We step into the hallway, and Hunter checks in both directions before motioning me forward. His hand presses against the small of my back, protective rather than possessive. The warmth of his palm seeps through my blouse, a reminder of how easily my body responds to his touch.
In the elevator, I face him directly. “I want the truth, Hunter. No more vague explanations or half-answers. Who exactly is Jax, and why is he watching me?”
Hunter’s gaze holds mine, something shifting in his expression. For a moment, the mask slips.
“Jax King is the leader of an organization I belong to. We’re... associates, but that term doesn’t capture the full scope.” He exhales slowly. “Our relationship operates on absolute loyalty and discretion. When he learned about you, about us, he viewed it as a liability.”
“What kind of organization requires that level of control?”
The elevator doors open to the parking garage. Hunter guides me toward his car, scanning our surroundings.
“The kind that doesn’t allow distractions or divided loyalties,” he says, opening the passenger door for me. “The kind where weakness gets exploited.”
Once we’re both inside, I turn to him. “And I’m your weakness.”
His hands grip the steering wheel, knuckles white. “You’re becoming something I didn’t anticipate.”
“Which is?”
He stares straight ahead. “Something I’m not willing to sacrifice.”
The raw honesty in his voice catches me off guard. For the first time since I’ve known him, Hunter sounds vulnerable.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he says, his voice low and fierce. “Even if it means going against Jax.”
My heart stutters in my chest. This dangerous, complex man is willing to risk everything to keep me safe. And despite all the reasons I should run in the opposite direction, despite knowing so little about who he really is beneath the wealth and power and control, I’m falling for him.
The realization terrifies me. Because the truth is, I don’t really know Hunter Reed at all. I only know the parts he’s chosen to reveal, fragments of a man whose full picture might horrify me. And still, my heart races when he looks at me like I’m the only thing that matters.
God help me, what am I getting myself into?
24
HUNTER
Idrive along the coastal road with Aurora beside me, silence stretching between us. The city lights fade behind as we climb higher into the cliffs. My knuckles whiten against the steering wheel. Taking her to the penthouse isn’t enough, not with Jax’s resources. We need distance, isolation, and time.
“This isn’t the way to your penthouse,” Aurora says, tension sharpening her voice.
“We’re going to my cliff house.”
Her head snaps toward me. “We’re what?”
“The property next door to your father’s. More secure. Harder to access.”
Aurora scowls but doesn’t say another word. The tension in the car is palpable.
I pull through the gates, the security system recognizing my vehicle. The house emerges from the darkness, glass and stone perched on the edge of existence. Unlike the Harrison mansion with its old-world grandeur, mine is all sharp angles and modern defiance against the cliffside.
Inside, Aurora moves straight to the wall of windows overlooking the churning ocean. The moonlight catches herprofile, illuminating the determined set of her jaw. She’s never looked more beautiful, or more dangerous to everything I’ve built.
“I need answers, Hunter. Real ones.” She turns. “Who exactly is Jax King? What organization are you part of? Why does he consider me a threat?”
The questions hang between us like smoke. I could lie, since I’ve become an expert at half-truths and omissions, but part of me wants her to know. Wants someone to see the darkness I’ve cultivated.
But revealing everything would mean losing her. And despite every instinct honed over years of control, I can’t bear that thought.
I cross the room, drawn to her like gravity. “Aurora?—”
