Page 56 of Hunter

Warmth pressed against my back as he circled his arms around my waist and dragged me back against him until we were spooning. Then he pressed kisses against my neck, nuzzling my jaw as he whispered, “You crying again?” There was a soft chuckle in his voice.

“Don’t you dare make light of my feelings right now,” I hissed quietly, pinching his hand, because yes, tears were filling my eyes again, and my heart felt like it was going to drop out of my chest.

“It’s true, Mallory,” Hunter whispered, turning me to face him in the dark.

My eyes adjusted, but I could only see a faint outline from where the nightlight caught the square edges of his face.

“I don’t want to lose you.” He gripped my hand and pulled it over his chest and the firebird tattoo, the one he had gotten in memory of Noble, and where I could feel the faint thrum of his heartbeat.

It took me a second to realize, but when I did, I knew his words ran deeper.

I tightly squeezed his hand, wiggling closer until I was pressed right against his chest, and said, “Then you better hold on tight.”

I swear I could feel him smile. Hunter said nothing, though. Instead, he wrapped his arms back around me and buried his face in my hair.

After a few moments, I relaxed in his arms with surprising ease and sleep came to me in seconds.

Chapter Nineteen

Hunter

Church was calledat the break of dawn, and all the brothers assembled in the back room. Now each seat was filled by a full-fledged Black Angel, while the prospects were left to tend the clubhouse and women.

We made it through the routine Club business—deals, setting up runs, and possible investments—and my patience was wearing thin. Not just me, but a few others were anticipating the real reason this meeting had been called.

Wolf slammed the gavel down on the last vote and set it aside. He laced his hands together and leaned forward in his seat at the head of the table. “As you all know, some stupid fucks decided to gun down Hunter’s house yesterday. Inside it were his girl and son, as well as Anna and Kay.”

Hisses and curses were spat throughout the room.

“We also happened to catch one of the fuckers,” Wolf added.

“Who’d they belong to?” Jasper, one of the older members from Roscoe’s time, asked.

“They were hired help.”

“Hired by whom?”

Wolf paused, tightening his hands and his lips. “Hell’s Runners.”

I felt my blood run cold.

Hell’s Runners?

Hell’sfuckingRunners.

I closed my eyes, hearing the screech of burning rubber and the ring of colliding metal in my ears. No matter how much time had passed, the sound still haunted me.

“Hunter,” Jax’s voice cut into my mind.

I opened my eyes and found all the brothers looking at me.

“You good?”

I nodded.

“They’ve been lying low for the last four years,” Wolf continued. “But it looks like they’re coming out of hiding to start stirring shit again.”

“So, what, they shoot down Hunter’s house as a declaration of war?” Pretty interjected.

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