Shouldn't Have Dealt

by Mara Lynne

  “There’s always the other side of the coin, Ray.”

  “Okay, let’s say he did that to get your approval.” His nose wrinkles. “But don’t you think it’s quite convincing?”

  “Of all the things he could do, he chose to buy me with a kidney!”

  “But your Dad will be fine now.”

  I nod. I could not argue with that.

  “So, what’s going to happen now?”

  The chocolate powder on top of my coffee dissolves as I stir the liquid with the tiny spoon.

  “I honestly don’t know.” If Hunter asks me to be his pretend wife again, I think I will have a hard time saying no. He has me by the neck now.

  “Someone’s after Hunter. He’s threatening him using me,” I continue.

  “Seriously? Why would that mysterious man think you’ll be instrumental in his plan?” When he sees me rolling my eyes at him, he finds the answer to his own question.

  “Because everyone thinks you and him are together,” he mutters

  Which is not even true!

  “I think Hunter will be in a lot of trouble if he gives in to the man’s demands. He doesn’t want to do it. He told me so.”

  “And?” His left eyebrow reaches his hairline.

  “And I’ll be the one in trouble if Hunter refuses.”

  “But Hunter will not allow anyone to touch you, right?” There’s a hidden smirk on his face which I find really annoying.

  You are safe with me. I will not let anything happen to you.

  Hunter’s touch and voice start to haunt me again. I don’t think it was a good idea that I allowed him to get too close to me that night because the memory wouldn’t just leave me. It’s haunting—in a very bad way.

  “You know the man,” I say. He probably said it to gain my trust. It’s not like there is something more to that.

  “Angel…” Ray pauses and leans forward, sending me into a mild panic. I know he has something in store for me—questions I may not be able to answer now. “What if, like what happened to Damien…”

  What is it about Damien now?

  “You know, we all knew it was just fun for Etheridge in the beginning—”

  “It had always been all fun for him, Ray,” I interject. “Damien was never serious.”

  Ray’s face contorts. He immediately knows I am not going to let him talk about the man that has severely hurt me.

  “Hunter is a different story. He’s not for games or whatever.” He’s a businessman, after all, I wanted to add.

  Ray’s lips pucker as though he is giving up his argument.

  “But we can never tell.” He manages to utter in the most discreet way.

  Paul fetches Ray and me from the hospital. It’s three in the morning, and I think I need to get a good night sleep before I return to work tomorrow. Dad’s been stabilized. Eric said he’ll be monitored for twenty-four hours to see how Dad’s body is coping with the new kidney. I could have been in Mom’s place, staying up all night, but she does not want to leave Dad.

  Thirst wakes me up in the middle of the night. Since Mom and Dad’s room is vacant, so I thought of occupying it. I will never sleep in the same bed with Hunter Stone—never—despite the fact that he failed to offer me a separate room. On my first night in his place, I was lucky he did not sleep in his own bedroom, so I had it for myself the entire night. He went to some place I did not bother to ask about. Perhaps, he went looking for the mysterious man.

  With my loose pajamas that hang on my hips and a four-year-old spaghetti-strap top, I tread toward the kitchen, barefooted. My hair is a mess, the curls falling to my shoulders like a storm has come its way before reaching the bottom of my back. When I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror along the corridor, it’s only then that I realize my hair’s quite long already and that it is in dire need of a trim.

  I take a quick sip of cold water from the bottle I took from the fridge, letting the coldness rub down my throat. When I am done, I take the bottle with me in case I get thirsty again and leave the kitchen.

  I thought my resounding footsteps owns this huge place tonight, but I am entirely mistaken. It seems that Hunter Stone is still awake.

  I can see him across the living room, his broad shoulders clear even in the dim light. The city is well-lighted, and I see his gaze wafting away to the far distance. He’s got a glass of wine in his right hand while his other hand is kept inside his pocket. He appears like he just came in from work. His plain white long-sleeve shirt creases on his waist, and his suit jacket is on the couch.

  I should not let him see me. Maybe I should return to my room now before he turns around.

  However, before I could turn on my heels, Hunter has detected my presence through my reflection on the glass wall and calls me.

  “I was just going back to my room,” I say as my hands clasp the cold bottle of water. Drops of water plummet to the floor and wet the fur carpet.

  “You can’t sleep?” he asks with half of his body turned to me.

  “You?” I straighten myself up. With all the things that are happening now—the fiasco with his family and inheritance and the mystery caller and his threats—I am amazed that Hunter is still able to look really good. No, wait! I am just saying that stress has not gotten into him at all, and his looks haven’t changed. I am the complete opposite of Hunter Stone. Dark circles are showing under my eyes and my hair’s getting frizzier each day I think about the harsh realities of my life.

  He shakes his head. “I am thinking of how I can keep you.” A dull smile reaches his lips, and it pinches each fiber of my heart. “I don’t want you to think that you are indebted to me because of George. Well, I’m not going to lie… the thought crossed my mind.”

  “That when you help me, I will change my mind?”

  He nods.

  “I’m not gonna lie too, Hunter,” I say. “I think it’s really nice of you to help us.”

