Page 82 of Web of Lies
"Yes?" Mr. Hunt's deep voice crackles from the speaker.
"I'm sorry to bother you, sir," Hannah says. "Riley and Mr.—" she pauses, glancing at Kyle.
"Bennett."
"Mr. Bennett are here and would like a word." Silence follows. Not long, but it's enough to make my pulse spike with every tick of the clock.
"Send them in," he finally says.
"Thank you, sir." Hannah releases the button, the line going dead with a soft click. She turns back toward us with a smile. "You heard him."
"Thanks," I say, offering Hannah a small, polite smile before turning toward the large double doors to Hunt's office. My hand trembles as I reach out and curl my fingers around the cool handle. Drawing a sharp breath, I push it down slowly and step through the doors. Kyle follows close behind, catching the door and gently closing it until the lock clicks into place.
The sight of the office hits me like a déjà vu. The last time I was in this room was in the middle of the night when I wasn't supposed to be here, when Kyle and I broke in to steal sensitive data.
"Riley, I'm glad to see you back. Feeling better?" Mr. Hunt asks as he shuts his laptop with a soft click and rises from his chair and steps around the desk.
"I'm doing a lot better, thank you." I nod.
"I'm glad to hear that." He places a hand on my shoulder, firm but gentle, as he gives it a reassuring squeeze. "Bennett. It's been a while." His tone shifts from soft to serious as his gaze shifts from me to Kyle, and he extends his hand to him.
"Hunt," Kyle replies, gripping his hand. Their handshake lingers a moment too long, both men holding the other's stare before they break apart.
"How can I help you two today?" Hunt asks, gesturing toward the seating area where two leather sofas face each other across a glass coffee table. He lowers himself into the seat nearest the double doors that lead to his private office. Kyle and I take the couch opposite him. The cushions dip under our weight,his knee brushing mine, and I cling to the small comfort of his presence.
I steal a glance at Kyle, nausea churning in the depths of my stomach. My palms are damp against my thighs, and my heart feels like it's trying to claw its way up my throat. Forcing myself to meet Hunt's gaze, I draw in a shaky breath.
"There's something I need to talk to you about."
His brows raise, the faintest sign of surprise, before he leans back in his chair with a long, steady sigh. "I'm all ears."
Nervous sweat beads at the nape of my neck, and I pick at my cuticles. Kyle's hand slides over mine.
"I'm here," he murmurs. My gaze shifts to Kyle, whose dark brown eyes comfort me with quiet reassurance. I then force my eyes back to Hunt.
"I… I did something stupid," I say.
Hunt doesn't move, but I see the subtle shift: confusion blending into disbelief, then every hint of emotion draining from his features. "Elaborate," he says.
The words tumble out before I can organize them in my mind. "When you offered me the job five years ago, it wasn't a coincidence. It was part of a plan. I was supposed to get your attention, get hired, and infiltrate Hunt Corp." My heart pounds like a drum in my chest. "But—" I stammer. "I never gave away any information about Hunt Corp., about you, your siblings, or any other employees. That was never the goal. Never."
An uncomfortable silence drapes over the room like a heavy blanket. Hunt's gaze lingers on me for a beat before shifting to Kyle. My heart skips a beat when I catch the subtle movement of Kyle's hand in the corner of my eye, already brushing against the grip of his gun, his body tensed like a spring if someone so much as twitches the wrong way. For a moment, the air between them crackles as everyone's attention is on me. Every secondstretches, my pulse hammering in my head until Hunt finally breaks the silence.
"Then what did they want? Just to have you here… in case?" His voice is low.
"No. They believed you had connections to the Butcher and wanted me to find details about him." I shake my head, forcing the words out.
"Oh, Riley, so that's why you kept asking about him?" Hunt huffs and drags a hand down his face. His calm demeanor cracks before my very eyes for the first time since I've known him.
"I'm sorry," I say, my voice quiet and almost pleading. My hand finds Kyle's and laces our fingers together, clinging to the comfort of his touch.
"You promise you never gave away any information about this company?" Hunt's tone cuts like a knife. His hand drops to his side, but his eyes stay locked on me. A vein throbs at his temple, his jaw locked tight. The calm surface is there, but underneath it, irritation simmers.
"Never," I answer quickly, shaking my head. "I found brothers and sisters here who changed my life for the better. This place gave me more than I ever expected. I wouldn't let anyone from this company get dragged into this mess."
"Good." Hunt's gaze shifts to Kyle. "Well, it looks like you found him."
"Yes," I say as I turn toward Kyle.
