Page 36 of Broken Promises
I knew he was going to keep me away from her for as long as she requested, and I hated that he was right to do so. As wound up as I was, I was afraid I would be unreasonable with her, demanding she listen. I’d figured out that Hannah was strong willed, much like her siblings, but she was also easily swayed by the little voices in her head.
We all have them, but some are crueler than others, and I feared my absence and her vulnerability had created the perfect situation for them to whisper in her ear, telling her lies. I briefly closed my eyes. “Please tell her I’m sorry and I’ll be waiting for her call, whenever she’s ready to talk.”
“I will. And Rhys?”
“Yeah?”
“Maybe going forward, you should be honest with her about your . . . business. She has no idea where you went or why, and I know that can cause a mountain of questions for someone dealing with all the shit she is. So, for once in your life, tell the truth.” He paused and added softly, “Eventually, you have to trust someone.”
“I’ll think about it. Later,” I responded and disconnected the call.
For the next hour, I wound through the North Carolina roads until I crossed over the state line into Georgia. I stopped to fill up the truck, and it was when I walked inside to pay that I realized I hadn’t eaten in two days. I’d found streams to drink from, but food wasn’t high on my list of importance when I was hunting. Igrabbed a few drinks, an assortment of snacks, and one of those greasy roller hot dogs before getting back in the SUV and pulling away from the station.
I wanted to drive to her house and wait for her to come home, but I needed to check on Regan. The drive back to my house on the northside of Atlanta took another hour and a half, and as I pulled through the secured gates and up to the front of my house, I exhaled for the first time in days.
My mind was still all over the place about my epic fuck-up with Hannah, but my house was my solace. It was where I could go and all the background noise faded away. It was the place where I’d hidden women who needed help until I could move them to the next stage of their lives. It was where I kept my sister safe, and it was where I allowed myself enough space to breathe.
Exiting the car, my head of security approached me with an update. He was telling me about the last few days and I was looking over some paperwork when the sound of gunfire echoed around the front of the house. I snapped my head at him, instantly on edge from the sound.
“Regan and her friend are doing some target practice in the back yard if you’d like to join them,” he explained, and I gave him a curious look.
Regan was coming out of her shell, and this past semester, she started attending classes on campus a few days a week. She was slowly making friends, but since she hadn’t spoken about anyone coming over, I was immediately intrigued.
“Who’s her friend?” I questioned as we walked toward the end of the house.
The house was enormous, with nine bedrooms, twelve bathrooms, workout rooms, a theater, a chef’s kitchen, formal dining room, and enough space between it all for real privacy. We were almost at the end when my security replied.
“I got a call this morning from Regan saying your cousin was bringing a friend over to visit. I let him in like I always do, and when he left, her friend stayed.”
“No fucking way,” I barked and began to stalk around the side of the house as the sounds of firing continued.
My security chief was hot on my heels, asking, “Did I fuck up?”
“No, but remind me to smack the hell out of James when I see him next,” I said and saw him visibly relax.
My temper wasn’t a secret, and my security knew if anyone jeopardized Regan’s safety, they would pay with their lives. Just thinking about James hiding Hannah at my house with Regan made me want to strangle him. He could have said something instead of beating around the bush with his bullshit. But then again, I didn’t tell him anything, so why did I feel like he somehow needed to do more than I would?
We rounded the side of the house, and the closer we got to the back yard, the louder the gunfire became. As soon as I saw her, I exhaled the worry and anger that had been eating me alive since I’d heard from Lucian that she’d gone underground for a few days. Finding her standing in my back yard, joking with Regan as they took turns firing down range, was a relief. Almost like she sensed me, she glanced over her shoulder then turned back to fire another magazine at the targets.
My sister turned to look at me and whispered something to Hannah, who nodded. Regan approached me as I stood off to the side and watched as Hannah reloaded and began firing again.
“Damn, I think I love her,” Regan remarked, and I leaned over and gave her a hug.
“Has she said anything?” I asked, and Regan shook her head. “Why didn’t you text me that she was here? I’ve been out of my mind with worry, and James made it seem like he’d stashed her in a safe house.”
“He kind of did, though,” Regan stated as she shrugged. Turning to look at me, she explained, “She’s hurt and scared, but James thought she’d enjoy the peacefulness around here until you got back. And she’s wonderful, so don’t run her off,” Regan remarked as Hannah placed the gun back onto the table. “Don’t be a bulldog when you speak with her. She’s got a lot on her mind, from what it seems.” I nodded, and she lowered her voice. “James said something about her father and some secrets when he called this morning about her staying here for a few days.”
I nodded again, and she pinched her lips before patting my shoulder and walking back to Hannah. Regan said something else to her and gave her a hug before walking inside, leaving me and Hannah alone but still separated by at least fifty feet. Hannah glanced over her shoulder and back to the table in front of her as I slowly approached.
Just as I got next to her, she stepped to the side and swiped under her eyes. Knowing I was the cause of her pain and worry was gutting a part of me I didn’t know existed. Vowing at that moment to be honest and forthcoming with Hannah from that point forward, I moved one step closer to her and spoke softly.
“I know I fucked up, but if you’ll give me a chance to explain, I think you’ll understand. But I want to start by saying I’m sorry and it won’t happen again.”
She brought her blue eyes to me, and I saw hurt looking back at me, hurt I’d caused, and all I wanted to do was pull her into my arms. But that wouldn’t solve anything. I needed to show her I meant what I said, so I carefully reached out and placed my hand on her shoulder.
Deciding to rip the Band-Aid off and be completely honest, I explained. “I was hunting two men who thought it was okay to catfish a teenage girl, get her to send nudes, then pass them out online to anyone who wanted to see them. I left my phone behind so I couldn’t be traced, and I lost track of time.”
“You . . . you were hunting someone?” she asked as her eyes grew wide.
