Abel left without another word but made sure to slam the door so hard that a framed picture of my great-grandfather fell from the wall and crashed to the floor.
I didn’t react. Quiet as it was kept, I understood his anger. Would I go to war for Abel? The closest person I had to a friend?
Yes.
But I would be smart about it. I wouldn’t recklessly throw myself into the line of fire when there was a smarter way. Hunter had won a few battles, but the war was far from over when it had barely even begun. Most importantly, she couldn’t win. Eventually, when her rage subsided and reality set in, she would be forced to see that.
The question is, would it matter? Or would she throw her life away to rescue a friend who didn’t care to be saved? If Hunter kept going like this, by the time she realized it was all for nothing, that Coby was here of her own free will, and that she was marrying me because she wanted to (something I don’tthink even Coby has realized yet), it would be too late. My mercy and that of theFolawould be long spent.
The crushing weight of that impending eventuality had me replaying my argument with Abel on the way home.
“Ocean, this bitch is drawing too much attention,” he argued. “She’s more than just some loose end. She’s clearly a threat. We need to neutralize her right fucking now.”
“I’m not killing my wife’s best friend.”
“You think it will be any different once your father finds out who’s doing this and puts a price on her head?”
No.
It won’t.
Coby would still blame me, and rightfully so.
I’ve been dealing with Hunter with one hand tied behind my back and wrapped in kid gloves because of what she meant to my wife, but as the death toll rose, it was becoming clear that it wouldn’t be enough.
Coby was soft and ripe for the picking like a grazing doe in the woods, but Hunter was clearly a different kind of animal. She was an apex predator stalking from the shadows and just waiting for the right moment to pounce. Like me.
It was past time I started acting accordingly.
Resting my head back against the seat, I closed my eyes and prayed to God I’d have the strength to resist temptation. I waited for an answer, but God was woefully silent, making it clear I was on my own.
All too quickly, the SUV turned into the underground garage at Glainne. I’d run out of time, so I opened my eyes and met Abel’s bloodthirtsty gaze. Anticipation was already injecting itself into my veins, setting my blood on fire at the promise of possessing Hunter soon.
The chess pieces were already moving, except this time from the opposing side of the board. Pawns, knights, and rooks wereknocked over as the second-tallest piece—and easily the most important—did the unthinkable. The impossible. It slid across the center of the board until it stood tall by my side.
Two queens, one king.
With that eager burn stirring in my gut, I gave the order that I’ve been resisting for far too long because I knew…I fucking knew that it could shatter everything. “Find Hunter. Bring her to me. Spread the word that I want her capturedaliveand make it known to everyone that anyone caught helping Hunter Parrish will be dealt with.”
Coby’s best friend now had the highest bounty on her head in all of Black Veil.
She was officiallyduine gun fàilte2. Persona non grata.
Hunter was all alone and had nowhere to run except straight into me.
“Coby, is Hunter your girlfriend?” I questioned softly. It was an unusual thing to ask about platonic friends when there was no real evidence to suggest otherwise—only my gut feeling. Coby’s brows dipped a little as she subtly shook her head, only to wince as if the denial—or the acknowledgement of the truth—pained her. None of it escaped my notice. Not even the sharp little inhale or the way she slightly turned her head to discreetly blink away her tears. Tamping my need to turn this room inside out, I kept my tone gentle and patient because it was whatsheneeded. “Was she ever?”
My bride, who was already my wife in my heart, was slower to answer this time. “No.” Looking up from the floor where her attention had been, she finally met my gaze. “Hunter was never my girlfriend. She’s my sister. If she did this, it’s because she’s angry and scared. Wouldn’tyoube if someone took me from you and you didn’t know if I was alive or dead?”Yes.But I remained silent as I listened. “I told you, Ocean. We’ve never been apart. You need to let me see her.”
Inhaling deeply, I could feel the ice forming around my heart and bleeding into my tone as I spoke. “Hunter is backing herself into a very dark corner,” I explained while ignoring her request. “Her actions tonight cemented that. I’m sorry,mo aingeal, but it’s war.”
“What?” Coby blinked and took an astonished step back. “W-what does that mean?”
“It means,” I said slowly, “that I don’t have to imagine how scared and angry your friend is feeling because I would never andwill neverallow anyone to take you from me. Hunter included.”
In my peripheral vision, I spotted the door to the office slowly creeping open and someone quietly slipping through. I kept my gaze straight ahead at Coby, who was currently eyeing the paperweight on my desk.
“What are you going to do?” she asked nervously.
