A hand darts out and grabs my ankle, which is already sore from when I fell over in the chair. I screech and try to kick him with my other foot, but before I can land a blow, Hunter is there. Miraculously, he’s been revived from getting knocked out by this same asshole a few moments ago, and he rushes over, swaying slightly, and kicks Mr. Nyx in the back, right where his kidneys would be.
That’s all it takes for Mr. Nyx to let me go, and I can’t help but slam my heel into his hand as I run past him, drawn to Hunter like he is a lighthouse and I am a ship on a tumultuous sea.
“Is that it?” Hunter asks me as he catches me in his arms, pulling me close. “Is that the money?”
“I haven’t looked, but I think it has to be,” I say.
He quickly lets me go and grabs the bag, swinging it up on top of the island and unzipping it. “Holy fuck,” he mumbles. I glance over his shoulder and see more bearer bonds than I’ve ever seen in my life.
Hunter hurriedly zips the duffle bag up and then turns to me, pulling me close again. His lips descend upon my temple, and he says, “You fucking crazy woman! I can’t believe you found the money and took out Nyx. Come on, let’s get the hell out of here!”
He doesn’t have to tell me twice. I take his hand, and the two of us head for the door. We pause for a moment for him to glance around. The entire apartment complex seems eerily quiet.
“Ethan, were you the only one who came?” he calls back over his shoulder as I peek my head back inside and see Ethan doing something in my kitchen, but I don’t know what it is.
“No, I brought some of the other guys, but they’re getting the rest of the residents to safety,” he tells us.
“Perfect. We need to torch this place. Molotov cocktail, Ethan.” Hunter catches the bouncer’s eye, and I cringe a bit at the words.
“Already on it,” Ethan says, holding up my bottle of Bacardi.
“You’re going to burn my apartment?” I ask.
“Too many bodies.” Hunter looks sympathetic. “Come on, gorgeous. Let’s get the hell out of here and let Ethan do his job.” He pulls me close and presses his lips to mine, and even though it stings from the cuts on my mouth, I kiss him back fiercely.
Hunter doesn’t let go of my hand as we take off running for the stairs. As we go, I see a gray ball of fur fly past us and know that Mr. Whiskers will make it out of the apartment building safely as well.
Now with Mr. Nyx and his goons dead, or so I presume, maybe this awful nightmare will finally be over. Once and for all.
CHAPTER37
HUNTER
The smell of smoke fills my lungs as I lead Meg to my vehicle. I hear Ethan behind us and know that he’ll be getting to his car before we get into too much trouble. The rest of my guys will smell smoke and know to get out of Dodge.
People are beginning to gather around the outskirts of the building in the parking lots and on the perimeter, probably drawn there by the sounds of gunfire and the smell of burning wood. I see Meg’s neighbor, and she waves at us, so Meg lifts a hand, but there’s no time for chatting right now.
I don’t waste any time looking at around as I approach my SUV. Meg is covered with bruises and blood, and I’m pretty sure I have a concussion from when that bastard Mr. Nyx clocked me in the back of my head with his cane. But it’s not me I’m worried about. It’s Meg. Even as she sits down in the passenger seat, I can tell she’s exhausted. She’s breathing heavily, and her eyes are beginning to close of their own accord.
I set the duffle bag down in the floorboards behind her and brush her hair back from her beautiful face. Even with all of the blood and bruises, she is still the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen. “Are you okay?” I ask, hearing the sincerity in my own voice.
“I am now,” she says, and her eyes lift slightly so she’s looking into mine. “Thank you for saving me, Hunter.”
I can’t help the smile that crests my lips. “I will always be there for you, Meg,” I tell her. I press my mouth lightly to her forehead, not wanting to hurt her any more than she already is, and then close her door before rushing around to get in behind the wheel. I need to get her some help. The idea of what could’ve happened, that I could’ve gone to check on her and found a body, makes a shiver go down my spine. But when she reaches over and puts her hand gently on my arm, I feel grounded again. I know that she’s okay.
People scatter as I throw the SUV into reverse. I see Ethan climbing into his truck as well, so we will both be away from here before the police and firetrucks arrive. They’ll likely be calling me soon, as the owner of the building, to tell me what’s happened. But I have strings I can pull that should manage to ensure that we are not implicated in any way.
That’s not who I am calling now, though, as I head home. I tell my car to dial Leah’s number and wait anxiously for her to answer. When she does, she sounds like she knows something’s up. I wonder if Ethan told her he got a 911 text from me.
“Hunter? What’s going on?” Leah asks, and her voice is a bit shaky as she speaks.
“I need you to get Dr. Taylor to my place as soon as possible,” I tell her.
Before I can even say more, she blurts, “Did someone get shot again?”
My eyes go to Meg, and I see her reaction, her mouth dropping open as she stares out the windshield.
“No, not shot this time, just hurt. Just tell him to hurry up, and I’ll pay him twice the regular rate if he can be there within twenty minutes, all right?”