A Masterpiece Unraveled (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 2)

by Nikki Lynn Barrett

  Hunter bent for another kiss while he slid his hand downward, anxious to touch her and bring out the tigress within her again. Her hungry-for-love eyes settled on his face, and for the first time in a while, he knew without a doubt she didn't have any fear. His sweet angel had come back.

  Thank you twenty four hour normal plan. Not only did it help him escape, it helped bring him and Becca close again.

  He dipped his fingers between her slick folds. The wetness he tapped into turned him on even more. Becca turned on her side and reached for his cock. Hunter closed his eyes and groaned when she palmed him and stroked.

  Her lips met his again as they pleased each other in loving motions. His body jerked and spasmed. It wouldn't take him long at all to go over the edge.

  Becca pulled away and a little squeak came out of her mouth. Her pink, moist lips parted and with one hand, motioned for him to move.

  Did she want him to stop? He watched her cue and then it registered. She wanted him to make love to her.

  "Now?" he asked, still rubbing her with two fingers.

  She nodded.

  "Okay." Hunter kissed her before he removed his fingers. He stumbled off the bed, grabbed his wallet from his pants pocket and pulled out the last condom packet he'd left in there. He tore it open, rolled on the condom on and made his way back to a waiting Becca.

  Hunter settled between her thighs, taking in her beauty. Raven black waves spilled around her head. Her soft, smooth skin was endless as he ran his fingers all along her bare belly. Then he parted her folds and guided his cock inside. He let out a moan. "Damn Bec, you already feel so good," he uttered. He hated to admit it, but he probably wouldn't last long at all. Hunter slowed down his pace to take his time with Becca instead.

  He lowered his body toward her, pressing his bare skin against hers as he claimed her. His climax rolled in fast and wild, like a head rush. Becca dug her fingers in his back where she held on tight. Hunter had to be careful when he collapsed on top of her not to shift all of his weight on her. He buried his face against her chest, feeling the thrum of her heartbeat. "I love you, Becca," he whispered against her skin.

  A few minutes later he moved off of her to remove the condom. He tossed it in the bathroom trash and pulled one of the white towels off the rack to wipe his sweaty chest.

  Becca stood in the doorway of the bathroom still fully naked. Her gaze traveled up his body. She leaned against the door frame, just watching him.

  Hunter dropped the towel to reach for her. "You're amazing. I hope I didn't finish too fast for you tonight."

  "You were perfect," she assured him.

  *****

  "Why her? Why did you save that girl and not anyone else?"

  Hunter sat up, not believing he'd really heard what he had. Voices. They were just in his head. It wasn't like Becca said something. She hadn't talked in a day and a half or so. It was hard to tell time when you didn't have a watch.

  "Becca?" he asked quietly, rolling over to check on her. He touched her neck, checking for a pulse. She was so still, he wondered if he'd lost her. Nope, she was still sleeping, or so it seemed. He shook his head. He must be that desperate for someone else's voice he was hearing things.

  "I know how to get out of here, you know. But you gotta ditch her. She's dead weight," that same voice, a female, said.

  Hunter jerked to full alert mode. No way was he dreaming!

  Was he?

  "Who's there?" he whispered, his voice coming out hoarse. He needed more water, but there was none left at their makeshift camp. He didn't want to leave in case Becca woke up scared.

  "It's me, the one you all wanted to forget about," the voice snapped.

  "This isn't funny!" He couldn't see her. He was losing it!

  "Do you hear me laughing? I've been looking for you two for a day now! I knew you made it, because I watched you carry her to shore. Why her? You don't even know this girl. You could have saved your mom or dad. I tried to save Rusty. I was the last person he saw before he died. Not Ellie, not Becca, or even his wife Anne. Me."

  Hunter had chills run down his back. That girl again. The one who'd caused trouble on the plane, yelling and thrashing about over some fit he didn't understand. His mind was in a fog as to why. He just remembered her being pissed over something.

  "What do you want?" Hunter's instinct was to protect Becca. The vague memories he had from the crash, this girl didn't like Becca. Or so it seemed.

