Page 72 of Crossfire

Would Hunter go along with my plan? Or would he become her savior and sentence me to my demise?

32

GRAYSON

“I don’t hurt women,” Hunter declared, his voice steely and tense.

“Neither do I.”

“I think the woman you tied up would disagree with that statement,” Hunter shot back.

Goddammit, he was going to make this painful, wasn’t he?

“I can’t help you unless you give me answers,” my brother decided.

I took a step closer to him.

“I can’t tell you what’s going on. You need to trust me.”

Hunter clenched his fists, glaring at Ivy’s frail figure.

“I need reassurance that you’re not going to harm her,” he demanded through gritted teeth.

I curled my lips. I couldn’t promise him that. “You know after everything I did for you, it’s offensive that you’re putting up this much of a fight to help me out.”

The tension between us was palpable as we glared at each other, our sins threatening to tear us apart.

“You helped me out during a dark time, but I afforded you with partial information. You at least owe me that.”

When I said nothing, he looked even more irritated.

“If you had a man tied up,” Hunter pressed, “maybe this would be a different situation, but not a woman.” Hunter looked at the bed again. “Who the hell is she?”

“I have never asked you for a favor like this before,” I reminded him. “And I need you to help me.”

Hunter began pacing. “I won’t do this unless you give me some information, Grayson.”

“I will,” I conceded. “But I can’t do it yet.” Not until I talked to Daniel, not until I understood what was going on. And not until I understood what fate awaited Ivy. “For right now, you’re just going to have to trust me. Can you do that?”

Hunter tilted his head slightly as he stared at me for two long seconds before staring at Ivy again.

“If you don’t help me contain her while I get some answers, she’ll be dead, no matter what I do.” The CIA would send someone else to kill her if I failed. “This is her only chance of survival.”

Hunter jerked his chin in Ivy’s direction. “So, this is youhelpingher?”

“Did you not hold L—” I almost said Luna’s name out loud. “Againstherwill?” I pressed. “For her own protection? Her only hope of staying alive is if I get answers,” I said, my voice tinged with desperation. “But if you won’t help me, her fate is sealed.”

Hunter scrutinized her while a storm of emotions played across his body. His fists clenched and unclenched, a physical manifestation of his inner turmoil, and I could see the burden of Ivy’s life settle onto his shoulders.

As he wrestled with the decision, the silence between us stretched on, growing heavier with each passing second.

Finally, after what felt like an eon, I saw something shift in his gaze. His resolve began to chip away, the hardened exterior cracking under the pressure of the situation, I guess. A frustrated sigh escaped his lips.

“Fine,” he said, the word coming out as a begrudging mumble. It was clear that he was still torn, but the urgency of Ivy’s situation had tipped the scales in my favor.

My brother shook his head like he couldn’t believe that only an hour ago, he had been sleeping peacefully next to the love of his life. Now, here he was, entrenched in my nightmare.

“What do you need me to do?”

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