  “I only did that because of you, Angel.”

  He does not have to remind me.

  His phone rings, and Hunter picks it up from the glass table. The calmness on his face fades away the moment he answers the call.

  “I told you, you can’t make me do it, Will,” he growls like a tiger. Upon hearing him talk with so much fury, I feel fear run up my spine. He turns his back to me and concentrates on the call.

  “You will not touch her, or I will make sure you won’t breathe tomorrow. Yes, I am warning you!” He hurls his phone to the couch. He runs his fingers through his hair, destroying the sleek hairstyle he has.

  “Will?” I find my legs moving a step closer to Hunter. “Is he the man…”

  The fury on his face subsides when he sees me.

  “He’s not going to stop, is he?”

  He shakes his head.

  “Why?” I just have to ask because I know I am already involved.

  “Because he wants something from me.”

  “What does he want from you?”

  Hunter’s thumb lightly brushes the corner of his mouth, and his eyes narrow.

  “Something I don’t want to do,” he answers bleakly.

  I know. He’s been saying that.

  “What happens if you don’t submit to Will?”

  “I’ve warned him. He cannot lay a finger on you, I promise.”

  “Well then, what happens if you submit to him?”

  Hunter takes three more steps before he reached me.

  “I told you, there’s no way I am going to do what he’s asked me to do, Angel,” he firmly replies. “Why do you want to know?”

  “I feel like I have the right to know, Hunter. I’m the bait, remember? Even though I shouldn’t be.”

  He falls silent for a few seconds. “Even though you are not my lover?”

  I feel my throat tighten.

  “Even though you do not care what happens to me if I don’t give in to Will’s wishes?” he continues, “Why would you even care, Angel, when you’re not even mine, to begin with?” His head ti
lts to the side as though studying the funny reaction on my face.

  Suddenly, I feel my cheeks bursting.

  “Don’t you think it’s too bold to ask me something so personal when in fact, we’re not in the same boat?”

  “Because Will is someone so dangerous!” I exclaim.

  “Yes, he is. I don’t doubt that.”

  “And you said he can do anything he wants to do against you!” My mouth is just saying anything it can come up with. Actually, I have lost control of myself the moment Hunter disarmed me with his queries.

  And yes, why do I have to act stubbornly like I can demand anything from him? Who am I to even ask?

  “If I’m right,” he pauses for emphasis, his fingers touching the tip of my elbow carefully, “you are worried about me, Angel.”

  I unconsciously move a step back.

  I am not worried about his life.

  Never.

  “I’m sorry, that was out of the line,” he says. “I had no intention of peeling off the mask you’re wearing.” He leans forward, his arm reaching for my back to catch me from falling to the ground. He softly whispers at the back of my ear, “It was unconsciously done, Angel.”

  Hunter helps me stand on my feet again before he turns to leaving.

  I spin around to watch him leave the room, and the impulse to have the last word arises within me. I have to explain myself to him. I can’t just let him sleep with the idea that I am fostering concern for him. He is totally wrong. Where on earth did he get that idea?

  “Hunter?”

  He stops.

  “How are you going to protect my family and me?”

  He turns to face me.

  “What if I say yes to your offer?” I add.

  “Even if you don’t, I am still responsible to you.”

  I gulp.

  “If you have me, can you assure my parents’ safety?”

  His eyes sparkle.

  My stomach twists.

  “Can you do that one thing you don’t want to do just to have me?” How crazy could I get to ask him this one question?

  His mouth twitches. His now relentless gaze is fixed on me.

  This is so much worse than being castigated by Ray or Mom… so much worse.

  “I think I can,” he answers.

  Chapter 25: Another Attempt

  “And what about my parents?” I ask incredulously as my legs cross each other under the high table at Hunter’s dining room. He sits opposite me at the far end of the table, with his intense gaze causing all the hair on my arms and my nape to stand in fright.

  I gave him a hint of my approval although it was not official. I was just asking a hypothetical question, and yet, Hunter Stone seemed to expect more.

  “Let’s say I become your pretend lover and agree to help you get what you want. What will happen to my parents?” I am afraid Will will direct his attention to them. “How sure are you that you can protect them?”

  I am desperate to make Hunter submit to Will’s demands despite the troubles he will face. Although I can’t hide the fact that some part of me is concerned about his safety, but I prioritize my family’s protection above all else. Here I am, very much willing to sacrifice my happiness for them; why should I even show a tinge of concern for this man?

  His forehead creases.

  There is not much light in the dining room except for the freshly lit hearth.

  “Name a place you want to hide them. Abroad. Far from here,” he says unwaveringly. “I have properties in Europe and in the Latin America. I can show you options if you want.”

  “And is that assurance that Will cannot find them?”

  “Will will not dare to lay a finger on them or on you when he gets what he wants from me.”

  My tongue falters.

  “Yes, Angel,” he says at once. “If that is what’s bothering you, I will succumb to Will’s wishes, but you have to do your part of the bargain.”

  I clench my hands together.

  “Might I suggest Colombia or Costa Rica?” he goes on, “I have some properties there which Will does not know about. It will be the last places on earth he will search when things get tight.”

