Hunter - Blaire Drake Page 0,36

“Jesus, Addy.”

“He's here on Darien's orders.” She sighed. “He knows if I get hurt Darien will hurt him. Please, Gaige?”

“Fine.” He clenched his jaw. “But I don't fucking like it, and I don't trust him.”

“I'm not asking you to.” She rubbed her forehead and tugged her towel up higher on her chest. “You just have to trust me. I don't particularly trust him either.”

“Thanks,” I muttered.

She cut me a dark look.

Gaige gave me a look along the same vein. It lasted for all of two seconds before he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pressed his lips against her cheek.

My chest burned as the muscles in my arms tightened. I wanted to ball my hand into a fist and slam it into his perfect fucking nose. I rolled my shoulders back, swallowing down the tinge of jealousy, and tried to block out the image of blood pouring out his nose as he lay on the floor.

I was so fucked.

I almost wanted to kill him for touching her like that.

I glared after him as he left. The smugness practically radiated off of him. I didn't trust myself not to follow him, so I folded my arms, pressing my hands against my ribs, and headed for the back door. I could feel Adriana's eyes burning into my back, but I ignored her and kept walking.

If I didn't get inside, I'd follow the smug son of a bitch and cut his lip so badly he couldn't do it again.

The feeling was alien. I knew jealousy. I knew protectiveness. I knew what it was like to shield someone, to want them to be safe no matter what... but this wasn't danger. This was good old fucking envy.

Never mind that her face had been millimeters from mine just minutes before and that he was the one she'd sent away. The fact that she had some kind of close relationship with Gaige fucking Pontarelli had my stomach coiling in rage.

She doesn't belong to you, asshole.

I cricked my neck and took a seat at the kitchen island. She didn't belong to me. I had to keep telling myself that. It didn't matter about the past or that I was supposed to protect her.

She wasn't mine. Mine to protect, sure. But not mine.

Chapter Nine – Adriana

Hunter looked like he was ready to kill.

It was strange. I'd never seen him like that before, but I was sure that when he stalked past me, murder shone in his eyes.

I should have been scared.

I wasn't.

I didn't know why. Maybe it was because I knew he wouldn't hurt me. His anger wasn't directed to me—it was at Gaige, and I couldn't help but think he was right in being annoyed. Gaige had kissed my cheek for no reason other than to piss Hunter off, and I think Hunter knew it.

I hoped Hunter knew it.

Honestly, I was annoyed at Gaige myself. There was no need to kiss my cheek so blatantly.

But then he always kissed me when I left—so why did I have a problem with it now? Was it because it obviously pissed Hunter off?

Why was I so bothered about the guy who'd tried to kill me two days ago?

I wiped my hand down my face and made my way toward the house. Why did Darien have to have Hunter babysit me? Jesus—the biggest threat to my life was the one protecting me.

I was starting to think that maybe it wasn't just my life he was a threat to. Maybe he threatened my very existence just by being around me. Lord only knew I couldn't fucking think straight when he was around me.

It was his eyes, I reasoned, closing the back door behind me and locking it. It was definitely his eyes. One day, that mixture of steely gray and molten silver would be my undoing. He'd unravel me like a loose string on a scarf, unwillingly caught.

I grabbed two dry towels from the cupboard in the hall and ran into the bathroom. My heart burned, and I didn't know why. Gaige was pissed off, Hunter was pissed off, and Darien was in turmoil.

I would have killed for a girlfriend I could spill everything to. But I didn't have one.

Not one that would understand. All I really had was Gaige... until Hunter appeared.

Now I didn't think I had anyone at all.

I stripped off and stepped into the shower. I turned the water right up as hot as I could bear it, then leaned against the tiles. The water pounded down on