Page 67 of Hunter

“Well, seeing as you have a room and all,” Phoenix said back to him with a smirk that held more rage than mirth. “By the way, keep your brother the fuck away from me.”

“He knows he’s on his last warning,” Javier said grimly, “Lou is too good for him.”

“Try telling her that,” Phoenix sighed, still angry that I had taken him back once again. What can I say? I’m weak.

Then they left for three days.

Now the bar is back open, and seeing as it’s a Saturday night, the music is thumping, and the crowd is rowdy; they’re making up for lost time. I walk into the darkness and sit in a trance, staring at that picture again, wanting to go back in time to when Dad was still alive, my boyfriend was in love with me, and I hadn’t been violated. My body was still my own, still in my control.

I knew my boss was dead, and most likely killed in the most painful and brutal way, but it doesn’t stop the pain, the fear, the repulsion, or the nightmares.

The sound of glasses toppling over from out in the courtyard sets my skin on fire with anxiety and my teeth clench together in fear. Just at that moment, Jake comes through with a gawky smile on his face.

“Hey, Lou,” he says cheerfully, “what’s wrong? you look scared.”

More clattering sounds come from outside, and I jump up to run over to Jake so I can hide behind him. Images of being held down while office ornaments fell from the desk above run through my mind on repeat and I begin to tremble in abject fear.

“Hey, hey, it’s ok, probably just a stray or something. Come on, we’ll go and check, ok?”

I nod frantically but keep myself glued to him, unable to let go of the tension that’s coursing through my body. He unlocks the back door, and we take a few steps outside.

“Shit!” Jake whisper shouts and tries to shield me, but I still see it, still see the moment my best friend betrays me in the most brutal way he can. Tony opens his eyes to look at me while he continues to thrust hard and fast into the back of some random girl, with both of them gasping for breath.

“Lou, come on, come, let’s get Phoenix, come inside, Lou!”

“Lou!” Tony shouts, pushing the girl away from him and revealing his semi-hard dick hanging down in front of him. “Lou, I’m sorry, please, I’m so sorry!”

Suddenly, a red rage takes over, a building inferno of pent-up emotions from the last year of his treatment of me, of being attacked, of being cheated on when I needed the man who was supposed to love me the most. I cross over to where he is at the same time as Phoenix rushes out. I raise my fist and I hit Tony straight in the eye, just like my brother taught me to do three years ago.

Tony throws his hands over his eye, still with his pants down, still trying to rush out apologies. I can already hear Phoenix pacing up behind me, growling at the woman while she tries to escape from the scene.

“Lou, please, forgive me, I didn’t know what I was doing…I’ve had a lot to drink, please, baby,” he gasps for breath. “It’s only ever been you… forever, remember?”

Phoenix crosses over to stand next to me, trying to get to Tony, but with one hand raised in the air, I stop him. When I finally look Tony in the eye, his expression morphs into something that tells me he knows. He knows he’s finally destroyed us…completely.

“Forever, Lou?” he asks in that little boy voice, the one I once loved so much; his last-ditch attempt to win me over.

“No!” I reply, eerily quiet but sounding very much in control.

Phoenix places his arm around my shoulders and leads me back inside, leaving Tony and his flaccid cock alone in the courtyard, never to be near me again.

My forever boy, my person, is lost to me. I lost him the moment he went to work for his brother.

Chapter 26

Louisa

Death is cold, it’s black, it’s muffled noises and beeping. Lots and lots of beeping. It’s flashes of the people you love; images of them not understanding where you’ve gone. It’s memories you can’t quite make out if they’re real or not. A series of hallucinations. It doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t cry, and it doesn’t make you feel anything. It just is.

“Louisa Mia Flynn?” a voice I don’t know, but one that also sounds strangely familiar, calls out to me.

“I think that’s me…or it was me?” I reply, though I still don’t know who the voice belongs to.

“I know it’s you; I gave birth to you after all,” she says with the sound of soft laughter behind those words. Her voice is soothing, and I smile, finally feeling at peace.

“Hey, Mama,” I reply and close my eyes with a feeling of weightlessness, like I’m floating on a cloud.

“Hello, my beautiful baby girl,” the voice replies, “I’ve waited a long time to see you. I’ve wanted to comfort you for so long, Louisa, you’ve had to live through so much; you and Warren both have, and I’m so sorry I haven’t been there to protect you. You make me proud every day.”

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