by Nicole Fox
He walked out to the kitchen, and Vanessa turned to smile at him. Opal looked up from beside Mari and beamed.
“Morning!” Opal said.
“Morning.” He sat down and rubbed his face. Vanessa put a mug of coffee in front of him. “Thanks.”
She filled plates with food and they sat together eating, sharing small talk about how they’d slept and what they wanted to do today. Mostly, they would rest and watch movies, it seemed. Opal asked about getting a pizza for dinner. He was looking forward to a quiet day at home.
As he stuffed his last bite of eggs into his mouth, there was a loud pounding on the door. He exchanged a startled look with Vanessa, then got to his feet. He pulled out his gun as they called out, “Police! Open up!”
He put his gun down on the counter and took a deep breath. Then he went to open the door and find out what in the world was going on.
He opened the door and immediately put his hands up. Cops flooded into the apartment, guns drawn. Several had Hunter in their sight. He heard Vanessa shriek, but stayed still and didn’t take his eyes off the officer closest to him.
“Hunter Perrin?”
He nodded, still resuming eye contact.
“You’re under arrest for murder.”
Hunter swallowed hard. He should have seen this coming. Should have known he couldn’t trust Nicholas or any government agency. And the way he’d killed Jeremy? He’d messed up big time there. If he’d known they had surveillance in the hotel, and if he had even been in his right mind enough to think about it, he might have done things differently. It had felt so good to hurt him, though. And though he didn’t know what would happen now, he didn’t regret one bit of pain that he’d inflicted on Jeremy Beale. In fact, he wished he’d had longer to hurt the bastard. No amount of suffering would be enough to pay him back for what he did to Vanessa.
He had to focus for now. Think about what had to happen next and what he had to do. Some sort of lawyer would be needed. He still thought maybe self-defense could work. It had to. It was the only thing he had to go on. Build a strong enough case and maybe he’d get out in a few years instead of getting hit with life.
His hands were pinned behind his back and cuffs tightened around his wrists. He wished it didn’t feel familiar, but all he could think about was the last time he’d been arrested for murder and how badly that had gone.
As they pushed him from the apartment, Opal cried out. “Hunter! Don’t leave!”
He couldn’t stand to hear her voice calling for him. He glanced back to see Vanessa scoop her into a hug and hold her close. Opal’s hand stretched out to him, and he looked away.
“Wait!” Vanessa said.
He turned back and saw her and Opal rushing toward him.
“You can’t just take him. There’s video proof!” she said.
“It’s okay,” he said. “Stay with Mari. Stay together. I’ll call you as soon as I can.”
“No!”
Her hand raised toward him with Opal’s, and he stepped out of the apartment choking back tears. He would not cry in front of these cops. No freaking way. He swallowed hard and thought of Jeremy.
Even though he was dead, he still managed to cause them problems from beyond the grave. Now his dead body was a ghost, haunting him, haunting Vanessa. Until this was all settled, they wouldn’t really be rid of him.
Hunter had to find a way to get the truth out there. To show people who Jeremy really was. To unravel the web of deception he wove in his lifetime. There was the slight chance, too, that Vanessa was still in danger. Jeremy might have left instructions for her to be put to death in the event of his own death. Who knew how far he would go to torture her? Maybe he wouldn’t stop until she was dead, even if he was already dead.
Well, all Hunter could do now was think through what needed to happen, how to build his case, and hope that if anyone had been ordered to kill Vanessa, he’d already killed them.
# # #
Vanessa picked up her phone with a shaking hand. “Nicholas? I need your help.”
“What’s going on?” he asked.
She set Opal on the floor, but kept her close. “Hunter’s been arrested for murder.”
Nicholas sucked in a breath. “Oh.”
“Oh? Is that all you have to say?”
“No. It’s just that… I guess I didn’t work fast enough.”
“Yeah, I guess not.” She couldn’t help the bitterness in her voice. He had helped them at times, but he’d also stood by and did nothing when she taken. Could he really be trusted?
“I’m sorry. I’m doing everything I can.”
“And what are you doing? Do you have a way to get Hunter out of jail?”
“No, not exactly.”
“What are you doing then?!” She tried to take several deep breaths, to keep the tears at bay. After all that had happened, she needed to just rest and relax today, not have another storm of stress crash over her. She couldn’t take it.
“Well, I still have to gather more proof, but I think I have something on Jeremy.”
She clenched her teeth together and forced herself to stay calm. “Why are you collecting proof against Jeremy? He’s dead. He can’t go to jail now.”
