Page 487 of Lodestar

I understood. How couldn’t I? But nothing was simple with Star.

Nothing.

“He couldn’t ask you. Couldn’t involve you. Why would he when I was there? You’d never have been able to do what had to be done, Hunter.”

“You don’t know what I’m capable of,” he argued.

“You’re not capable of arranging your grandfather’s murder,” she snapped, bristling. “And that’s not a fucking insult. That’s a compliment. I wish I didn’t have it in me to…” She sighed. Broke off. “Hunter, without you, I wouldn’t be here today. I wouldn’t almost be at the end of the road with the Sparrows. Thank you for that.

“I understand if you can’t stand to be around me, and I understand if you can never forgive me, but know I’m grateful for what you’ve done for me in the past and I hope, one day, youcan find it in you to know that when or if you’re backed into a corner, I’ll be there, trying to figure a way to get you out.”

With that, she grabbed my arm again and pushed us toward the box Declan owned.

When we made it in there, hidden behind the curtains, she turned into me and buried her face in my chest.

Her shoulders didn’t shake, and I didn’t feel tears through my shirt, but her arms enveloped me in a crushing hug that I returned.

I knew it wouldn’t always be easy being Star’s soft place to land, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t worthwhile.

I had one of the most well-connected, deadliest women in the world in my arms, calling me her fiancé, sharing a home with me, allowing me to raise her child with her…

If anyone was lucky, it was me.

51

STAR

Rachel gritted her teeth.“Why are you so truculent?”

“What this mean?”

Alessa, as Ukrainian as Amara, hitched a shoulder. “Don’t ask me.”

I shot Amara a glance. “It means I’m a difficult pain in the ass.”

“Tak. This why I like you. I also am difficult.”

Rachel grunted. “I know. But you have an excuse.”

“What excuse?” Alessa questioned, evidently curious as to the First Lady of the MC’s logic.

“The same one you have—English isn’t your first language.”

I smirked at Rachel. “You just can’t stand that I have ideas that will work.”

“You’ve never been involved in something like this before. How do you know it’ll work?”

“Because people hate those galas you’re oh, so famous for.”

“Uh,no, they don’t. They’re a legitimate tax write off and the women get to wear their jewels and brag to their friends about who they’re banging. This is a tried and tested method of raising funds for the new foundation.”

I rubbed a finger down my nose, making sure she knew that I was flipping her the bird.

“You might find it boring, Star,” Alessa said kindly, “but maybe it’s something rich Americans like doing.”

“Star was rich American. Father rock star, no?” Amara demanded.

I snorted. “Yeah. Why won’t you just let me fund the charity, Rachel? Then we don’t have to answer to any-fucking-one.”

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