Page 73 of Behind the Scenes

“Any news from the cops?”

Persephone nodded. “That’s all taken care of. Their investigation is complete. Accidental shooting. Case closed.”

Hunter didn’t respond, but he couldn’t help think that she’d had to grease a few palms to get the investigation over so quickly. Money talked, though, even out in the sticks.

He sat down in front of her desk and watched her hold up a letter in front of her. Confused as to why, he shook his head.

“What’s that?”

“This is from Alexis Marchand. She wrote me a lovely letter thanking me and everyone here for helping her. She also wrote to tell me she’s donating a million dollars to what we do here.”

Hearing Alexis had cared enough to contribute to what they did there didn’t surprise him. He’d seen the good person behind the movie star. He knew who she really was.

“That’s good. She’s good people, Persephone. She deserved better than what Paul did to her.”

Nodding, Persephone said, “Yes, she did. I’m sorry he turned out to be someone like that. He clearly didn’t respect Alexis or what we’re doing here. I thought he was a good person, but I was wrong.”

Hunter sat back and stared across the desk at the woman in front of him. Persephone had never admitted she was wrong to any of them. It wasn’t her style. He had a feeling she felt if she did show anything but pure strength that she’d be seen as less in the eyes of the men who worked for her.

Not to him, though. To Hunter, it made her an even more incredible woman, and that was saying something.

“I’m sorry your friend turned out to be the villain of this piece.”

His comment made her laugh. “That’s remarkably clever of you, Hunter. I never took you for a man who knew anything about theater.”

He shrugged. “I lived in LA for years. No way to escape actors and actresses. They were everywhere.”

“And yet it took moving to Virginia for you to meet one you could see as more than just a star.”

At that moment, something clicked in his head. He had met someone who made him happy, and for the first time in his adult life, he didn’t find as much happiness in his job.

“It did, so I think it’s time for me to move on, Persephone.”

He didn’t know what he’d expected her reaction to be, but as the words left his mouth, he watched her listen, nod, and then simply smile.

“I figured as much. It’s been two weeks, so I have to give you credit. You probably knew somewhere deep down inside ten minutes after she left that you didn’t want to live without her. I called you in here tonight to tell you I had an assignment for you. I didn’t know if it would merely take your mind off your heartbreak or make you quit and go to her, but I figured it would move you to do something. Now I don’t have to do that.”

Hunter threw his head back and laughed. “So much for that month vacation, huh?”

“Actually, it was Nick’s suggestion. I spoke to him about how worried I was about you, and he thought this might help. I guess he was right.”

“Worried about me? Really?”

Persephone twisted her face into a grimace. “Not everyone in the world has to show every emotion they have, Hunter. It doesn’t mean I don’t have feelings for the people I work with. It just means I don’t show them all the time. You’ve been here with us since the beginning. I may not have always liked your methods, but we relied on you more than anyone else because you were as committed to this cause as we are. But you aren’t anymore, and even though we’ll miss you, there are no hard feelings. We never assumed you men would be willing to give up your lives forever.”

In all the time he’d worked for Project Artemis, he’d never heard anything like what she’d just said to him. It made him proud to know his commitment to their shared cause had been seen and appreciated.

“Thank you, Persephone. We did good together. I won’t forget any of you I’ve worked with here.”

Standing up, she extended her hand for him to shake. “Good luck, Hunter. Keep in touch and I hope if we ever need your help on a case, you’ll give us a little of your time again in the future.”

He shook her hand and nodded. “You know my number. Tell Nick I said I’ll see him soon, okay?”

“I will. I hope you and Alexis will be very happy.”

Hunter took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. He hoped so too.

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