Then the awful thought flashed through her mind. Had she imagined that? Was he somehow still alive? Was it possible the nightmare was continuing and hadn’t even started to end yet?
“No, I know that. Let me explain.” She heard him take a deep breath and shuffle some papers. “Okay. Before Jeremy was killed, when we were still trying to bring him to trial and hoping to have him locked up, I did some research. I was looking for anything I could find that might help us, and might prove that he was the one who was endangering Opal. That’s my job, you know. I had to find a way to tie it back to her, or I could get in trouble myself for looking into things that—”
“Okay, I get it. What did you find?”
“Well, it seems that Jeremy was not only heir to a large fortune, as you know. He’s also a member of a crime family who’s involved in a huge crime ring in the city.”
“Like, the mob?”
“Yes.”
She let this information sink in. Could he possibly be correct? Could Jeremy have been a member of the mob?
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yes. Like I said, I need further proof on a few matters. Proof to show the various crimes he was part of. But once I get what I need, this can help Hunter. It might not get him out of jail immediately, but when he goes to trial, it will help his case.”
“How?”
“Well, he’ll be able to prove self defense better. We can show that all the men Hunter killed all worked for Jeremy. He can count on Stand Your Ground laws to set him free.”
“On what?”
“It’s basically the right to use deadly force in order to protect oneself or others from harm.”
“That’s not self-defense?”
“It’s similar, but with both of those combined, he should be able to get off from any murder charges. We can show that there was plenty of intent for harm on Jeremy’s part and the part of his hired men. Besides that, the police might be quite pleased to know that Hunter took out so many big-time criminals. It could help his case, as well.”
“So, what do we do now?”
“Well, now that I know he’s been arrested, I’ll go to the police with what I know. I’ll advise them of the last bit of proof I’m waiting on, which is photo evidence from a nearby gas station that showed Jeremy and his men with weapons. Hopefully, it’ll be enough to get them to set bail instead of keep him until the trial. He committed a violent crime.”
“Okay, I like that.” He could be out soon if he was released on bail. Otherwise, it could be months until the trial, and who knew how often she’d get to see him in that case.
“I’ll let you know what I find out when I go down there.”
“Thank you, Nicholas.” She was starting to soften to him, to put some trust in him. Really, she
had no choice. She had no way to get Hunter out. But Nicholas might. She needed him. And he knew it.
“You’re welcome. I’m doing everything I can for you both.”
“I know you are.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Hunter
“Come on, Hunter.”
Hunter looked to the end of his cell, where an officer was sliding open the metal door. He sat up on his hard cot, confused.
“You’re out on bail.”
“Bail? I thought that wasn’t going to happen.” He’d been told when they first brought him in that for such a violent crime—multiple crimes, really—that they would not release him on bail. Even talking to his lawyer hadn’t given him any hope that he’d see the light of day in the near future.
“Some new evidence has come in.”
Hunter walked to the door and stepped out. “New evidence?”
“Talk to your lawyer. I can’t tell you much about it.”
“I will, thanks.”
“Just sign at the desk to get your things, then you’re free.”
Hunter went to the desk and signed in a daze. He’d mentally prepared to spend months in jail, not mere hours. What could have possibly happened in that time to let him be a free man? And who even knew about his bail to post it for him?
He picked up his bag of things after the clerk retrieved it and walked through the metal door when it slid open for him. In the waiting room, Nicholas jumped up to his feet from one of the bright green plastic chairs.
“Hunter,” he said.
“Hi.” What in the world was he doing here? Of all people, Nicholas would be the last he would expect to encounter here.
“I’ll take you home.”
Hunter narrowed his eyes at him.
“I’ll explain everything in the car.”
Hunter got in the car beside Nicholas and as soon as he closed the door, he asked, “What in the world are you doing here?”
“I posted your bail.”
“You—”
“I also gave the police the evidence they needed to prove that your claim of self-defense is legitimate.”
“How—”
“I’m getting to that.” Nicholas then went on to explain what he’d found out about Jeremy’s family and their connection to the mob, how it proved that using deadly force was necessary.
“Wow,” Hunter said. “Well, for whatever trouble you’ve caused us in the past, you’ve sure turned out to be a big help. Thanks. That doesn’t even really cover it. You’ve given me time with those I love most. I can’t thank you enough.”
Nicholas nodded. “Well, there’s no excuse for my behavior. From the beginning, when I didn’t believe Vanessa. You don’t know about all the paperwork I filed to try to have Opal taken from her.” He shook his head. “Then to find out I was wrong and almost sent her back to an abusive father? Inexcusable. And when someone comes and tries to forcibly take Vanessa, I do nothing. I don’t want to be that man. I never thought I was, but I’ve learned things about myself in the last months that I wish I didn’t know.”
