“Miles.”
He relaxes imperceptibly when I place a gloved hand on his shoulder. “What do you need?”Whatever it is, I’ll give it to you.If he asked me right now to touch him, let him holdme, I would do it. My own discomfort is meaningless when he’s in this state. Whatever distance between him and Hunter that allowed him to maintain the illusion of being whole is gone. Hunter being so obviously in the crossfire has changed everything.
“I wish to return to my office,” he replies calmly, slowly drawing his shields back up around himself. “Roger has many things to answer for. No one comes for what’s mine without dire consequences.”
“As you wish.”
Hunter
“Dad!Dad!Dad!”
Watching my daughter race towards me, a bright smile on her face, is something that I’ll never get tired of. Every day she looks more and more like her father, pieces of Xavier that I’ll never be able to escape from. It only makes me love her more. I raised her alone, with the help of my brother, and a lot of her personality comes from us, but there are other parts that are one hundred percent Xavier. DNA can’t be denied, and in that regard, she belongs to him, not me.
She crashes into me at high speed, rattling my knees even as she wraps her arms around my waist and beams up at me. “Can I have a lizard?” she asks immediately. She’s giving me that look, the one that says I’ve already lost this battle before it ever began.
“A lizard?” Of all the pets she’s asked for over the years, the only reptile she’s ever mentioned is a snake—and the only person who thinks that’s a good idea is Greer, which means it’s an absolutely terrible idea. “Where did that come from?”
“We got a new class pet! He’s a braided dragon lizard.”
While that certainly conjures some interesting images… “I think you mean a bearded dragon lizard.”
“That’s what I said!”
Tugging on her own braid, I turn her towards where her friends are gathered. “Go say goodbye to your friends, I need to speak to Mr. Snow.”
Olivia bobs her head, drags off her backpack, and shoves it at me before dashing off. The zip is untied, and her drink bottle, books, and half-crumpled paper is at risk of falling out. Slinging it over my shoulder—after securing everything inside—I make my way through the crowds of children, who seem to be loitering despite the fact the school day is over. Matthew Snow is standing near one of the open doors that lead inside the large primary school. Three—notsingle—mothers are gathered around him, looking at him like he hung the moon. I can’t blame them; he’s someone that you give a second look to when walking down the street. Thick brown hair that’s taken over half of his forehead, light-blue eyes, square jaw with barely there stubble, and a boyish charm to his smile, with dimples, of course.
He’s nice to look at, and that’s all he’ll ever be.
When he spots me walking towards him, his face lights up the way it always does, and he excuses himself from his fan club to greet me halfway.
“Hunter—I mean, Mr. Alicent—”
“Hunter is fine.” It’s always disconcerting hearing that name. I rarely associate with anyone that would use it. Those who know me steer clear of it.
His smile warms even as light-red dots appear over his cheeks. “Hunter.”
“I hear you have a new addition to the classroom.”
He looks confused for a moment before understanding dawns. “Oh, you mean Augustus.” He grins sheepishly and runs a hand through his hair. “My brother named him,” he blurts out.
“Did he?” I ask, amused. He looks embarrassed. From the name or the fact that he let his brother name the class lizard?
“He’s fifteen and has a chip on his shoulder about his name.”
“Augustus?” I can’t say I blame him, really.
“It’s just August. But I guess he wanted to show someone that there are worse names?”
“We all need to vent somehow.” The smile I grace him with is the most genuine I’ve given another person besides my daughter in more than a few days. It feels easy in a way nothing else is right now. Uncomplicated. Refreshing.
“I figured it was harmless. The lizard doesn’t understand, and even if he did, I’m sure it’s a great name in lizard culture.”
“One worthy of lizard royalty,” I agree.
“Right.” He watches me with an intensity that should be off-putting. I’m unused to being around anyone that shows their emotions quite so clearly. My line of work tends towards people who are more closely guarded. None of them would ever think to be so willingly open, not with anyone they don’t trust one hundred percent. Matthew doesn’t know me. He has no idea who I am, what I’m capable of, what I’ve done, what I’ll continue doing. I’m not a good person, and he shouldn’t be looking at me like this.
“We’re looking at having the children take turns keeping him at home but with the parents’ permission. There’ll be a slip going out this week with forms for volunteers.”
