Hunter's Mark

by Wendy Smith

  Graham nods.

  “Those buildings are for communal living. They’re the original ones, where everyone used to live. And then the houses around, like my mum and dad’s, they built over time when the families wanted a bit more privacy.”

  “Ahhh,” Graham says. “I did wonder about that.”

  “It’s usually the older couples who have their own homes. They take priority.”

  I place my hand on hers, resting on the table. She shoots me a small smile.

  “There’s the food hall, where everyone eats. And those buildings are laundry, just like you’ve marked.” Her eyebrows knit.

  “What is it?” he asks.

  “That spot there by the greenhouse. It says storage.”

  He nods. “That’s where the gardening implements for the greenhouse are. Right?”

  “Yes, but there’s more to it than that.”

  “Like what?”

  “Under the greenhouses, there are bunkers. Ash’s father was convinced one day the world would end horribly, and so he made concrete bunkers underneath. We used to play in them when we were kids, but it’s a maze down there.”

  “How big are we talking?”

  She traces her finger around the large greenhouses. “The whole way under the greenhouses. It looks like there’s a concrete foundation, but it goes down into the ground. They were shut off when one of the smaller kids wandered off and got lost.”

  “You know your way around them?”

  “It’s been a while, but I used to know them like the back of my hand.”

  “Do you think there’s anything down there now?”

  She shrugs. “They were meant to house us, so there are bedrooms as well as storage rooms. I remember there being rooms of canned food.”

  “That’s a great help, Constance. I’ll leave a copy of this with you, and if you think of anything else, let me know.”

  Constance nods. “I’m more than happy to help. Sorry we didn’t tell you earlier that I was here.”

  He gives her a reassuring smile. “I understand. This whole thing must have been terrifying. I’m glad you have Corey here for you. He might be a pain in my arse, but he’s a good man.”

  She laughs.

  Graham drains his coffee. “I’ll get this info fed through, and hopefully we can get a damn breakthrough.”

  “It’d be good. Then you guys could get the fuck off my land.” I chuckle.

  “Yes. Yes, we could.”

  After dinner, I watch Constance as she lies in bed and pulls the duvet over her. It’s been a long day.

  “You okay?” I ask as I climb in beside her, my clothes discarded in a pile on the floor.

  She’s naked under the covers, and I suck in a deep breath at the feeling of her bare skin against mine. There’s nothing better.

  “Tired. I hope what I’ve given Graham helps.”

  “I’m sure it will.” I stroke her face, and palm her cheek as she closes her eyes.

  “I love being here with you,” she whispers.

  “I love you being here.”

  She opens her eyes and meets my gaze. “Do you really think they’ll be able to find out what Ash is doing?”

  “I hope so. Everyone deserves better. That wall needs to be taken down.”

  Her eyes well with tears.

  “Hey.” I kiss her cheek. “What’s going on?”

  “I feel so guilty, Corey. I got away weeks ago, and only now am I helping do something about Ash.”

  I raise my hand to her hair and sweep a stray lock behind her ear. “You shouldn’t feel guilty. You were scared, and you didn’t know for sure who you could trust.”

  “I trust you.”

  I pull her into my arms, and she rests her head on my chest. “You’ll always be able to trust me, Con. I’ll always believe you.”

  She’s so tired she falls asleep within minutes, and I kiss the top of her head.

  “Always,” I whisper.

  15

  Constance

  Each night is a new adventure.

  When I first got here, we’d watch television after dinner, or Corey would put on a DVD and we’d watch a movie.

  Now, every night we lie in front of the fire. It’s so cosy while the world around us gets colder the closer winter comes. He covers me with kisses all over my body, and I explore him in return. Corey knows me better than anyone ever has, and has learned how to thrill me in such a short space of time.

  I fall a little more in love every single day.

  Graham’s spoken to me a couple more times since the first interview to get further details, but he’s kept his distance other than that.

