Chapter 27
The bitter coffee wokeHunter and steadied his hands.He sat at the table.The steaming mug was warming his palms.Occasionally, he flicked his gaze toward the clock on the wall.He hesitated on leaving, hoping Annie would wake up before he left.Just one look at her, one moment, would bring him enough pleasure to get through the ugliest part of his day.
But the minutes ticked by, and the silence stretched.He couldn't wait any longer.
He swallowed the last of the coffee, set the mug in the sink, and reached for his helmet.
It took him all week, dogging Jason's every step, to learn his schedule and pick up on his habits.
He'd mapped it all in his head.The neighbors coming and going, the times their cars pulled out and returned, the fucking garbage truck making its round each Thursday.He knew where the cameras were pointed on the house three doors down, the blind spots, and the elderly neighbor who had never left her house all week but watched for the mail carrier through the front window between one and three in the afternoon.
Every detail mattered.
He couldn't afford to make one mistake.
With his helmet under his arm, he stepped toward the door.Jason thought he was untouchable, but Hunter had learned the truth.
Everyone had a weakness.
Outside, he nodded at Duke, Rocco, and Cannon gathered by the motorcycles, ready to ride out.He went to his Harley and followed the others out of the gate.Kodiak had given him a week off to see if he could find his way into Jason's world.He wasn't going to waste a second.
The motorcycle hummed with vibrations beneath him as he rolled slowly down the street.He'd spent the week memorizing every detail, and tonight was about confirmation.
Hunter parked in the shadows, helmet still on, and waited.
Minutes ticked by.Then Jason appeared, stepping out of his car, glancing once at the street before heading inside.No one else was around.No curious neighbors, no cars pulling in.Perfect.
Hunter checked the time.He watched the door.
Ten minutes.
Fifteen.
Twenty.
Jason stayed inside the house.Not a car went down the street.It was too early for the mail.Hunter's pulse stayed steady, his mind recording every second.
Satisfied, he started the bike and rode away from the curb.He had all the information he needed.Only the occasional schedule change, an emergency, or bad timing could mess up his plan.
After tomorrow, the past won't hurt them anymore.Then, all they needed was time to heal.
Leigh could stop looking over her shoulder.Annie could move on with her life.He checked his side mirror, making sure he wasn't being followed.As much as he wanted to make Annie part of his life, it was unfair to ask her to stay.She confused gratitude with attraction, without considering the consequences of being involved with someone who was deaf.
Outside the clubhouse, he had a handicap.
It wasn't something he dwelled on or let stop him, but he had already spent some time in prison that he probably wouldn't have if he had his hearing.Being taken in for questioning while trying to protect Annie served as a blunt reminder that anyone in his life would be at a disadvantage around him.