  What does he mean when things get tight?

  “George and Sarah will find Colombia or Costa Rica a really nice place to stay for the meantime,” he says.

  Well, I am still not sold.

  “And after you claim your inheritance, what happens next?” What happens to me? What happens to us?

  He straightens his back and leans it against the back of his chair. I see the muscle around his mouth twitch. It seems that Hunter has not thought about our future situation. When all is done, I suppose we’re going back to normal, which means I could go back to work, and Dad and Mom would not have to hide in South America, and of course, Hunter will have to stop bothering me.

  “Well, Hunter?” I raise an eyebrow. “Will I really have to marry you? Can’t we just fake a marriage certificate and present it to your family?”

  “That is not even an option, Angel.”

  Which part? I thought anything is possible to this man.

  “You do intend to marry me? Like in a church? With our families?” My voice heightens.

  “Like I said, we are not fooling uneducated and stupid people here.”

  So I will really have to marry this man and be Mrs. Stone? I thought I was only going to act, play as his lover, and trick the people around us that we’re madly in love? He said I was going to be his pretend lover. No one mentioned about a real wedding ceremony.

  The color drains away from my face.

  Does this also mean I am going to sleep with him in his bed and make love to him anytime he asks me to perform my matrimonial duties? I shake my head intensely as the picture of Hunter kissing me rapaciously sinks into my very consciousness.

  Why am I even thinking about that? He can marry me for the sake of completing the deal, but it doesn’t mean we are going to exercise those husband and wife duties.

  I give myself five mental slaps for even letting my brain ponder too much about it.

  “Once I get my inheritance, Angel, we will divorce.”

  His words are music to my ears.

  “I will not hold you long. What we will have is purely business.” His voice does not veer way from its usual coldness. “Trust me, I have no intention of bedding you on our wedding night or even the succeeding nights. If you wish, you will have a separate room for yourself. You will not sign up for procreation.”

  A sign of relief escapes my windpipe.

  “But I cannot tell you until when this arrangement will last,” he adds.

  Sudden horror struck me when I think of living with him for months or even years. I do not want to age without having my own family. Obviously, Hunter will not be the man to provide me that need.

  With my fingers, I massage my temple as the pain starts to radiate all over my head. Hunter pushes his chair backward, slips out of it, and marches toward me with his unrelenting gaze. My eyes fall on the table when he lays a bound document on it. I recognize what it is right away.

  He takes out a pen from his inner pocket and gives it to me.

  When I sign this, Hunter will have full control over me. I will be engaged to this man, and my wings will be clipped for a long time. However, when I think about Will and what he can do to my family, I could only think of Hunter’s promise of protection. Besides, I trust him. Surprisingly, I have learned to trust him—to trust a man again.

  Perhaps, my capacity to trust a person has not fully died away. I just led myself to believe it was gone because I was in so much pain.

  My hand takes the pen from him, and without hesitation, signs my name on the blank space provided. Right after I sealed the deal, the pen falls from my grip, and I feel an unexpected rush of emotions welling up in my eyes and chest.

  I do not really want to do this. I know I don’t, but what is left for me to do but make sacrifices?

  “You have made the righ
t choice, Angel,” he utters in a very gentle way, his hand touching my shoulder blade as though comforting me. Hunter Stone must know that what I have just done is purely against my will. I bet he feels bad about forcing a woman to do something like this.

  “Send my parents right away to anywhere you think they will be safe,” I say after a deep exhale.

  He nods.

  I do not dare to look up to him because I know I will just burst into tears when I see him. I have no clue as to how triumphant his face looks now because all I am thinking is the battle I have lost to this man.

  “When Eric gives me the signal that George is healthy enough to travel by plane, I will.” I feel him walk away from me and returns to sit on the chair where he left. He’s got the document secured in his grasp. If I could read minds, maybe Hunter’s head will be filled with joy and anticipation to break the news to his family.

  I gulp, wishing the building emotional tension vanishes once I suppress the impulse to cry out loud. I am no baby to be crying over a contract, and I am in no way weak to show to Hunter Stone my uncertainty.

  “And you are to quit your job in MediaOne,” he says.

  “Why can’t I keep the job?” It’s not like I am going to devote myself being a wife to him. Of course, I will need a job. What will happen to me after all this?

  Then I remember that I will receive pay from Hunter Stone because, after all, I am under his employment. But still, I’d like to keep my job.

  “Because I do not let my wife pose shirtless on magazines with other men,” his voice is grave once again.

  Hence, I am reminded of what happened to Paige’s account and Colin Verne’s sudden retreat. It’s no question now who is behind all these.

  “I’m keeping my job, Hunter, and you can’t make me stop,” I say.

  There’s a phantom of a smile on his face. Yes, I have signed the contract and have agreed to be his pretend wife, but it does not mean he’s got hold of everything about me. I mean, I can keep an ounce of freedom, can’t I? It’s not like we are living in an age where women’s rights are barred by male chauvinism and women are just expected to keep a house running, repair her husband’s sleeves, or worse, wait by the fire for her husband’s return.