* * *
Hunter
After reunitinglast night with Winter, followed by this morning when she blew my mind in bed, I’m feeling slightly less edgy about what I’m about to do.
I still want to take a bat to whoever killed my father, but having Winter beside me as we walk across the parking lot of the police station calms me in a way I don’t want to think too hard about.
I take her hand in mine as we get near the front door, and we’re just about to enter when I hear, “Storm.”
Still holding Winter’s hand, I whip around.
Jared and Max are striding toward us. Their faces are grim.
“What are you two doing here?” I ask in shock.
“You seriously think we wouldn’t come to try to ID our father’s murderer?” Jared scowls at me.
Clearly trying to break the tension, Max grins at Winter. “Must be because Hunt’s the youngest. He never seems to know as much as Jared and I.”
Winter smiles, but she squeezes my hand, and I know she’s letting me know that she’s on my side.
Like he’s just noticing, Max’s gaze goes to our joined hands. “You two together now?” He raises an eyebrow.
“Seriously?” Jared says before Winter or I can answer. “You two are finally…”
“No,” I say firmly. “I don’t know,” I add, and both my brothers crack up. “Shut up and focus on why we’re all here.”
At that moment, Liam peels into the parking lot in the black SUV he bought after Lulu was born.
He hops out of the driver’s side and shuts the door behind him. The SUV beeps as he flicks his remote to lock the doors.
“Hey, Hunt. Winter.” Like my other brothers, Liam’s gaze immediately goes to Winter’s hand wrapped in mine. “About time you two made it official. Or are you two going to deny it?”
“If no comment is a denial, then yes,” I say curtly. “Like I’ve already said, let’s stay on topic today.”
Liam gives me a chin tilt before turning to Jared and Max.
“What are you assholes doing here?” he says. “I told you not to come. You’ll get a team fine.”
“We cleared it with Coach,” Max says. “He said, and I quote, ‘I hope you can ID that bastard and bring justice to your family.”
Winter’s hand tightens in mine.
I glance over at her. “You okay?”
She nods. But as my three brothers turn toward the door of the station, Winter tugs at my hand like she’s trying to pull away.
“I don’t belong in there, Hunter.” Her blue eyes are as still as the lake I used to fish in with my dad. “You four deserve to do this in private. It’s a family matter.”
But I’m not letting her go that easily. “Do youwantto come with me?” I ask her.
“I want to support you,” she says. “However that works for you. What I don’t want is to get in the way.”
Liam’s holding the door open for us. “Come on, you two.” He looks at Winter. “You were there for Hunt on that shitty night. And for every day after for months. In ways I couldn’t be. So don’t you think for one second that we don’t want you here.”
Winter’s eyes soften. “Okay. Thank you, Liam.”
Chapter 19