  "I want a new life so I don't have to go back."

  "What do you mean?" She wasn't making sense.

  "Come with me, Hunter. That is your name, right? You and I, let's find a way to save ourselves." The shadow finally formed in his line of vision. She either really was there, or he'd completely gone bonkers.

  "I can't leave Becca." He reached out and touched her again to make sure she was still there. Silly, of course she was. Becca had been unable to move much for a while now.

  "She can't be saved. We can. I don't want to be alone any more," the voice whined. "Just leave her."

  "No! She's all I have!" And he'd promised his father. Was this girl the reason why? Did he know something? Why would someone want to hurt an eight year old little girl?

  "It always comes down to her! It always has! That's why Rusty stopped caring about me. Everyone wants to protect her. She's nothing! Just a kid who doesn't have a real place."

  "Stop saying that!" Hunter surged to his feet.

  "Oh, so that riles you up. How old are you anyway, kid? I'm telling you, if you stay here with her, you'll never make it. I came to find you. I thought you'd want to survive."

  "You can't be real." Hunter shook his head. He was dreaming. That's what it had to be.

  "I'm real all right. Want me to show you?" Something hit him hard on his foot.

  "Ow!"

  "Feel that rock? I'm real. I was on that plane with you. I made it too, but everyone seems to forget me. I'm not going to be forgotten any more."

  "If I'd known where you were, if you'd called to me, I would have saved you!" Hunter protested, his heartbeat going crazy.

  "I was too busy saving a man who meant the world to me, and I still lost him!" the girl screeched. "I keep losing." She sounded closer. Too close. Near Becca, actually.

  Even though he couldn't see and he was dizzy, Hunter tried to get to Becca. "What are you doing?"

  "What I should have done already. Getting rid of the extra baggage." The sneer and pure evil in her voice freaked him out. She couldn't have been out of her teen years yet, but she sounded crazy.

  "You're crazy! Stop messing with Becca!" he screamed, lurching forward.

  "Don't call me that! Don't! I'm not crazy you damn little boy!"

  Something hit him in the forehead and he fell, reeling from the blow. His hand went to the spot and he felt blood. He bent to pick up something to fight back. His hand found another rock and he pitched it forward, hoping for the best. He had no idea what, who, why, or anything. All he knew was he needed to protect himself and Becca. He heard the rock slam into something. Then there was an anguished cry and a thud. "You little-!"

  That was all he heard before he fell.

  *****

  Becca heard a sound she couldn't quite decipher. She rolled over and reached for Hunter only to discover he wasn't there. She sat up, blinked and realized the bathroom light was on, a glow coming from the partially closed door. Was he sick? She heard the flush of the toilet and the sound of water running.

  She jumped out of bed, nervous and worried. Still hesitant, Becca knocked on the door, then pushed it open more. Hunter stood in front of the sink, his skin pasty white. He wiped his face with a towel and glanced at her before his face crumpled.

  "Oh angel, I hoped I didn't wake you." He rushed to her arms, keeping her close. He was drenched in sweat and shaking.

  Becca backed away and cupped his face, guiding him to look at her. "What's going on?" she signed.

  He sucked in a sharp breath. "I wanted twenty four hou
rs of normal, but my nightmares had other plans," he muttered.

  "Tell me."

  "But-"

  Becca put her finger to his lips. "I know you wanted normal. So did I. It must have been bad, because you look like you were sick. Please tell me."

  Hunter sighed, sounding defeated. "Okay. Can we go sit by that dock and watch the sunrise? It's way too hot in here. I think it's just me, but I could use a change of scenery. Then I promise I'll talk about it."

  "Deal."

  Becca found the dress she bought yesterday and changed as fast as she could. Hunter had cleaned himself up and changed, but he still seemed shaken. His nightmares were more intense or something.

  He glanced at her, his eyes wandering from head to toe. "I love that dress on you. Bright and beautiful as you are."

  Heat rushed to her cheeks and her smile spread. "I'm not used to dresses. You know they're rare for me, but I wanted to be different. I like it, actually."

