Page 81 of Torment

The most uncomfortable silences settled over them, and the only sounds that filled the background were the roar of the engine and tires rushing over the asphalt.

“You can’t fuck this up, Hunter. You’re going to have to push all your feelings for her aside, and you will need to harden yourself. If Rex senses any kind of emotion other than possessiveness when it comes to Scarlet, we’re screwed.”

Hunter swallowed hard. “What can I expect to find when I walk in there, Baxter?”

James’s phone went off, and the air was so thick with tension that it sounded like a damn bomb exploded between them. Hunter’s heart started to race like it had the urge to climb out of his throat. For the five seconds it took James to read the text, it felt like Hunter was going to rip his own damn skin off.

James turned toward Hunter. “Expect the worst.”

“Fuck.” Hunter stepped on the gas and sped down the street, taking turns with screeching tires.

If what he imagined as being the worst was what he was about to walk in on, he wasn’t so sure he’d be able to keep calm. Just thinking about Brent or any other man laying a hand on Scarlet—touching her—made Hunter want to rip someone’s heart out.

“Brent has the front gates secured, how are we going to get in?” James asked while he clutched the side of the passenger side door.

“Don’t worry about that. I know a way in.”

Baxter glanced at him questioningly.

“Don’t ask.”

Within minutes Hunter parked the Porsche on the side of the road and stared at the wall he used to lean against waiting for Blue while they snuck around seeing each other. The moment was almost wistful.Almost. But knowing Scarlet was on the other side of that wall made him want to think about one thing and one thing only—wrapping his arms around her and never ever letting her go again.

“Let’s go,” Hunter said, and opened his door.

James grabbed his arm and Hunter paused.

“She’s my daughter, Hunter.” James looked at him with dark, overcast eyes. “Please promise me you will do everything necessary to get her out of there.”

For the first time since Hunter met the man, he saw weakness. His daughter was his weakness, and Hunter respected that.

“I’ll get her out, Baxter. Or I’ll die trying.”

James nodded and they both jumped out of the car, sprinting across the street.

“How are we supposed to get over this wall?” James asked.

Hunter grinned. “Finally my past has a way to benefit my future.”

When they rounded the corner, Hunter found what he was looking for. There was a tree growing just on the outside of the wall that would make it real easy for them to climb over. It was also one of the spots where Hunter and Blue would hide.

Again,almostwistful.

James snorted. “I am not going to ask how you knew about this.”

Hunter climbed into the tree, then extended a hand to James, helping him climb up too. With a lot of grunts and scrapes, both of them were over the wall and in one of what seemed like ten thousand maple trees growing on the estate.

From here, Hunter was going in blind. He had never set foot on this side of the wall before, so he had no idea where he was going.

He jumped from the tree and landed on his feet, staring out in front of him. The fact that it was almost dark didn’t help either.

James landed with a thud next to him. “Come on, I know the way from here.”

Thank God.

They rushed through the trees, twigs and branches cracking beneath their feet. The closer they seemed to get, the wilder Hunter’s heart started to beat. He could already feel the fire in his veins, the fury in his chest thinking about all the things he wanted to do to every fucker inside that house. If they so much as laid a hand on her, not even God Himself would be able to help them.

As they passed an old wooden barn, Hunter paused and stared at it. Was this the barn Scarlet had referred to? Was this the barn where Brent had stolen everything from her?

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