Page 9 of Hunter

The bartender bursts out laughing before turning to face his boss, aka, the Hulk.

“Oh, cuz, don’t tell me you make Lou wear those things. Fuck, man, you are ridiculous!”

“Jake,” Phoenix says through clenched teeth, “you might be our cousin but do shut the fuck up and get back to work before I beat that pretty face of yours into the middle of next week.”

Jake, who looks not at all perturbed by this thug’s threat, continues to laugh while throwing a towel over his shoulder and sauntering off in the opposite direction.

“Apologies, Louisa, I believe you still have my phone,” I tell her by way of explanation, trying desperately hard not to keep looking her up and down. Eventually, my gaze lands on her deep, blue eyes which stare back at me for longer than is necessary. I’m about to say something, anything, but she averts her eyes to whisper something to her brother, Phoenix. When she’s finished whatever it is she was telling him, they stare at one another in silent communication for a moment or two. He then sneers at us before reluctantly stomping off to wherever he came from.

“Sorry, Mr Hunter,” she says, leaning confidently against the bar, “I was in a rush and completely forgot about it.”

“No need to apologize, Louisa,” I reply, stepping in closer so we can hear each other against the music, “it was my fault entirely.” Someone shoves into me, and I end up leaning in right up close to the delicate shell of her ear. Her hair smells of shampoo, the sweet girly kind, and something takes over me, something that messes with my logic. “He’s right, you do look beautiful,” I whisper, then lean back. I can’t help smiling over the blush that is now taking over her cheeks.

“My brother has just gone back to get your cell from my bag. I left it in my room,” she tells me, showing no hint of recognition as to what I just said to her. Like I said, logic didn’t enter my head when I told her those words. I’ll probably be getting her letter of resignation first thing on Monday morning, and Theo will quite rightfully kill me.

“You live here?” Trent interrupts my mental freakout, which is probably the most useful thing he’s done all night. Louisa turns to him and nods, causing a few curled strands of hair to fall over her naked shoulder. He looks around the place, taking it all in with a clear wince on his face. “Is it safe?”

“My brother trusts the people in here more than he trusts the two of you,” she says without emotion.

“Why?” Trent asks with disbelief in his voice.

“Because every person in this bar knows what he is capable of,” she says matter of factly. “There are consequences if you try to hurt one of Phoenix’s inner circle.”

“Who’s in his ‘inner circle’?” Trent asks with a firm frown between his brows.

“Me, Jake, possibly Javier,” she replies with a shrug.

“Your cell,” Phoenix announces as he reapproaches the bar with my phone in hand. “Now, you can leave.”

I stare at him for a moment or two, wondering why he’s so frosty, even if he is an overprotective brother. He looks at me like I’ve already wronged him in some unspeakable way, much worse than the way he looked at the guy who physically pulled on his sister’s arm. I’m tempted to question him on it, but when I see Louisa subtly shake her head at me from behind her big brother’s shoulder, I smile and nod in acceptance of my cell. I got what I came for, even if it did come with a whole lot of questions, so it’s time to go.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Louisa,” I tell her with my formal tone of voice back on, if only to save my pride a little bit.

“Goodbye, Mr Hunter, Mr Matthews,” she returns. She then disappears back into the crowd, and I can’t help but watch her, even when she’s no longer in view.

“Mr Hunter.”

Phoenix’s gruff voice snaps me out of it before I nod again and proceed to drag Trent back out to the car. We both sit in stunned silence before Trent eventually turns on the engine.

“Just so you know, I’m totally up for anything which is beyond just show, if that’s what it takes,” he says with a smug grin on his face. He’s only joking, I realize, but it doesn’t stop me from turning to give him a murderous look.

“You will not touch her in any way, shape, or form, because if you do, I will have no qualms about letting her big brother sort you out!”

The poor man-boy merely nods his head, looking sheepish before finally putting the car into gear and moving off.

_____

Louisa

“Oh, what?!” I huff at Phoenix when he manhandles me off the platform where I’ve been happily losing myself to dancing with a buff biker by the name of Zak. Zak was equally pissed off by the intrusion and practically growled at my brother. Phoenix gave him a momentary warning by narrowing his eyes onto angry slits, though it wasn’t long enough for the guy to escape without getting his arm twisted up behind his back and shoved off the stage.

“You’re finding another job tomorrow,” Phoenix says firmly after he’s positioned me on top of one of the bar stools. I offer him nothing but a bored sigh before leaning back against the bar. If he wants to treat me like a petulant kid, I’m happy to behave like one for him.

“Nah-uh,” I reply, “I’ve worked at that place for nearly two years now and I’ve followed all your ridiculous rules. You can take a run and jump if you expect me to give it up for no good reason.”

I feel Jake walk up behind me, physically taking sides, even if he is finding it highly amusing to see the two of us fighting like this. Phoenix, as always, is being completely unreasonable the angrier he becomes. I guess I take a little pleasure in being able to stir him up with a mere shrug of my shoulders and a quirk of my lips. The guy is my everything, but I’m still his little sister; it’s my job to wind him up every now and then.

“You can’t work for guys like that,” he snaps, slamming his meaty hand on top of the wooden counter. Most people are rattled when my big brother chucks his weight around, but Jake and I are so used to his tantrums, we barely even flinch. I make a point of looking at his now red hand, before allowing my eyes to rise back up to where his are now staring at me with complete frustration. It drives him crazy; the telltale tick in his jaw begins to reveal just how angry he is. “Louisa!”

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