“Why?”
“Do you always question orders?”
“I don’t take orders from you.” A half-truth he doesn’t need to have knowledge of. Xavier’s loyalty to Hunter is admirable—misplaced, but admirable. If he wants something, Xavier will do everything to make it happen for him. Therefore, so would I.
He wriggles his fingers in silent demand, eyebrows raising.
Seeing no harm in it, I hand it over. The sleek black device is the latest model, for the sake of having the latest than forneeding any of the advanced features on it. Hunter can’t get into it, of course. Does he really think I would have such lax security?
With an angry sigh, he flips it in his hand. “Open it.”
“No.” He doesn’t get access just because he wants it. There’s no purpose to it, and he won’t be in any danger if I refuse. I can’t fathom why he would want whatever’s inside. None of the contacts would be of any use to him. My emails have nothing incriminating in them—as if I would ever leave a paper trail for someone to find. I have no pictures, no text messages to anyone but Xavier. No apps. Nothing of interest.
Hunter lets out a sigh and then slips the phone into his back pocket. Is this payback for taking his knife? I’m not giving it back if that’s what he’s trying to accomplish. Or his ammo. He’s lucky that I gave him back his gun.
“You’re not going to leave, are you?”
He already knows the answer to that; pointless to even ask. Xavier gave me an order, and nothing short of death will stop me from doing my job.
“Get inside,” he says, jerking his head towards the house.
“No.” I don’t work for him, and it’s much easier to watch his environment if I’m on the periphery. Getting too close won’t give me the full breadth of freedom I need.
“Do you know any other word besides ‘no’?” he snaps, his already dark-green eyes darkening further. Do they do that when he’s angry as well as aroused? They were a deep-sea green in Xavier’s office as well. Interesting parallel.
I don’t respond to him. Since I’ve said more than that in his presence, I recognise it for the smartass remark that it is.
His lips twist into a snarl, dragging my attention to them. Full lips, made for certain extracurricular activities. I’ve never questioned the obsessive attraction that Xavier has for this man, not when based on his looks. His personality is just as intriguing, a mix of loving parent and a hunter in the shadows. He wassofter when Xavier first met him, younger and less jaded, and he didn’t look at Xavier like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to kiss him or strangle him.
No, that came later.
“Either get in your car and fuck off,” Hunter hisses, stepping close enough that our clothing brushes. “Or get inside. I won’t have you loitering out here. You’re not half as innocuous as you think you are in your pretentious two-hundred-thousand-dollar Mercedes.”
“It wasn’t quite two-hundred thousand.” Close, but if he’s going to throw facts at me, he can at least get them right. Not to mention that it doesn’t stand out in this neighbourhood. He’s not exactly slumming it himself in his large two-storey house, with maximum security and a car that’s in the six digits itself. He lives well for a man that doesn’t officially exist.
“Make your choice, Miles.”
The sound of my name on his lips is decadent, too much like a promise of sin than simply a word. Is he doing that on purpose? I’m not so easily manipulated.
“And if I say—”
“No?” he finishes for me with a smug smirk. “I’ll shoot you and make sure that Xavier never finds your body.”
I can’t decide if he’s bluffing or not. He certainly has the resources to make good on the threat. But would he do it? This close, I could incapacitate him before he could get his gun out. Neutralise him long before he’s any real threat to me. Whatever nightmares he’s lived through, I’ve seen worse.
Xavier wants me to watch him, however, which makes my choice an easy one. Turning and opening the driver’s-side door, I lean in to grab the keys, turn the car off, and then lock it all up. “Lead the way.”
He doesn’t try to stop me from watching him punch in the code that lets us through the gate. I’m sure he’s well aware wedon’t need him to tell us what it is for us to find out. If I’d wanted to get in, I would have. That wasn’t the point of my task.
Instead of swerving to go up the path that leads to the front door, he guides me around to a side door that leads directly into the kitchen.
It takes me a moment to realise that I’m inside, disoriented by the sheer volume of plants in view. Lining the large island bench as well as hangingaboveit andacross the wide windowsill that no doubt lets in impressive light during the full height of the sun during the day. The large eight-seating dining table has a colourful centre display. There are larger ferns either side of three doors, two leading somewhere inside and double-glass doors leading outside. One of the inside doors is closed, and the other is open, a pot plant being used as a door stopper.
I suddenly understand why Xavier has been sending Hunter flowers for so many years. It’s clear that he’s quite a fan.
There are sounds coming from further in the house, drifting from the open door. A loud melody that’s bouncy, strange, and one I’ve never heard before. His daughter, I presume. While Hunter gets frequent visits from his brother and the rest of the team that he commands, I haven’t seen anyone else enter tonight.
“I need to make a phone call.”
