Devil's Game(109)

He studied me, eyes narrowed. Then he nodded.

“Okay,” he said. “Good to know.”

I rolled my eyes and shut the door. God. I had no idea what she saw in him. None.

Five minutes later I stood on the porch, looking out across the lawn to the driveway. My little car was tucked up next to the garage. Boxing it in neatly was Hunter’s truck. I couldn’t see that well, but he seemed to be asleep in the front seat.

Fucking great.

I marched over to the truck, slamming my hand down on the hood with a crash. Hunter sat up quickly, and I saw him reach for something. Probably a gun. Good—he might need it if he f*cked with me any more this morning.

He opened his door and stepped out. His face was drawn and tired, his hair messy and tangled, like he’d been running his hands through it. I’m probably a horrible person, but it made me happy to see him suffer a little.

“Hey, Em,” he said, his voice low. “I know you don’t want to see me, but I had to catch you before you took off. I assume you’re still planning to go to Coeur d’Alene?”

“Yes,” I replied, folding my arms. “Probably leaving in a couple of hours. We can talk when I get back, Hunter. I’m still too pissed right now.”

He shook his head slowly.

“Sorry, babe. Can’t let you do that.”

“Do what?”

“Drive to Coeur d’Alene by yourself.”

I raised my brows.

“Have you lost your mind? Consider yourself uninvited to Thanksgiving, *.”

“I don’t have to be at your house with you,” he said quietly. “But with all that’s happening, there’s no way I want you driving across the state by yourself. If you don’t let me go with you, they’ll make some prospect do it. Do you really want some poor kid to miss the holiday with his family just so you don’t have to look at me during a car ride?”

When he put it that way, I felt like a bitch. Of course I didn’t.

“Okay, you can drive with me,” I said. “But you’re on your own once we get there.

“I’ll be driving,” he said. “We’ll leave your car here. I’ll stay with friends or in a hotel, but I’m delivering you safe to your family.”

“Controlling much? What’s wrong with my car?”

“Babe, think it through. If I’m in Coeur d’Alene for the weekend, I’ll need some way to get around. You’ll have your sister and dad to ride with.”

I glared at him a moment longer, because he was making sense and that was frustrating as all hell.

“I hate it when you’re right,” I finally muttered. He gave me a crooked smile, so sexy I actually felt a twinge down below.

Bad girl!

“Well, lately I’m not right very much,” Hunter said. “Don’t know if it makes a difference, but I’m really damned sorry for what I did to you.”

“About that,” I said, glancing away. “You’re going to need a new phone. Yours may have gotten smashed up a little more after I left last night… maybe run over a couple times.”

“Kinda figured there might be a tragic accident,” he said with a straight face. “I’ll pick one up.”

“What about the pictures?” I asked. “Where else do you have them?”

“They were backed up on my laptop,” Hunter said. He caught and held my gaze. “I erased all but one last night. Secure erased, overwritten on the hard drive. Nobody will be able to get to them now.”

I considered, wondering if he was telling the truth.

“I don’t know whether to believe you. And what’s this ‘all but one’ bullshit?”

Hunter glanced down at the pavement.

“I kept it,” he admitted. “My favorite. I figured if you’re dumping my ass, I wanted something to remember you by. As for believing me, I guess the only way to get there is for you to give me another chance. Give me a shot, Em. No more lies. We both know there’s shit I can’t tell you—”

I cut him off, holding up a hand.

“Club stuff wasn’t part of this,” I said. “And you know that I know better, so don’t try to use it as an excuse.”

He sighed, leaning back against his truck, hands in his pockets. I tried to think, figure out what to do.

“You can drive me home,” I said slowly. “But you’re not staying with me, and this isn’t me saying we’re back together. I need time to think things through, decide if you’re worth the risk. I won’t be with someone I can’t trust.”