Page 6 of Torment

“Are you okay?” he asked softly.

“I’m fine.”

“Good.”

Hunter shifted closer to her, like he was trying to force himself into the picture. “Would you mind telling us who the fuck you are, and what the fuck just went down?”

Bruce narrowed his eyes. “Can you give an old man a few seconds to catch his breath first?”

“Judging by what you just came out of, you’re far from being an old man.”

Bruce grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It’s not meant to be one,” Hunter sneered.

Scarlet noticed how he leaned forward, almost like he was trying to shield her from Bruce. One would think he would know by now that she didn’t like a man who acted all alpha male when it came to her.

Scarlet sat forward and pushed Hunter back with her hand, then focused all her attention on the man sitting in front of her—the supposed faceless sperm donor.

“Who are you?”

“I told you, I’m your father.”

“I don’t buy it.”

Hunter shifted next to her, leaning his elbows on his knees. “If you don’t tell us who you are in five seconds, Robin here won’t be able to stop me from putting a bullet in your head.”

Scarlet noticed Riggs stiffen, his hand tightening on the gun in his hand.

Please can this conversation not end with flying bullets and splattering brain matter?She had already seen a guy bleed all over the deck she had sunbathed on a little over an hour ago, the red seeping into the wood. And not to mention the guy whose blood she still had splattered all over her face and hair.

She reached up, thinking of the blood, when she felt Hunter lightly brush a finger across her cheek, wiping away another smear of crimson. The touch instantly electrified her skin and a rush of memories of them together, bodies entwined, lips locked and breaths warm with desire, flooded through her mind. And so did the picture of the symbol that destroyed it all in a matter of seconds. The Celtic symbol of eternal love—or, in their case, eternal pain.

Scarlet shifted away from his touch, hating the pain it caused, and by the way he stared at her, he felt it too.

Just then, Bruce sat up straight, and Hunter lifted his weapon, aiming for Bruce’s chest. When Riggs was about to aim his gun, Bruceheld up his hand.

“Stand down,” he ordered. “I’ve got this.”

“Sir?”

“I said stand down.”

Scarlet watched Riggs as he reluctantly lowered his gun and slowly crouched back down.

Hunter’s eyes never left Bruce for a second. Not even when Riggs threatened to aim a gun at his head.

“Hunter, what are you doing?” Scarlet whispered.

But he ignored her, didn’t even look her way. With eyes still on Bruce, he asked, “Who. Are. You?”

Bruce glanced from Scarlet to Hunter. “My name is James Baxter.”

Scarlet snorted. “I think I prefer Bruce.”

Everyone looked at her like she had just spoken in tongues. She pulled her hand through her hair and sighed. “Don’t mind me. You two continue your little face-off slash whatever the fuck it is you’re doing.”

Hunter shook his head slightly then focused on James. “So what brings you to our rescue today, James Baxter?”

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