My phone rings, Guy’s name flashing on the screen.
“Where the fuck have you been!” he roars.
Panic sluices through me. “What’s happened? Did Ranger go back on the deal?”
“It wasHunter,” Guy says. “Hunter killed Asher.”
The words don’t register. They shoot by me, through me, and I shake my head as I try to calm my frantic heart.
“He’s lying. Ranger is lying.”
“He meant to kill Ella. He didn’t know it was Asher with her,” Guy says, still almost yelling. “I’ve called Ella and Monty—neither of them is answering. Get home, Gable. Get home now.”
Chapter 46
Ella
The sound of running water draws me to the kitchen. Hunter is standing at the sink, washing his hands, and I place down the book I’ve been trying to read since Gable left; none of the words have gone into my brain at all.
“Hey, have you seen my phone?” I ask.
He keeps his back to me as he answers. “Nope. Could it be in Gable’s room?”
“No, I’ve checked there.” I take a seat at the kitchen island. “Where’s Monty?”
“Sleeping, I think.” He turns off the faucet and picks up a kitchen towel to dry his hands as he faces me. “How’s the book?”
“No clue. I didn’t get past the first page.”
He smiles. “Worried about him?” I nod, and he rests his forearms against the island, clasping his hands together. His light blue eyes focus on my face, and I get that familiar feeling that he’s pulling me to pieces in his mind. After the things I said earlier, I wouldn’t be surprised if he is. I didn’t exactly hold back.
But Gable’s story had stuck with me for so many reasons, one of which was that Hunter took advantage. He should have done more for them. They had options, and he stole futures they could’ve had.
“You were right,” Hunter says, keeping his gaze locked on mine. “What you said earlier, you were right on the money … and I regret every day that I turned them into monsters.”
“Not monsters,” I say, swallowing down my guilt at the hurt in his voice. “They just could have been … more.”
He nods and straightens before rounding the island and standing close. Closer than he ever has before.
“You’re a good woman, Ella.” He cups my cheek, and the closeness has alarm bells going off in my head.
I force a smile. “I just care about Gable.”
“Like you cared about Asher?” He runs his thumb across my jaw, and I want to turn my face away, but the words hurt and anger me.
“How I felt about Asher?—”
He kisses me.
I almost jolt back in my chair trying to get away from him and wipe the back of my hand over my mouth. “What are you doing!”
“I’m sorry … did I misread this situation?” he asks, his innocence so completely false that I take a step back.
“I’m dating your son!”
“And you also dated his brother,” he says, as if I need the reminder. He steps closer to me, and my heart beats violently in my chest, the taste of him still on my lips. “I just want to see what has my sons risking everything. What is it about you, Ella?”
“You need to back off,” I say, holding up my hand as I keep space between us, but he advances.