  Hunter stood, reaching out for her hand. "I do too," he said softly. "I love it when you come out of your shell." He leaned in for a kiss before they headed for the dock.

  The horizon in the east had a hue of blue and pink, the hint of daylight to come. A chilly breeze whipped through the trees. The water was coated with a light mist, casting a white glow over the surface. Stunning. This would be a perfect scene. The dock awaited. It creaked beneath their weight.

  Hunter sat first. "I bet that water is freezing, considering how cool it is right now," he mused as Becca carefully settled beside him. Their feet dangled over the edge, just inches from the water.

  She agreed with him, but didn't indicate it. Becca didn't like that Hunter was avoiding the subject.

  He sighed. "So, this nightmare..."

  It was like he could read her mind.

  "It scared the hell out of me, Bec. This one was on the island. We were sleeping, and I heard a voice. Her voice." He emphasized her as if he hated to say the name. "She said she'd been looking for us. Asked me why out of everyone that I saved you. She could get me off the island, but I had to drop you like you were-" Hunter swallowed and looked away.

  Becca reached out to gently touch his face. He stared back at her with such a tortured expression.

  "I can't-" he shook his head, his voice choked up.

  "You can. It's only a dream. You can tell me."

  "She said she was the last person your dad saw alive. That she called to me to help her and I never did. Damn it, she had it out for you even then. Called you dead weight and that I should just leave you. I called her crazy and she flipped out, yelling at me to not call her crazy. Then because I claimed she wasn't real, she threw rocks at me. The first one hit my foot. I thought she was after you next so I threw a rock and I thought I heard her cry out. I think she hit me with another one. As I fell from the pain, I woke up. How is it I could feel everything as if it happened right then?"

  Becca stiffened. The 'don't call me crazy' part was all to familiar! Well no wonder he woke up feeling sick! Dream or not, that had to have been nerve wracking, especially since he felt like his dreams were telling him something. He had to have known about what Carrie said before jumping. She must have told him or the police or something. No way could he really all of a sudden remember something like that. It would have meant Carrie had been on the island with them. How could they ever forget something like that if it were true?

  "Bec?" Hunter must have noticed her tense up.

  "I had to have told you about her yelling at Isaac before she jumped. He called her crazy and she went ballistic."

  Hunter sucked in a sharp breath. "Yeah, that must have been it." He didn't sound convinced at all.

  She opened her arms for him and Hunter fell into them. He held her like he was hanging on for dear life. Becca ran a hand through his slightly damp hair. Her thoughts were a wild mix of confusion, heartache and terror. What horrid nightmares.

  "I don't know what it means," he mumbled against her.

  It meant that he was tortured by his past. He couldn't let go, and it wouldn't be easy for either until all ghosts were laid to rest and the answers they needed were brought to light.

  Hunter finally sat up and took her hand. "I'm going to beat this all the way. I want to know what it feels like not to have these demons in my head. Thank you for giving me normal, even if we didn't last a whole day. I feel closer to you again. I feel like you aren't afraid of me any more." Holding one of her hands in his, he leaned toward her. Becca's lips parted and met Hunter's for another kiss.

  When the kiss ended, Becca gathered her thoughts. "I'm going to fight, too. The last eighteen hours reminded me how much I love you and need you in my life. This storm isn't going to take us down easily," she promised.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Hunter and Becca kissed normal goodbye as soon as they left that little tourist town hours ago. Realty came back in full force with the nightmare that even a quarter of the day later shook him up. Time to get the prescribed medication filled, make an appointment to talk about these damn things, and at least check out a support group.

  His phone beeped, indicating that there were messages. Oh joy. Wonder how many of them were good. Yep, reality came back with a vengeance.

  At least he'd had the night to connect with Becca. The best thing? She wasn't afraid. She'd come out of her quiet, reserved attitude lately and had really enjoyed herself.

  She turned and raised a brow in question. "What?"

