Scrambling to my feet, my heart pounding, I open the curtain just enough to peek outside. Hunter’s truck is parked next to me, his silhouette barely visible in the dimly lit night as he makes his way toward my van through the rain. My hands fumble as I unlock and open the door just in time to let a panting Hunter inside. I quickly close and lock the door behind him. He’scrouching because he’s so tall, and his eyes are wide, the panic evident.
Fuck.
“Hunter, what—” I start to ask, but he doesn’t answer. Instead, he pulls me into his chest, hugging me hard, his body trembling.
“Thunder buddies help each other through storms, so none of them have to be afraid,” he murmurs, echoing what I told him and Lio.
I nod, my face buried in his chest, and mumble, “Right.” I pull him closer, feeling his warmth and strength. “I’ve got you.”
His arms tighten around me, and he whispers, “I’ve got you too.” We stand there for a few moments, just breathing, until another thunderclap rings out, making us cringe. “Fuck, it does seem louder inside this sardine tin.”
“Told you. I get it if you wanna go back home, even though I appreciate you coming,” I tell him, leaning back to look up at him.
“I’ll stay, no matter what, even if I have to sleep on the floor,” he mutters, stroking my cheek.
“It’s fine. Nash came over for some sleepovers too. If you want to sleep in my bed, you can,” I tell him like it’s no big deal, although my heart is beating even faster at his question.
We’ve never shared a bed.
He leans in to kiss my forehead, whispering against it, “Then get in. I have to take off my prosthetic first.”
Reluctantly, I let go of him, crawling up and under the covers while he sits on the edge of the bed, pulling up his loose sleep pants before removing the prosthetic and placing it and the sleeve on the floor.
I make space under the covers for him, and he scoots up the bed, joining me as we both lay on our backs, looking up at thevan’s roof. His hand moves under the cover until it finds mine, gripping it and lacing our fingers, making my stomach flutter.
After a few moments of silence, the rain tapping on the roof, and Hunter taking deep breaths, I ask, “What is it about those meetings you mentioned?”
He lets out a long breath. “It’s just the daily business for Jones and Sons, nothing special or interesting, but it just accumulated because I was away the two days before.”
“For getting my heater and keeping me company while I fixed the van?” I ask and hear the pillow rustle when he nods. “But I thought you weren’t doing the operative stuff? I thought that was North’s job as the boss?”
Hunter turns to look at me, so I turn to him. “North’s not the boss anymore.”
The information hits me like a punch in the gut, and my eyes almost pop out of my head. “What?”
“He stepped back as CEO, and I took over.” Hunter drops that bomb with such calmness it’s frightening.
“North,Satan, stepped down from being the boss?” I still can’t believe what he just said. “Andyoustepped in?”
Why would they do that?
Hunter chuckles. “You think I can’t handle the job?”
I shake my head and sit up to face him, slightly leaning over his chest. “Of course not, I know you can. It’s just… why would he do that? He loves bossing people around.”
“He loves his son more.” Hunter smiles, and once more, it hits me like a ton of bricks.
“He stepped back to look after Lio?” If Hunter is now CEO, someone would have to care for him.
That’s why I saw them groceryshopping earlier.
Hunter reaches up to push a strand of hair behind my ear that has fallen. “You opened his eyes on so many levels. Heknows he messed up, and he’s trying to be better. You were right. His priorities weren’t where they needed to be. They are now.”
I don’t even know what to say to that.
I did that?
He did that for Lio?For me?
