Page 55 of Silent Vendetta (Vendetta Duet)

“I wish I could talk you out of this, for your own safety,” Hunter said. “But I know how much this means to you.” Straightening up, Hunter looked every bit the protector. “Tell me what you need, Luna.”

He was with me, every step of the way. A lump lodged in my throat, making my voice waver.

“I need to speak with my father.”

CHAPTER26

Luna

“My dad will call within the next ten minutes,” I said.

So far, everything was going smoothly. I rescheduled all of my appointments for the rest of the week. Yes, Grayson and Hunter stood there to ensure I said nothing that would signal I was in trouble, as they did when I called the prison and lined up a phone call between me and my father, but whatever.

Things were moving in the right direction, and Hunter was actively working with Barry, getting all the dominoes lined up in my father’s case.

I was set up in Hunter’s dining room, reviewing all the material to prepare for the hearing. Grayson had been kind enough to go to the cottage and retrieve the boxes I had stored in my living room, which were now spread out on the table.

Grayson set my laptop and phone down with a warning glance, and when he moved against the wall behind me, he kept me locked in his gaze.

I opened a blank email on my phone, my heartbeat accelerating.

Could I fire off a quick email before Grayson could stop me?

My fingers hesitated over the keys. Did I want to? Technically, I was still being held against my will, but after that time with Hunter in the bathroom and the moment we’d shared earlier, the energy had changed. Plus, Hunter was helping me with my case—a lot—so turning him in meant hurting my dad.

Did hesitating make me a bad person?

“Don’t do something stupid, Luna,” Grayson said sternly.

I looked over my shoulder at him—wondering what all he knew about Hunter and why he seemed so…dangerously intimidating.

He pulled his buzzing cell from his pocket.

“Yeah?” he answered, and a few seconds later, asked, “Who is it?” Silence. “I’ll get her away from the…” Grayson paced. “Right.” He fastened his eyes onto me. “And if he refuses?”

Grayson pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled through clenched teeth. He shoved his phone back into his pocket with a scowl.

“We have a problem,” he said.

I followed his gaze out the window, seeing the car ambling up the driveway. It parked, and when the door opened, Sean stepped out.

What the hell is Sean doing here?

“You need to say whatever you need to, to make him leave,” Grayson warned.

As I met his glare, I couldn’t shake the sinister vibe he was giving me, a dread filling the pit of my stomach. I wondered what threat lay buried in his words, but something told me I didn’t want to know the answer.

I stood, putting my cell into my back pocket, and as I tentatively walked to the front door and opened it, Grayson put a hand on my lower back like a looming force.

“Sean,” I said. “What are you doing here?”

It was times like this that Sean’s massive size overwhelmed me. When you had a body that was six foot four and built of solid muscle, you don’t shy away from fighting with other men. Today, he sported a fitted Cubs T-shirt that emphasized his broad chest, paired with faded jeans and worn tennis shoes, and his sandy-blond hair was styled as usual—tall and voluminous on top, tapered to a neat buzz on the sides.

“Jesus.” Sean closed the distance between us and tilted my chin up to the side to get a better look at my face. “I heard Franco hurt you, but holy crap.”

His blond hair danced in a breeze.

“You heard?”

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