  It’s been two weeks since I first spoke to him, and we’re snuggled on the couch watching a movie. My world’s become so much bigger since I came here, and Corey has as many DVDs as he does books.

  They could make a movie of what Ash is doing to our community.

  I wonder if it’s my fault he’s like that. I turned him down.

  What if he’s hurt my parents?

  “What’s wrong?” Corey snaps me out of my thoughts.

  “It’s my fault.”

  He frowns. “What’s your fault?”

  “Ash. The way he is. I’m partly to blame.”

  Corey kisses my shoulder. “Con, he’s nuts. There’s no way you can be responsible for that. It’s all on Ash.”

  “I rejected him,” I whisper.

  “Good.” He searches my eyes, shaking his head.

  “I was thirteen.”

  His eyebrows rise. “Pardon?”

  “Ash was the guy that all the girls my age liked. He was a lot different back then, or at least, he seemed different.” I sigh. “Everyone knows everyone there, so of course he knew who I was. When I turned thirteen, it seemed like my body flipped a switch. I had boobs, and I grew a half a foot in a few months.”

  “So you looked older than you were.”

  I nod.

  “But he knew how old you were.”

  “Yes.” I pause. “He was sweet. And I liked him. Really liked him.”

  “What happened?”

  “He was my first kiss,” I say. Corey tenses beside me. “And he wanted me to tell my father that when I was old enough, I wanted to marry him.”

  “Did you?”

  I shake my head. “Even at thirteen, I think I was far too sensible for that. My dad would never have listened. Besides, it was Ash’s father who made those decisions, and he didn’t take kindly to pressure from anyone.”

  Snuggling into Corey’s chest, I link my fingers in his. “Ash spoke to his father, and he dismissed him. There was already someone closer to Ash’s age who he had in mind. I’d have to wait until I was older to find out who he’d match me with.”

  Corey raises my hand to his lips, planting kisses on my fingers. “Ash didn’t suggest you to be together after his father died?”

  “No. That was four years later, and in that time Ash grew to realise what kind of power he’d have over people. He was so angry at me for not going to my father. He blamed me for his father saying no.”

  “This man he wanted you to marry?”

  “John Parsons beat his first wife to the point where either he killed her, or she killed herself. The second one ran away—she was so scared. Ash took his time getting his revenge, but he still harbours a grudge. He’ll always remember I rejected him, and that’s why he chose me to be next.”

  Corey runs his finger under my jaw, tilting my head so my gaze meets his. “You were a child.”

  “That didn’t matter to Ash.” I swallow. “When he told me about his plans for me, I basically threw myself at him. As much as I grew to hate him, living in Ash’s little harem would have been preferable to the fate he’d prepared for me.”

  His eyes are so full of sorrow. “He turned you down.”

  “I’m so thankful that he did. If he hadn’t, I never would have found you. And I wouldn’t have been happy. So, when I tell you how happy you make me, Corey, it
’s because I came so close to never coming through that wall.”

  His lips are on mine in an instant, and then he brushes them over my cheeks, removing the tears that fall. “Don’t you ever blame yourself for Ash.”

  “I’m scared, Corey. I haven’t heard anything, and I don’t know how my parents are doing.”

  He wraps his arms around me and makes me feel safe. As he always does. “I’m sure if anything had happened to them, Graham would know.”

  I nod. “I guess.”

  “I’ll ask him in the morning if he can get an update from his guys.”

  “Thank you.”

  He’s right. That wall does need to come down.

  16

  Owen

  Visiting Drew is a rare trip.

  He makes it home on a fairly frequent basis. The twins love the car, and he likes getting Hayley away from it all. Plus, he’s trying to squeeze in as many visits with Mum before it’s too late.

  This time, it’s Ginny and me visiting him, but first, we have our appointment with his friend.

  I can tell by the bright, shiny, new-looking building we pull up out the front of that this isn’t going to be cheap.

  But I’ll do whatever it takes to give my girl what she needs.

