Hunter’s still angry. He shoves his hand through his hair, but I recognize the violent edge to his frustration. Valerie swallows. “What did he do?”
“I told you. He stormed in demanding that we give you back. That we stop holding you hostage. I don’t know how heknewyou were with us. Or where he’d find us. He punched the security guard. Questions were being asked. Rumors were going around. Chase is dealing with a fucking circus right now.”
“Where is he?” Valerie asks softly.
“We had to call the police. He’s still saying that we’re holding you hostage, Valerie. Hostage!” Hunter switches to Russian. “Of all the bullshit. Holdingherhostage. As if we could ever. She’d cut us down.”
I smile slightly, then cup Valerie’s cheek. “You have to deal with this. You know that right?”
She squeezes my hand. “Lief.”
“Hunter will go back to assist Chase. I will go with you.” I kiss her forehead. “To keep you from breaking the man.”
“I ... I can’t see him.”
Hunter stops his pacing and looks at her. “What? You’re going to let Chase deal with-”
“You don’t get it. Ican’t. I can’t.” She nibbles her bottom lip, then lets me go and tries to get upstairs. Hunter catches her and pulls her close. She shoves against him. “I won’t. I can’t. I left the entire fucking house, my whole life because of that man, I won’t do-”
“Stop fighting and talk to me.” He hisses.
I rub her sides and Hunter holds her wrists gently until she calms. She takes a few breaths. “You’re not allowed to hurt him.”
“Don’t like that start. Continue.”
“He’s a mean son of a bitch who talks with his hands.” I remember her mentioning something now that she says it. “I emancipated myself for a reason, Hunt. I got a restraining order at seventeen when he kept trying to drag me back home ... physically. He wouldn’t go to A.A. He wouldn’t go to counseling. None of it. He didn’twanthelp. He wanted to make me and my mom as miserable as he was.”
Hunter exhales heavily. “When you keep things from me, I feel like you don’t trust me.”
“When you raise your voice, you make me feel unsafe,” She whispers.
I don’t know if I’m supposed to say something, so I don’t. Valerie’s shaking so badly, that I pick her up and set her on the couch. Hunter sits with her while I go and stick the pie in the fridge. I grab some headache medicine since I think we’ll need it and sit on the table in front of Valerie.
“There’s a restraining order. He can’t be within 500 feet of me. I’ll call Tristan and have him take care of it. I can’t legally go,” She finishes.
Hunter rubs her back. “I’m sorry I lost my temper with you. I felt blindsided.”
“So did I when you came in like that.” She wipes at her eyes. “I’ll take my mother calling me a whore any day over one second with him.”
“What?” Chase slams the door behind him. “What the fuck have I missed?”
Valerie buries her face in her hands. I rub her knee. She shakes a little but catches Chase up. When she finishes, I know he’s seeing red. “We can kill him.”
“You promised!”
He kisses her cheek. “Getting the police involved took care of most of the damage. But there are some serious questions being raised about you, Valerie.”
“I’m sure he wants money. He doesn’t ... he can’t actually think that you’d hold me hostage.”
“How long ago did you get the restraining order?”
“Um ... it’s been a long while. I haven’t gotten it updated.” She looks at me. “Why, Lief?”
“They last up to five years. It’s expired.”
She blinks at me. “What?”
“It’s expired,” I say again. “We can go take care of this. We can get another if needed.”