Page 68

Hunter

“Kelly. Kelly, slow down.” I say sternly. Kelly called me hysterical in the middle of plating breakfast. She’s going on and on but I can’t make out what she’s saying with how fast she is talking. “Take a breath. What’s going on?”

She takes a deep “Mr. Sinclair, the whole building and the servers are out. Clients are up in arms, they want to speak with you. They are afraid their information is compromised.”

“What do you mean our servers are down? When did this happen?”

“We were having issues the last couple of days but IT handled it, but today…Mr. Sinclair, it all went out.”

“Fucking shit.” I drag my hand down my face, “What’s IT saying, Kelly?”

“They need you to come in.”

“Hunter!” Marcus’s voice boomed through the house .

“Kelly, I’ll make it happen.”

“Mr. Sinclair.”

“Soon Kelly, make the arrangements. I’ll be there.”

“I’ll have you here in the next 24 hours.” I roll my eyes at her eagerness to get me there that soon, but I know I have to go. This could be detrimental for HKM.

“Hunter, I got in.” Marcus blurts out to me, Elliott right next to him. My eyes drop to their hands gripping on to each other.

“Send me the details,” is the last thing I say to Kelly before I end the call.

“You got into their security?” My eyes are still on Elliott’s hand in Marcus’s.

He notices my distraction and quickly releases his hold on her, “Yeah, I need you to update Kameron. I’m going back to make sure it’s actually safe. I have myself covered but I just–”

“What?” I ask.

“It was too easy this time around.”

“And that makes you suspicious?”

“Well, yeah.”

“I get it.”

“I’ll be in my room.” I grab his hand before he can sprint away into his cave.

“Hey, eat something,” I grab one of the plates off the counter, handing it to him.

“Also. I don’t want to alarm you more than you already are, but…

” I look from him to Elliott. Her expressions ar e hardened, “I have to go to the office.” He looks at me with an– okay so? – look on his face, “The main office.”

“Why the fuck would you need to go there? Right now?”

“Not right now, right now, but I will have to go in like tomorrow, or the next. Kelly is arranging it. The servers are all down and the clients are worried.”

“The servers are down? What the fuck, Hunter? I should be the one to go!”

“They want the boss there and I have to calm them all down. IT has no real information on what’s actually happening, or if any information has been withdrawn.

I’ll go over there to clear the air and help IT out.

If I need you, I’ll call. You can access the database from here.

Plus, you need to be here to go through the Everton files.

And we aren’t having Elliott stay here alone. ”

“Then we take her with us.”

“We can’t take her with us.”

“Why not?

“Because…Kameron would lose his mind. She can’t be seen out in public yet. Not with Samuel looking for her.”

“HKM’s building is far enough away. I mean hell, it’s nearly a whole state away.”

I sigh, knowing he isn’t wrong but something tells me we shouldn’t be taking her.

Maybe it's my own selfish need to keep what we have in this little bubble we’ve created.

Maybe it's me being paranoid that Samuel will pop out of the bushes and try to snatch her up. Whatever it is, it’s eating away at me.

But Marcus is right, both of us going would help solve this issue way quicker.

“Fuck, fine. She stays by our side, at all times. I don’t need her getting hurt.”

“Wait…I can come?” Elliott finally joins the conversation, the light back in her eyes.

Where was her mind this whole time?

“Of course, I’m not leaving you here alone.”

“I’ll message Kelly and let her know to arrange for three arrivals.”

“Inform Kameron of the updates. I’ll go pack up my equipment for the road.” Marcus says before walking away.

“Sounds good.” I holler at him, “El, you should pack too. It won’t be a long trip, just a day or two.” I open my phone to update Kam.

“O-okay.” She shuffles on her feet, “I don’t really have much to pack, so it shouldn’t take too long. Hunter?”

I am finishing up the message to Kameron and look up at Elliott. Her mouth is in a slight downward frown, brows knitted together in thought.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to be in the way again.”

“You were never in the way, El.” I grab her dainty biceps in my hands, rubbing them softly up and down, “I just want you to be safe. Marcus is right, you would be safest with both of us. Plus, it would be a lot easier being there in the actual building. ”

“I haven’t been to a city in a long time. Just the small ones outside of Everton.”

“You’ll have us every step of the way.”

“Do you really think Samuel would have men there searching for me?”

“I don’t think he has a clue where you are, but I don’t take chances with who I care about.

I’m being overly cautious.” I watched her take a breath, my words must have eased her nerves a bit.

“I didn’t mean to scare you more, baby.” I lean in kissing her soft lips.

Her body releases its tension, melting into me.

“Come on. We can pack together, yeah? We’ll spend the day packing and leave later tonight so we can be there in the morning. ” I kiss the top of her head.

***

When we reach her room she shuffles through the few drawers she has here and it makes a part of my heart ache that I haven’t made a point to make her feel more at home.

“I don’t really know what to bring…” She starts to fold a couple shirts, “Am I going to your office?”

“Of course. I said you were stuck with either Marcus or I and I meant that.” I reach up into Kameron’s closet where I know he keeps his luggage. “I can’t have you getting hurt.” I grab a duffel bag and bring it back to her, helping her pack the few clothes she has folded already.

“I don’t have much to wear for an office…all I have is my gym wear and lounge clothes.” Her voice sounds more timid than before.

“You look amazing in anything.” I try to reassure her, but I see the way her face changes at my words.

She nods at me, her nerves still evident, but I plan to make sure she feels much better by the time we get into the city. I grab my phone from my pocket and shoot Kelly a text as Elliott keeps putting items into the bag.

We could drive there and be there by tonight, but I want to treat her like the princess she is, so I tell Kelly to get the private jet ready for three.

She probably thought it was for all of us but I added in a request of finding a few outfits for El.

I can already hear the dots connecting, a million questions waiting for me when we arrive.

I give her a list of colors and ideas that I think Elliott will like, so Kelly has something to go off of, and I pray that I get it right.

Until then, my main goal was to make sure Elliott was comfortable and able to enjoy the small bit of freedom out of this house. Even if it was the last thing I wanted.