  We dropped Ava with Hayley on the way. She doesn’t need to sit through a clinical visit. Earlier in the week, Ginny filled in some paperwork so that Doctor Phillips could pull her medical records.

  When her previous relationship fell apart, she continued down the treatment path her doctor at the time had set. She’d been offered surgery then, but broken, she’d moved to Copper Creek to start a new life instead. It was my gain, but at what cost to her?

  The receptionist gives us a warm smile.

  “Ginny Robinson to see Doctor Phillips,” she says.

  The receptionist nods. “Take a seat. I’ll let him know you’re here.”

  I take Ginny’s hand in mine. Her chest rises dramatically as she takes a deep breath.

  “It’ll all be over soon.” I kiss the back of her hand.

  “I know. It’s just … I was on the waiting list for a while just to see a gynaecologist. This is so quick.”

  I grin. “Pays to know someone in the business.”

  She laughs.

  “That’s better.” I kiss her on the temple.

  “Ginny, Owen,” a tall, blond man greets us.

  “Doctor Phillips?” I ask.

  “Please, call me Dion. Drew’s told me all about you two.” He holds out his hand, and I shake it, followed by Ginny.

  “Don’t believe anything he says.” I let out a nervous laugh.

  Dion laughs. “Come through, and we’ll talk.”

  He leads us into a luxurious office, and I shoot Ginny a What the hell are we doing here? look. It’s all a bit overwhelming. This might be Drew’s life, but it’s a long way from mine.

  We sit on the large black leather couch Dion points to, and he picks up a file from his desk and sits in a matching chair opposite.

  “So, I’ll just tell you a little bit about me, and then we can talk about why you’re here.” He smiles.

  I nod. Ginny reaches for my hand, and I squeeze it tight.

  “I worked with Drew at the hospital, but since leaving there, I’ve specialised in dealing with couples with fertility issues, and specifically endometriosis. That’s where my focus is, and that’s why Drew’s sent you to me.”

  “Okay,” Ginny says.

  “So, Ginny, I requested your medical files from your previous doctor. You didn’t have surgery when diagnosed?”

  She shakes her head. “I had the ultrasound. My life got a bit complicated shortly afterward. The doctor suggested surgery, but I didn’t follow through with it.”

  “Well, surgery is the only way to really confirm an endometriosis diagnosis. Although, looking at your symptoms, if I had to guess, they got it right.”

  She licks her lips. “Is there anything else you can do?”

  He leans forward. “You already know what you’re dealing with, so I’m just going to cut to the chase. In a nutshell, we can perform laparoscopic surgery to confirm the diagnosis and remove the endometriosis. And we recommend after the surgery for you to try to become pregnant in the first six to twelve months of the operation. That’s when you have the best chance.”

  “Then we can have a baby?” Ginny’s tone is hopeful.

  “There’s a much better chance of it happening if we do this procedure, yes. I know Drew would have told you that I can’t promise anything, but I have a good success rate with this method. At the very least, it’ll give you some relief from the symptoms.”

  She shoots me a smile. “I can live with that. It’s worth a go, right?”

  He nods. “Definitely. Now, we could do it on the public system, but there’s a wait, and I can’t tell you how long that will be. The alternative is to do it privately.”

  I swallow. “How much would that cost? We don’t have medical insurance.”

  “I’ll get my assistant to put it all together if you’d like to know. It’s not cheap, but I think it’s your best shot.”

  I nod.

  Ginny snuggles into my side, and I slip an arm around her waist.

  “Thanks for seeing us.”

  “It’s no problem. Your brother and I go way back, and whatever I can do, I’ll help.” He smiles. “It’s not going to be easy, whatever you do. But I can promise you that I’ll do the best job I can.”

  I lean my head on Ginny’s. I’m already calculating the figures.

  It’s not pretty, whatever the cost.

  The car ride back to Drew’s is quiet until we get close to his place.

  “Do you think we can do this?” Ginny’s so quiet, and I know she’s thinking what I am.

