“Please…tell me I can fix this.” The bar stool skidded across the floor again, and I shifted so I could see him along the edges of my vision. “Tell me you can forgive me.”
I wasn’t sure I could, though. I wanted to, more than anything. But trust…it meant everything to me. I’d never trusted anyone in three years six months and eight days. And yes, I was back to counting each and every damn minute. I hated that. Hated this situation.
He’d broken my trust—possibly irreparably. I had to stand firm, be strong. For so long I’d been a victim. Weak.
No more. I could stand on my own. Hell, I got to the college campus without Hunter—er—Brett.
But I loved Hunter. That was probably why his lie hurt so badly. Lies, plural. I didn’t know his real name, or his mom’s. He’d had tons of chances to tell me.
He’d said he shouldn’t get involved with me in the beginning, that he wasn’t…safe. I truly thought he’d meant because of his temper. His violence.
ThatI could handle. I’d seen it rear its ugly head a couple of times, and I was able to see past it. Even more than Hunter was. But the lies?
Lies I couldn’t get past.
“Lina? Say something.”
My throat closed as I nearly blurted out that I forgave him and jumped into his arms. But logic beat down my heart’s desire. “I think you should leave.”
“But—”
“Now…” I wasn’t sure what to call him. “Brett.”
* * *
Hunter
“Careful, Hunter. You’re a Cooler now,” Andy said as he grabbed my elbow. “You identified the threat, Drey’s on it.”
But I needed to pound something. And hard.
I nodded and settled back next to my trainer and surveyed the mob of people crowding the place. It was the end of April, and I could feel the tension of upcoming finals like a pressure cooker ready to blow.
And I was right there with them. Not so much because of school, mostly it was because of Lina. For over three weeks since the attack, she’d ignored every call, text, and never answered the door when I stopped by.
Didn’t stop me, though, I left her candy corn every chance I could get. But soon, I was going to need to accept the fact she was done with me.
I’d crushed the one thing she needed most in her life since the original attack: Trust.
Obliterated it and there was no putting it back together again.
“She’s still not responding, huh?”
I huffed. Whole damn bar knew what was going on with Lina because of Drey’s big mouth. None of them knew the true reason, my being in witness protection, but they knew that we’d broken up.
I still carried that ring in my pocket though. Every damn day. It’s what kept me sane—mostly sane—while I was separated from Mom and Lina, I was out there looking for my dad.
He was in town. His face had shown up a few times according to Marshal. Why those idiots couldn’t get him made my blood pressure go up even more. So, I was out there, open to him, hoping he’d come find me. This time, I’d take him down.
I wasn’t the young boy he once knew and could push around because he held Mom’s fate in his wicked hands. No, I was one pissed off man, ready to end things and win Lina back so I could put this ring on her finger.
That made all the difference—and much more lethal.
“Hunter, why don’t you take a break and go cool off. You’re giving me a rash.” Andy backhanded me in the chest and nodded toward the door. “Fresh air’ll do you good.”
I glanced at him, and he nodded.
“Crowd will get worse here within the hour, so I need you ready. And less—volatile.”