to show you."

His voice sounded different, low, but there was also a hesitation I'd  never heard from him before. He led me to the spare room where Josh had  been sleeping and pushed the door open, flicking on the light.

I sucked in a breath, stunned. "Oh my God. How did you do all this?"

"Ruby and Zeke. Ruby picked out the blankets and curtains and shit like  that a few days ago. I'd planned to take you out so she could set up.  After the way things went down tonight, I wasn't sure this was the right  time, but it's done now. So . . . yeah."

I stepped farther into the room and spun in a slow circle to take it all  in. The double bed was gone, replaced with a twin. It had bright green  sheets, and the duvet was bright blue with green, red, and yellow cars  all over it. The curtains matched. There was also a shelf on the wall  with a stack of books, and the mat on the floor was one of those ones  that doubled as a car track. A toy box sat in the corner of the room  filled with beautiful new toys.

Shit.

Tears welled up and spilled over. I turned to Hunter. "Who got the toys and books?"

He took in my expression and frowned. "I did, but if you don't like them, we can get whatever you want . . ."

"Don't like them?"

"Yeah . . . I . . ."

That's all he got out because I ran toward him and launched into his  arms. He caught me like I knew he would, arms coming around me tight. I  wrapped my legs around his waist and clung to him. "I love it. I love  all of it." I pulled back and scattered kisses along his jaw and chin.  "Thank you, thank you for doing this for him." I was rambling. Hot tears  were running down my face.

"Fuck, Lulu." One of his hands went to my ass, the other cupped my jaw.  "No more tears, babe. Even happy ones. I don't want to see you cry  anymore. I just want to see that beautiful fucking smile. All I want is  to make you happy. Give you and Josh the life you should have been  having these last few years, with me."         

     



 

I felt a fresh wave of tears gathering, but gave him what he wanted, offering up a watery smile. "Th-thank you."

He shook his head. "You don't need to thank me. Looking after you and  Josh is my job, my privilege, you understand?" He gave me a squeeze. "I  don't expect a thank you for taking care of my family."

I started crying all over again. I buried my face against his throat-and bawled.

"Shit," he rasped and we started moving again.

My eyes were squeezed shut, but I knew where I was as soon as we hit the  mattress. Hunter's body covered mine. God, he smelled good, amazing.  Leather and musk and dark spices. His hands went to the sides of my  face, into my hair. I forced my eyes open, so I could look at him. He  was staring down at me, gaze moving over my face. He brushed my tears  away gently, and I couldn't look away from him. The strong lines of his  hard, stubbled jaw, that crooked nose his father had broken when he was  just a kid-that sensual mouth.

"I moved your things in here," he said. "I want you with me from now on."

"I want that, too." There was no point denying it or fighting it. This  is where I wanted to be. I kept telling myself I was going to leave,  that I could walk away, but I was full of shit. I couldn't. Maybe that  made me weak, but there was no other option for me than here with him.  Anything else was unacceptable. He wouldn't let his job, the danger it  involved, touch us. He wouldn't. I had to believe that.

All he'd done for me, for Josh-he hadn't said it, but he didn't need to.  He loved me-us. He'd shown me in every way possible. He didn't need to  say the words out loud.

His mouth quirked up on one side. "You done crying?"

"I think so."

"You're not sure?"

"It depends."

His smile got a little bigger. "On what?"

"Whether or not you do any more sweet things." I ran my hand over his  muscled back, then down farther and under the soft fabric to his smooth  heated skin. "I'm not a crier, but I swear I haven't cried this much  since . . ." I let the rest of the sentence trail off when a memory  flashed through my head, of exactly when I cried this much. It wasn't a  good one.

His jaw went hard.

I slid my fingers over his whiskers. "Don't."

His eyes were locked on mine, hot and intense, scary intense. "I already  said it, but I'll say it again because I know you're not letting  yourself believe this yet. You, me, Josh, we're a family."

"Hunter . . ."

"Which means, I'm Josh's dad."

"Hunter . . ." I needed him to stop, or I would start bawling all over again.

"It also means you're my woman, and I'm your man."

"Please . . ."

"And I want you naked, in my bed, under me every night, those new  fucking sexy curves you got now, pressed against my side. I wanna wake  up beside you every morning. Eat breakfast with you every day. Watch  movies with you on the couch, then make you come and hold you when you  fall asleep after. Then, Lulu, I wanna wake up in the morning and start  all over again."