Not this again. “He always does.”
“Even if he does, we’ll get him this time. Marshal is ready. We’re ready. This place is safe, and we’re guarded.”
“We’ve felt safe before. This is no time to let our defenses down.” Couldn’t ever relax, even though our handler, Marshal, said he was ready. Not until that bastard was behind bars…or dead.
“I haven’t heard you talking with Angelina much these past few weeks.”
“Stay out of it, Mom.”
She let out an exasperated sigh and set her fork down with a clank. “Hunter. You need to have some form of a life. You’ve been taking care of me for too long. It’s time you had a life of your own.”
Easy for her to say. Well, not easy, but she could say that and not have to worry if her anger was going to burst out of her like a green monster and hurt people around her.
“Did you know she was our landlord’s daughter?” I asked.
“What? Really?”
I nodded, shoveling in some food. I’d been chewing on that little bombshell for a few weeks now, and it still didn’t sit right. She was a billionaire’s daughter and had been hiding that from me. Why would she hold something so trivial from me?
“Is that why you’re all grumpy? She told you? Or did you find out some other way?”
“She told me, and I haven’t been grumpy.”
“Yes, you have. And Bill won’t let you back yet, huh? Why don’t you just get into counseling, then you can work. You’re a pain in the butt when you’re not working.”
“You’re full of the compliments tonight, aren’t you?”
“Well, the ball’s in your court, and I see you holding it—no—squeezing it, and I wouldn’t be a good mom if I didn’t say something.”
“You’ve been talking to Lina.”
She nodded. “I may have dropped some cookies by the other day.”
“She let you in her house?”
“Well, I’m not the one being a total jerk.” She grinned.
I hung my head. I was being a jerk, but it was a strategic choice. I’d been way too close to kissing Lina, and if I had, then I’d fall for her even harder than I already had. I couldn’t afford to. Unlike my disillusioned mother, I knew this would come to an end. Dad would find us, and we’d have to move.
I’d told myself, several times, that I was going to stay here with her, no matter what, but then I’d talked myself out of it each and every time.
My psychopath father might hurt Lina if he found out about her and how close she was to us. He’d done it before.
And Mom didn’t have any right to be meddling in Lina’s life, either.
“You need to stop talking with her and stop going over there. What if Dad finds out about her and she gets hurt? Don’t you think she’s been through enough?”
“Stop it, Hunter. You’re getting out of control. You know that? How long have we been running? Three years, now? We’ve given upeverythingbecause of him.” She touched the jagged scar along her face. “He’s ruined enough of my life for me to continue letting him control me when I’m not even married to him anymore. I refuse to keep giving him that power, Hunter! I’m done with it. I’m going to have friends and a life. It’s cold here, but I like it. I like this house. The people here are nice, and I willnotshy away from them. I will not hide. I’m sick of it!”
Mom had these meltdowns occasionally, but this one, this felt different. The aggression rolling off her surprised me. That’d always beenmything, not hers.
“And you. How you’re treating Angelina is unacceptable. She’s a terrific woman, and since you’ve met her, you’ve been so calm. So sweet with her.”
“Mom. You know I can’t—I’m not having this discussion again.” I pushed away from the table as I grabbed my plate and stood. Mom knew damn straight why I couldn’t be with Lina—or any woman for that matter. “Thank you for cooking tonight. It’s great.”
“Don’t, Hunter. Sit and listen to me.” She hurried toward me. “I need this. You need this.”
“What I need is for you to stop pushing me—I need—”