Page 25

24

I stomp toward the house.

Thankfully, Hunter doesn’t follow, and neither does Landon. I don’t understand what the big secret is. It’s so hard for him to be open and honest with me, but if he wants me to be a part of his world, then he needs to include me. I’m done with being left out. Done with Hunter and this entire thing, whatever it is.

My boots trample up the few stairs into the house, and I yank them off, letting them fall to the floor with a thud . I head straight for my bedroom and slam the door behind me, pacing the floor.

A light knock at the door makes me pause.

“What?” I bite out.

The door opens, and May’s head pops around. “Are you all right? I can’t help but notice stomping feet and slamming doors. Kind of reminds me of what it’s like to have kids around.” She smiles, and slowly, I simmer down.

I’m not mad at her. “I am so mad at Hunter. Apparently, his father has my mother, and they won’t go and get her. His father wants me there.”

May’s eyes go wide, and she covers her mouth with a hand, the distress evident. Her other wraps around her stomach. “They have Miriam?” she asks, disbelieving.

I nod.

“That’s not good, honey. They desperately want you.”

“What? The other week, you and Hunter were arguing about me going to see his father, and now you’re both against it. Why?” I fold my arms across my chest and wait.

May sighs. “Honey, come sit.” She moves to the wooden box at the end of my bed—the bed Hunter and I have been sharing for the last month. Reluctantly, I sit beside her. “Now that they have your mother, they have leverage over you and Hunter. It’s not good. It is a huge power play on Thomas’ behalf. He can manipulate the way discussions go, and he could easily kill you both when you’re there.Oh, darling, it’s not good.”

The weight of her words rests on my shoulders. A power play . I’m a pawn in a game of chess, and I need to make myself queen instead.

The game is about to change.

“I’m done with sitting around, waiting for Thomas to come find me. I’m ready to go to him and—”

“You will do no such thing,” Hunter growls out, and my head turns toward him.

I narrow my gaze on him, rising from my seat. “You do not get to tell me what to do. I’m not your prisoner. I thought I was something much more important to you. I guess I was wrong.”

His shoulders drop. “You’re not ready to meet him.” His voice is full of dread.

“What about my mother? Is he going to kill her?” My throat tightens at the mention of the word ‘kill.’

Slowly, Hunter comes toward me while May remains unmoving. No matter how much he tries to butter me up, I will not give up this fight. It’s not going to put out the fire inside me.

“I’ll go in and make sure she’s all right. They’re obviously trying to pull you away from the safety here,” Hunter says.

“Safety? Excuse me. What happened to me here again?” My finger comes to my head. “Oh, that’s right, I was shot while I was here on my own. I’m not safe. Not here. Not anywhere.”

“That was my mistake. One that will never happen again. I shouldn’t have left you on your own, and you’ll never be on your own again.” His hand comes up and rests on my shoulder, but I shift away from his touch. Right now, I don’t want it.

“You should have let me live my life away from here, away from all of this,” I mutter.

“You would probably be dead, and then I would have failed Nash.” My heart tears apart at the mention of the brother I’ll never get to see again. “He sought you out so that I could keep you safe. My father is a vile man, and I promise you that he’ll die for what he’s done to your family.” I can see the flames of determination in his eyes. He will kill his father, no doubt about that.

“Good. I hope he suffers. I need you both to leave.” I walk away from them toward the bathroom, but when I turn back, they haven’t moved. “You can still sleep somewhere else,” I remind him. As much as it hurts for me to say that, I need space.

I don’t wait for his reply, stepping into the bathroom and locking the door behind me. Really, I should be the one sleeping somewhere else. I’m in his room. Oh well, he can set me straight once I’m out.

I turn on the shower and step in, fully clothed. Leaning against the cold tiles, I slip down to the floor.

This seems to be the place I fall apart.

The steaming hot water soaks through my clothes.

I don’t care.

I don’t care about anything anymore.

I was alone in the world for so long, and now, all of a sudden, I am swamped with . . .

Family.

Death.

Heartbreak.

They all have one thing in common.

Hunter.

The moment he came into the diner, my world was flipped upside down.

It’s all been about gain for him—power—to be the king in the game of chess, and he wants me to be his queen.

Am I ready for that commitment?

Probably not. Will I let Thomas Wolfe destroy what’s left of my family? Not a chance in hell. I don’t stand for killing, but he’s going to die by my hand by the end of all this. His blood will pay the debt he owes to me for the loss and destruction of my family.

He’ll know by now that my sisters are alive, and he’ll be looking for them. His vendetta, which started when I was taken away, will only end when I face him. I must push aside my fear and take my position as queen.

Thomas Wolfe won’t see me coming.