Page 41 of Shattered King

I woke when Van stood and opened the door.

After Hunter walked out earlier, I spent time with Sara and Josh, trying not to think about what would happen next, the conversation I was going to have to have with him.

Van had followed Hunter, but returned a short time later and stayed.

He stayed while the police questioned me. He remained when my aunt and son left. He also didn’t say a word. Hunter’s older brother was an intimidating guy. Just as tall as Hunter, the same striking blue eyes and dark hair, but his skin was darker, his coloring obviously from their Hispanic father. I’d never met the man, and I was glad of it. But I’d seen photos. Even in his pictures, he’d exuded an unyielding hardness and a cruelty that caused a prickling unease just looking at them. Van and Hunter both had that same hard exterior, whether inherited or due to the tough lives they’d led, I didn’t know.

But neither one of the King boys was cruel. Their father hadn’t passed that on. I didn’t know what Van was thinking, but whatever it was, he kept it to himself. The whole time, he sat silently in that corner, texting, making phone calls, going about his business.

I hadn’t been able to summon up the courage to look at him. I faked sleep for the last hour.

If I looked at him, maybe I’d see exactly what he thought about me. Right then I couldn’t deal with it. I didn’t want it.

I heard him approach the bed, standing there for few moments. Making sure I was asleep? I’d obviously fooled him, because finally he left, the door clicking shut behind him.

I had no idea what time it was, but the blinds were open and it was dark outside. Jude, a big guy who also worked at Hunter’s agency, had shown up when it was still light to take my aunt and Josh home, promising me he’d keep them safe. The guy was huge, and extremely intense, and I believed him. I trusted him immediately. That was rare for me—these days I trusted no one. He picked up my son and cradled him in his big arms in a way that told me it wasn’t the first time he held a child. He’d placed his hand on Sara’s shoulder and, after telling me he’d bring them back to visit the next day, steered her out the door.

I didn’t understand fully what was happening, but for now, it seemed the men from the King Agency were taking care of my family and me. I wasn’t stupid enough to turn that down, no matter how uncomfortable it made me.

Yes, I was lying in a hospital bed, my body battered and bruised, but for the first time in a long time, I was safe. Van had stayed, guarding me, so I remained that way.

But the weird thing was, I was more terrified now than I had been when I was on the run. I may not know what the future held, but I did know I would have to tell Hunter the rest of my story.

I heard the door open and close and I stilled.

If Van knew I was awake, he might take it as an invitation for conversation.

Footsteps moved up beside me and stopped. “You’re a shit actress.” Hunter’s voice was low and rough and slid over me like a silk sheet. “We need to talk.”

We did, but I didn’t want to, so I kept up my shit acting, and didn’t move a muscle.

I felt him move closer, and when he spoke again, he was right there. “I’m not going anywhere, Lulu.”

Shit.

“Look at me.”

I had no damn choice. It wasn’t like I could get up and walk away. I released the breath I was holding and rolled to my back. Then wished I hadn’t. The look aimed at me was not only intense and determined, it was kind of scary. Okay, a lot scary.

I blinked up at him, trying to find the right place to start, the right words, but he started talking before I could think of a single word to say.

“The night before the police came for me, I remember how you were. I knew there was something up with you, but I let it slide, thought you’d talk to me about whatever was bothering you when you were ready. You always did.” He rubbed a hand over his mouth. “That night, you climbed into my bed, and you fucking clung to me, and still I kept my mouth shut. I waited.” He didn’t try and touch me, he kept that short distance between us, body held so tense I thought he would erupt out of his skin any minute.

“Hunter . . .”

“I failed you, Lulu.”

Because of me, he’d gone to prison and now he was blaming himself? I thought this couldn’t get any harder, but then he started talking again.

“It happened that night. I know it did. I let you lead. Knew you needed it. Gave it to you. You had your eyes locked on me the whole time I was inside you. I would’ve had to have been blind not to see it. You loved me, more than anyone ever loved me in my entire life, and you hid none of it that night.” His jaw got hard and he hissed out a pained breath. “You were trying to tell me, and I failed you. I was your man. You needed me, and I wasn’t there. You were terrified, and you were fucking willing me to see.”

He was right. I remembered, too. I’d wanted him to question me, to force me to tell him, and at the same time terrified he would. “Stop,” I whispered.

“We made him that night. We made our son.”

A hot tear streaked down my face. “Please, stop,” I tried again.

“We made that beautiful little boy.”