Hunter - Blaire Drake Page 0,106

into my ear, pinning my arms to my stomach.

I shook my head, my hair flying as Hunter's blood sunk into my shirt. “Don't you dare lie to me, Hunter!” I yelled as Angelo tentatively lifted Hunter's lifeless body and carried him outside. I didn't know what he'd tell them, what he'd do, what would happen, but I stared. “Be okay,” I whispered in a thick voice.

My heart beat harsher as I watched him disappear through the door.

Everything felt like it was happening in a different time and a different place. I didn't want to be here. I didn't want to be anywhere near here. I wanted to go to that different time and different place where Hunter wasn't hurt and he wasn't dying and everything was okay again.

I wanted to forget everything.

I slumped against Gaige in defeat as the adrenaline subsided, giving way to the agony that had taken root in the wisps of my soul.

If Hunter died, the pain would replace my soul.

That much I was certain of.

***

I stared out of the window at the rain.

It'd been a long time since I'd seen rain.

Been a long time since I really sat and watched the heavy downpour as it splattered against a sidewalk, sunk into the grass, dripped off trees, danced off the windowsills. Three drops trailed down the window, racing each other, fighting for dominance as two merged into one and suddenly fell a good inch down the glass pane.

I liked rain.

I'd missed it.

It was... numbing. Tedious. Completely boring, yet utterly fascinating at the exact same time. I wanted to watch it all day. Let time pass by with nothing.

Hunter.

His name rolled around my mind constantly. I couldn't shake it—couldn't rid myself of the thoughts of him, of how easily he closed his eyes when I kissed him.

The hospital were one more phone call away from having me arrested, I was sure.

I also didn't think that telling them I'd just killed my mafia boss father, meaning I was now the head of a family that had its fingers, toes, and nipples in every illegal activity mention-able, would work much in my favor.

I'd been sitting in the room that was once my bedroom for I had no idea how long. Nothing in the room had changed. It was still painted the same garish, barbie pink I'd loved as a preteen, and the Beanie Babies I'd coveted and collected so religiously were still standing to attention on top of my dresser. Posters were still stuck to the walls with sticky tape, and I already knew from a cursory look inside the drawers that my clothing was still there.

The room had been stuck in a time warp.

But it was all I knew. Everywhere else in this house was too strange and foreign to me, and since Angelo had weeded through the remaining family members in the house and maybe killed one or two of them, and Gaige, together with the trustworthy members, had cleaned the house downstairs, I was stuck in this little room.

It was a strange kind of sanctuary. Even if the pink on the walls was starting to hurt my eyes.

Three knocks sounded at the door, and I turned in time to see Angelo poking his head through the gap. “Hey,” he said. “Can I come in?”

I waved at him from the window seat, then rested my forehead back against the cold glass. “Sure.”

“It looks like a Girl Scout sleepover threw up in here,” he noted, pushing the door to behind him. “Nice Beanie Babies.”

I rolled my eyes. “I haven't been here since I was thirteen, but it's about the only place nobody has died today.”

“True.” He perched on the edge of my bed. “I called Dad earlier and told him everything. He's putting some of his associates on a plane up here to help us get everything in order.”

“Sure. You told him where he can land it, right?”

“Of course. I'll take care of it. They'll be here today.”

“Today?” I looked at him.

“Adriana, it's the middle of the night.”

“That's why it's so dark, then,” I muttered. I had wondered.

“You've been up here for three hours. Gaige is losing his mind with worry.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no sounds came out. “Tell him to come up and see me. I could use some mind-numbing bullshit.”

Angelo chuckled lightly. “You got it. Boss.” He winked as he said the last word, and for the first time since Hunter was hurt, my smile was genuine.

I sighed heavily right after he shut the