Page 81 of Hunter's Revenge

“Yes. His wife wanted to. Esperanza Navarro. Hearing the news of this will makes me think his entire family would have supported her.” It’s not like I have to keep these details close to my heart anymore, so I decide to continue. “My father was going to leave Esperanza when he met my mom. They had an arranged marriage. She loved him, but he loved my mom and saw my mother in secret. Everything was a secret, including me. When I was born, my father got into some trouble and accidentally killed the brother of his enemy, but they didn’t know he was the killer. Esperanza knew, though, and used that to blackmail him when he presented her the divorce papers. She had evidence and threatened to not just expose him but kill Mom and me, even though she didn’t know who we were. My grandmother told me my father spent his life from that point on trying to fix the problem, which I take to mean eliminating the threat, but that never happened. Nothing was ever clear when it came to my father. When he died, everything else became more confusing. Like this. Leaving me everything was a sure way to start some kind of war. Esperanza would have never wanted that.”

Malik might be the devil, but getting all that off my chest feels freeing.

“None of them would, and rest assured, it wasn’t just me who would have been looking for you all these long years.”

An icy chill rushes along my spine like fire tossed on gasoline. “They’re looking for me?”

“Always, Malyshka. None of them wanted the threat of an heir. If they found you before you turned twenty-one, they would have killed you to nullify the will and your father’s wishes for you. But if they found you now, they would marry you off to one of their own to keep the control, power, and wealth the way they want it to stay.”

God, I was never safe.

But… I was. I was literally under lock and key, and no one should have known where to find me. Until he did.

“How did you know I was in Wilmington?”

“People like me have their ways.” He doesn’t blink while he speaks. As if he would have found me eventually, no matter how hard it was.

“What sort of ways?Theynever found me all these years.”

“You don’t need to know my ways. I will say, though, it was near impossible to find you. I think I did because I truly wanted to. But consider this: ifIfound you, they would have found you eventually. If that happened, there would have been no escape for you.”

The more he tells me, the more my nerves tremble. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss, but not if you’re in the dark about a threat that could uproot everything you know and change your life in ways you can’t imagine.

But why now?

Something must have led Malik here. He wouldn’t have always been looking for me.

“How has this just come about? My father has been dead for fifteen years. My uncle took charge of everything after he died.” It sounds so strange to say the wordunclein reference to a man I don’t know.

“Your uncle died three weeks ago. He was only placed in charge by the board of directors. Since your father’s death, everything has been operating through the board. But being the heir eradicates that. I think your father wanted to exercise some control over your family. With your uncle’s passing, they will choose the new leader next week. At the moment, his son Diego thinks he’ll be taking over.”

“But you want to.” My emotions switch back to the reasons this villainous man wants me.

“Now that I’ve found you, Iwill takeover. This is happening, Gwen, whether you like it or not. You can either come along for the ride willingly or fight me. It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other.”

“You think because you’re some big badass secret society jerk, you can just claim my choice? All because I owe you? This is what you’re taking for payment?”

“I’m takingyoufor payment.” His voice deepens.

“Maybe so, but you’re taking my choice and freedom. You’re holding me here so I can’t just walk away. Or run away.”

“That’s right.” He inches closer. The scent of his cologne makes my stomach flutter. “That’s exactly what I’m doing, and if you ever think of running, there’s not a goddamn place on this earth you can run where I won’t find you. Do you understand?”

A lump clogs my throat and my breath hitches. As attracted as I am to him, he scares the shit out of me, mostly because I know he’s serious. He’s not screwing with me.

“Answer me,” he prods.

“I understand.” Yes, I understand that the only way forward is his way.

He sits back casually, but the threat of his words still hangs in the air.

“As for your choice, don’t fucking tell me that a billion-dollar company with the ability to make more than it’s worth doesn’t sound attractive to you.”

I can’t argue with that. Only a fool would refute him. Of course, it’s attractive, and I want it.

I could do everything a million times over with that money. I would never have to worry about Grams’ medical bills ever again. Or anything else. Most of all, I could make my dreams come true of setting up my own physical stores in whatever city I wanted to.

I could be free, but would my father’s family allow that?

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