  The corner of his lip twitched upward before he focused back on the road. "Sometimes I'm in awe that you're still here by my side, considering everything," he said, turning on to their street. He was glad to be home, but a part of him didn't want to be, either. They couldn't escape forever. A car was parked on the side which he recognized as Shara's. So she was home from her vacation with her sister already? Had it been that long? She'd had the trip planned for months and when the whole thing happened with Becca and the plane, Shara considered canceling, but Hunter and Becca insisted she go. She didn't need to stay and deal with any of this.

  Shara climbed out of her car when they were closer. She didn't look happy. As she waited for them, her arms were crossed over her chest.

  Hunter killed the engine as soon as he pulled up the drive.

  "Where were you two?" Shara exclaimed.

  "Well hello to you, too. Hope you had a great vacation. I missed you as well," Hunter quipped, grabbing a few of the bags they'd bought from Whispering Willows.

  Shara made a face. "Fair enough. Sorry. But you weren't answering your phone and everyone's been worried about you."

  He exchanged a bewildered look with Becca. "We needed an escape from reality for a while."

  "Hunter, I know you had an appointment yesterday. Beverly called me looking for you because she and Todd were nervous when you didn't call them afterwards. Then they drove by the house and you didn't answer."

  He sighed. "Come on, let's get out of the heat and I'll fill you in."

  Inside, he and Becca put the bags on the table for the moment, and then huddled together on the couch. Shara sat across from them. He could tell she was curious and concerned. "The doctor says it's PTSD." It wasn't easy to say. A lump formed in his throat in the middle of the sentence and settled there, making it hard to breathe. "He also wants to keep an eye on Becca because of what happened, so she's at risk for developing symptoms. It was more than I could take, so I asked her if we could go twenty four hours without discussing all the hell we've been through." Hunter braced himself for a yell or something. Shara wasn't always thrilled when he pulled a spontaneous move. He knew it was out of concern for his well being, so he couldn't really blame her.

  Understanding flashed in her eyes. "I hate being right. I saw this coming for a while. Just don't go scaring everybody like that again," Shara scolded. "With everything that's happened, we all worry."

  Hunter nodded. "Fair enough. I wasn't thinking. I do a lot of that lately. Or rather, not a lot of that. Or-" He shook his head.


  "I'm sure it's a lot to take in for both of you. If I know one thing about the two of you, it's that you survive so much. Don't be afraid to reach out any more, especially you Hunter."

  "I'm trying." And it was the truth. Slowly, he'd been trying to let it out instead of keeping it in. Sometimes, it came out the wrong way though. "Enough about me and this thing. How was your trip? Did you or your sister meet Mr. Right?" He squeezed Becca's hand.

  Shara laughed, then rolled her eyes. "Umm. No. Plenty of flirty men, a few dances, but there was no Mr. Right."

  "Can't blame a friend for asking," Hunter chuckled.

  He'd have to go by to talk with Todd, Beverly and Eva, to keep them updated on what's going on. Plus he missed Sienna. Talking about Disney and all the other fun places last night had him missing her even more. They really should plan a much needed family vacation.

  "I hate to make such a short visit and run, but I have a few stops to make. I hope your schedule isn't too messed up from me being gone. You can't keep track of your calender to save your life," Shara said, laughing.

  "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence. Remind me to dock your pay," he shot back playfully. She was right. With his head not in the game, keeping his calender straight sucked, but he sure as hell wasn't going to let her in on that and give her the satisfaction of being right again.

  "Becca, knock some sense into him!" Shara teased.

  "Hey! We won't drag her in to this. Besides, she'd take my side." He nudged Becca. "Right?"

  Her eyes lit up and she sent him a sly smile. "I have to agree with her. Sorry." Then she ducked away.

  Hunter gasped in mock horror. "Traitor!"

  Shara left a few minutes later. Becca headed somewhere upstairs and Hunter checked all of his messages, then started making return phone calls.

  *****

  Becca stared back at the canvas with satisfaction. Her inspiration looked great on it, and she couldn't get over how she'd finished a piece after weeks of struggling. It was a sign. Maybe the worst of her panic was over. How long had she been in here? It seemed only like less than an hour, but when she peeked at her phone, she gasped. Three hours? And Hunter didn't come to check on her? Odd.