Page 40 of The Rise

“You’re mad at me,” I say softly.

“No. I’m mad at me.”

“For what?”

“Letting myself feel things I probably shouldn’t. Letting myself feel things for you. I’ve been alone most of my life because I thought no one would want me because of the man I am. I thought they’d see what I do, and they’d be disgusted by it, so yeah, I fucked women, and then I sent them on their way. But you, little rebel? You were different. I could see it in your eyes the night you killed that man. I knew then that if anyone were going to see me for who I am, it would be you.” Tears spill down my cheeks as I listen to his words. I try to turn to him, but he doesn’t let me. He keeps me like this, his front to my back.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. He chuckles.

“I don’t want ‘your sorry’, Lana.”

“Then what do you want?”

“You.” He knows my story. I’ve told him more than once about what happened to me, and he still wants me. The thought of that has my insides on fire. I, like Hunter, never thought someone would want me aside from Gabe, and he only wanted to use me.

“You have me,” I tell him.

“Then say the words, little rebel. Let me hear you say them.” I suck in a breath before I turn, and he lets me. He grabs my face roughly in his hands, squeezing it hard as he looks into my eyes. “Say the words.” I lick my suddenly dry lips before I open my mouth.

“I vow.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, his lips come crashing down on mine. His tongue slips past my lips and curls around mine in the most delicious way imaginable. Moans fall from my mouth and into his, but he just eats them up one by one.

I hear people cheering, and when Hunter pulls back, he pulls me into him. Everyone is watching us, and I can’t help but smile.

Hunter pulls me around the room introducing me to everyone and a lot of the other Gods and their wives. For the most part, they all seem to be okay, but I know what they do, and I find myself wondering if they’re like Hunter. If that darkness he craves when hunting these people down overlaps into their private lives.

We dance, we drink, we hang out, and have fun. I laugh like I’ve never laughed before at Hunter and the guys, and before I know it, the night is over. I’m almost sad it is because once I let go and let loose, I was having a good time.

We tell everyone goodbye, and Hunter takes me out to the car and opens my door. I climb in, and he closes it, walking around to get in the driver’s seat. Once he’s inside, he sighs and starts the car.

“You okay?” I ask him. He doesn’t answer; he just takes off driving.

“No. I’ve put some feelers out to find them, Lana.”

“And? Did you?”

“Yeah, I did. I asked for a girl who looked like you,” he tells me. My heart beats faster.

“And?”

“And they have one, but … I feel sick to my fucking stomach about asking! The price that little girl has to pay for me to get what I want isn’t fair!” he yells loudly. I cover my mouth with my hand because I get it. We don’t know what’s happening to her right now. We don’t know if she’s okay.

“This isn’t going to make you feel better, but none of the guys would touch her.” He glances over at me, but I can’t place the look in his eyes before he drags them back to the road.

“They hurt you. Why wouldn’t they hurt her?”

“They’re not really about hurting kids. They’re more about the money. As much as this makes me sick to say, they keep the kids pretty healthy and in good shape for whoever is buying them.” Hunter doesn’t speak at first, but then he slams his hands on the steering wheel, yelling, “Fuck!” I can’t say that I don’t get it because I do. And I hated those words leaving my mouth.

The rest of the ride back to Chaos is silent. Neither of us speaks because we don’t know what to say to the other. My heart breaks for Hunter after everything he’s told me. We pull up to the front, and he parks the car but doesn’t make a move to get out.

“I first killed when I was a teenager. I don’t want to go into it, but it was a family member.”

“Jesus,” I whisper.

“I don’t expect you to understand me or how my mind works, Lana. You’re right; I shouldn’t have done this,” he says before climbing out of the car. He slams the door shut just as a rumble of thunder shakes the car, and I climb out.

“Are you serious?” I yell at him. Hunter turns to look at me and nods his head. “You gave me all those bullshit words back there, and for what?” I ask, throwing my hands out to the sides to make my point.

“They weren’t bullshit,” he argues, pointing at me.

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