  “Gin, we can’t afford to go private. At least, not for a while. We’ll have to save.”

  “Maybe we could get a loan?”

  I nod. “Maybe. It’s a lot of money when everything’s tied up in the new house.”

  She sighs.

  I reach for her hand and bring it to my lips. “Let’s see how much it comes to. We’ll know in a couple of days what it’ll cost, and we can make a decision then.”

  Ginny rests her head on my shoulder. “It’s okay. I mean, it doesn’t have to happen now if we can’t afford it.”

  “I’m sorry, babe.”

  “There’s nothing to be sorry about. We’re in this together.” She sits back up, and I turn into Drew’s driveway.

  “Let’s go and enjoy our evening with Drew and Hayley,” I say.

  She nods.

  “Love you.” I turn my head as I switch off the engine.

  Her face lights up. “Love you, too.”

  Drew opens the door and ushers us into the living room.

  Ava sits in the middle of the floor. She’s got her big colouring book open, and pencils everywhere. “Hi, Daddy.”

  “What are you doing?” Ginny asks.

  “I did so much colouring.” Ava’s eyes grow wide. “Logan tried to eat one of my pencils.”

  “Yes, he did.” Drew laughs.

  I nod at Drew. “Look at you, at home in the middle of the afternoon.”

  He shrugs. “Gotta be some perks to working for myself.”

  We sit on the couch, and he sits in a nearby chair. Hayley appears in the doorway leading to the hall, a big smile on her face.

  “Ava’s been good as gold. She let the twins climb all over her, and Logan did indeed try and eat a pencil.”

  “He’s got no teeth.” Ava laughs.

  Hayley shakes her head. “No, thankfully he has no teeth. Yet. Do you two want a coffee?”

  “I’d love one,” Ginny says.

  “I’ll go and sort that out.”

  Drew leans forward. “What did he say?”

  “He told us about the surgery option.” I sigh. “There’s the waiting list, but at least it gives us a bit of hope.” Turning to Ginny, I squeeze her hand. She smiles a
t me, all the love in her eyes clear to see.

  “I thought he might. So, Hayley and I have been talking about it …”

  I cock my head. “Talking about what?”

  “We’ll pay for you to go private. It means you could have the surgery in the next few weeks, and—”

  “Oh, Drew, it’s so generous, but we can’t accept that,” Ginny says.

  “Yeah, you can. Family looks after family, and I can’t tell you how long that wait will be otherwise.” Drew grins. “Maybe Owen can pay us back in bread or something.”

  “That’s a lot of bread.” I catch Ginny’s gaze again, and this time it’s so full of hope, I can’t bear it.

  “We love you guys,” Hayley says, placing steaming mugs in front of us. “There’s no obligation to pay us back. We just want to help give you the best advantage you can get to end up with what you want.”

  I swallow. My pride would usually stop me from accepting something like this, but it’s Ginny, and I want to give her everything. Maybe even after the surgery we’ll still fail, but at least we tried.

  “How much do you think it’ll be?” I ask.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Drew fixes his gaze on me.

  “Well, I am going to worry about it and the clinic will call me and tell me in a few days anyway.”

  “I’ll pay it. You just get Ginny to where you’re told to take her on time. That’s all you need to do.”

  Beside me, Ginny lets out a pained breath.

  I nod. “Thank you. Okay. Let’s do it.”

  Ginny’s grip on my hand is vice-like, and she leans her head on my shoulder. “Thank you,” she whispers.

  “Thank Drew. He’s the one bankrolling this. Wait—does this make my brother your sugar daddy?”

  “What’s a sugar daddy? I have a cookie daddy.” Ava giggles.

  Ginny laughs, slapping me on the arm. “Look what you did.”

  “We are in so much trouble when the twins are old enough to pick up on the random things Drew says.” Hayley grins. “But seriously, you guys, we’re more than happy to help out. You’ve already got so much on your plate.”

  I exchange a look with Drew to try and convey my gratitude.