Page 38 of Love Lies Bleeding

I stand back as our receptionist tries to handle it waiting to see how far Lexi will take this.

“No, but I really need to see him.”

“I’m sorry, Miss?”

“Lexi. I’m Lexi.”

I can see sympathy marring Molly, our receptionist’s, face, and hate the way this woman has everyone under her spell. I can’t see her face from this angle but I’ve seen enough to know that I won’t stand for this shit anymore.

“Well, I’m sorry, Lexi. He isn’t here.”

Moving quickly, I come up behind her and spit her name with all the malice I can muster. “Lexi?”

She spins to look at me, hope rising in her eyes and I take in her appearance through the red mist of anger. “Yes?”

“So, you’re Lexi,” I sneer, letting all of my distaste for the way she’s treated my best friend show as she flinches slightly at my tone. “What do you want?”

“I need to speak with Hunter.”

“You can’t.” I thank God that Hunter is away and not here to deal with her doe eyes.

“Please, I need to talk to him.”

“I’m sorry, you can’t. He and his fiancée have gone to China for six months.” I’m not sure why I add that extra detail, especially as Lana isn’t his fiancée. At least not yet or maybe ever, but I want this woman to feel a fraction of what she’s put my friend through.

She staggers back at my words and it’s then that I really look at her and see the bruises marring her skin. The fragility surrounding her and my stomach takes a nosedive in dread. Something isn’t adding up here. My intuition, which is usually so good, is screaming that I’ve read this wrong, that I’ve made a mistake here.

“Lexi.” I move to grab her arm, calling her name as she goes sheet white, her hand resting on her bump as pain that I can hardly look away from moves across her face.

Then she’s falling, her legs buckling under her and her body going down. I dive to catch her, breaking her fall with my arms, before I lay her gently on the ground.

“What the hell is going on out here?” I turn from where I’ve dropped to my knees at the side of the pregnant woman who broke my friend’s heart and see Hank McKenzie striding towards us with a furious expression on his face.

“She fainted.”

Staring at Lexi covered in bruises and looking as broken as Hunter had the last time I saw him, I have the horrible feeling that I’ve just made a huge mistake. I’m ashamed to admit how much pleasure I took in telling her Hunter had gone to China with Lana, referring to her as his fiancée when she’s nothing of the sort.

Seeing the devastation and defeat on her face should have given me satisfaction, but all it did was make me feel like a shitty human being.

“Out of the way.”

I move back as Hank sinks to his knees beside her and takes her hand. I wonder if he knows who she is and how much she hurt his son. I stand and move back, not really knowing what to do.

Hank turns to me with a glare. “Do you know who this young woman is?”

“Yes, she’s the woman who tried to dupe Hunter into believing he’s the father of her baby.”

Hank hums, his lips pursed in an angry line as he looks at Lexi as her eyelashes flutter. His touch is gentle as he strokes her hand before looking up at me, seemingly having made a decision.

“Call my son and get him back here immediately.”

His demand leaves no room for argument, so I step back and dial his number but it goes to voice mail. I dial Lana and the same thing happens. Knowing Hank won’t take failure as an excuse, I call the airfield and I’m told the flight has left.

“Get them back.”

The woman on the other end of the phone goes quiet. “We can’t, sir.”

Frustration fills my veins at her response. Can’t isn’t a word I accept. I’m more than just the lead attorney for Lungo, I’m a fixer and there’s nothing that can’t be handled given enough encouragement. When that doesn’t work, I’m happy to shade outside the lines of legalities to make things happen. Ruthless is my middle name, I owe this family everything and I’ll do anything to protect them.

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