“The latter, luckily.”
“How’d she look?”
Hunter has also slept with Monty. What he didn’t knowat the time was that she’d been hired to kill him and tried to slice his throat mid-fuck. He let her go with a warning that if he ever saw her again, she’d regret it. Apparently, she’d cackled as she’d strutted away.
“Why do you care?”
He pauses. “She may or may not have spent the night a few months back.”
“Jesus, Hunter, the woman tried to cut your jugular while you were balls deep, and you went back?”
“She’s charming! It’s the accent,” he says. “I learned my lesson, though. She stole my fucking Lamborghini while I was sleeping.”
Despite the situation, I snort a laugh. That explains herborrowedcar.
I’ve finally reached Ella’s floor, and the conversation combined with the walk has cooled me off somewhat.
“Where are you?” Hunter asks.
“Heading to Ella’s.”
“Want my advice? Leave. Come home. Bring her with you if you have to, but drop this job and get the fuck out of there.”
I pause in the hallway. In all the years I’ve been doing this, never once has Hunter told me to leave. He got me into this world, into the agency before he took it over, and taught me everything I know. Bailing on a job was never, ever an option.
“You’re serious?”
Hunter sighs. “I can’t protect you out there, kid. And I can’t fucking lose you or Gable. Come home. Come home before it’s too late.”
Chapter 19
Gable
“Okay, so we leave.” I fold my arms and shrug as if it’s the simplest decision in the world. “Right now.”
Asher looks up at me from the couch. “You wanna run?”
No, I don’t want to run. I’ve never run. Even when running meant survival, even when running was the smart thing to do, I haven’t done it because I fight everything head-on. When my stepdad had a bottle of whiskey and a belt in his hand, I stood my ground and wound up in the hospital. I. Don’t. Run.
But when it comes to keeping Asher alive, I’ll head for the fucking hills. There’s no way I’ll put him in danger, because as good as I am at what I do, I can’t protect my brother from bloodthirsty contract killers looking for a cool quarter mil. Even I’m not bulletproof.
“What’s the other option?”
Asher runs his hand across his mouth. “We stay, just a little longer.”
Anger simmers beneath my skin, and I put distance between us before it bubbles over.
“You want to stay for fucking Ella.”
“I can’t just leave her, Gable,” he says. “I can’t disappear after everything.”
I’m so close to tearing my damn hair out.
“Asher, are you willing todiefor this girl?” I shout. “Because I would do anything for you, but I won’t leave you here to get a bullet in your brain because of a piece of ass.”
Asher stands. “That’s not what she is.”
“Then tell her the truth and she can come with us.”