“Being in those situations isn’t easy. Especially if you’ve never been around it all.”
“Sure. I feel terrible, though. And it’s my duty, and my job really, to make sure that Opal is in the best environment possible. And that means being with her mother and being safe, which also means, having you around to keep her safe.”
Hunter reached over and clapped his hand on Nicholas’s shoulder. “Thanks, man. And if you ever want training for how to be better in these types of situations, you know who to call.”
“I hope to never be in anything like that again, but thanks.”
They pulled up to Vanessa’s apartment complex. Hunter ran inside and up to her door. He knocked and waited. When she opened the door, she exclaimed in surprise and jumped into his arms.
“How are you here?” she asked.
He kissed her and squeezed her tight. “Nicholas,” he said, turning to face the man.
Vanessa gave Nicholas a quick hug. “It worked? Thank you!”
Nicholas left shortly after to give them time alone. But they agreed, they owed him one for Hunter not only being able to post bail, but being the one to actually put up the money. They both seemed to have forgiven him of all prior wrongdoing.
When they sat down to dinner that night, just Vanessa, Opal, and him, it felt like every second was precious, borrowed time. He could be sitting in a mess hall with hundreds of criminals, fighting over nasty food, but instead he was here, eating the delicious meal Vanessa had prepared.
He slept fitfully that night, even with Vanessa by his side. His mind kept bringing back his arrest and Jeremy’s murder, and his dreams were full of lies. Jeremy killing Vanessa and Opal, Jeremy killing him first, and then him being locked up forever and Vanessa moving on. In one particularly cruel dream, Vanessa came to see him in jail to say she was pregnant, but was going to marry Nicholas and tell everyone it was his kid instead of Hunter’s. He woke up from each dream having to reassure himself of reality, and then hold Vanessa close as he drifted back to sleep.
In the morning, he made a decision. He still had money saved from his past jobs. He got up early thanks to his most recent nightmare, and got on the computer in Vanessa’s living room. He looked through site after site before he found just the right thing. He made a phone call, then waited for her to wake up.
“I want to take you somewhere today,” he said to her as she made coffee.
“Okay, sure.”
Once they had showered, eaten, and dressed, they got into the car and he drove to the location. They pulled up to an adorable house—white siding and a wooden fence, cute landscaping, and plenty of room to play in the backyard.
Vanessa looked at the “For Sale” sign, then over at him. “Who’s house is this?”
“Ours if you want it.”
Her mouth dropped open. “But, how…”
“Let’s go see it.”
He held her hand and Opal’s as they walked up the front steps to meet the realtor. They went room by room, and he loved the excited look in Vanessa’s eyes.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered to him at one point. “And so big.”
When she’d seen the whole place, he asked her privately, “Do you want it?”
“I can’t afford this place on my salary.”
“I know. That’s why I’m paying cash for it. There will be no mortgage, and your salary should cover the other bills just fine if I’m… not here to pay them.”
She squeezed his hand. “Don’t say that. You’ll be here.”
“Is that a yes, then?”
She closed her eyes and let out a small squeal. “I love it.”
“I love you.”
He explained to the realtor that they would pay full asking price in cash, and wanted to move in as soon as possible. The realtor would call after talking to the sellers, but Hunter wasn’t worried. Who wouldn’t take a full-price offer, and in cash with no hassle of mortgage companies to deal with?
Opal excitedly talked about how she would decorate her new bedroom in pink and kitty cats as they drove back to the apartment.
“Oh, can we have a real kitty?” she asked, her face twisted into a deep plea.
“I think so,” Vanessa said, looking at Hunter.
“Just one? I thought maybe we’d have a couple. Maybe a dog, too.”
“Really?” Opal squealed in delight and went on talking about the new house and her future dog. She had named them all many times over during the short ride. He hoped that “Lollipop” didn’t stick as a name.
That night, he had no trouble falling asleep. Knowing that Vanessa and Opal—his two greatest loves—would have a new place to live, a place without the horrible memories of all that had happened in the apartment, a place they could heal and grow together, gave him tremendous comfort.
They spent their days preparing. Once the offer was accepted, it was time to pack and buy new furniture. In no ti
me, their days became filled with house details, and moving took over everything. Hunter felt like a family man in every sense. He walked through the building supply store, picking out appliances and curtains with his woman by his side and her daughter, and he almost laughed. Never did he think this would make him happy. Being part of a family, being able to see himself taking food from the fridge they had just purchased. It was a dream coming true that he’d never before dreamed.
