Bound for Me (Be for Me #4)(34)

“You’re checking up on her.” Hunter’s eyes were on the phone Connor still held.

“If she answered her texts, I would be.” Connor frowned. “Keep the enemy close, right?”

I think you need to talk to her.” Hunter replied.

Connor put his phone on his desk and tried not to stare at the screen like an obsessed gameboy. “You’re going home?”

“Detouring a couple places first.” The tall man sat down in the chair opposite Connor’s desk. “I saw Dani when I was in Manhattan.”

Connor grimaced at the mention of his wayward younger sister. “She having a nice vacation?”

She’d left the morning after Rex’s big retirement celebration the previous week. Left Connor fuming.

“She’s getting a job,” Hunter said.

Of course she was. Because she was quitting the course she’d been working so hard for so long on. “Logan’s letting her?”

“She’s staying with Rocco.”

Connor heard the slight edge in Hunter’s words but was back watching his phone, wishing it would light up with a message. “With Roc? Because Logan’s busy with Min?” He glanced up when Hunter remained silent. “In Roc’s hotel, right?”

As impossible as it seemed, Hunter’s eyes seemed even more watchful.

“In his room.” Hunter finally answered.

In his bed?

A stunned feeling washed through Connor… and then? A weird sense of recognition. He sat back in his chair and rubbed his hand over his face.

Dani and Rocco?

Memories flashed—his sister all grown-up and glamorous at the Summerhill celebration a little over a week ago. His sister who’d tried to tell him so many times she hated what she was studying, that she wanted to make her own choices, not follow their father’s. And Connor had been too distracted to listen.

And then Rocco, who’d been abandoned by his family and embraced by Connor and Logan. Rocco who’d always stayed silent when Connor complained about his sister because she’d run away again. Rocco who’d never so much as looked at Dani. Or perhaps, not when anyone else was looking.

Rocco who’d been so alone for so long. And Dani, the sister who’d spent all her energy in recent years running away.

“Great.” Connor inhaled deeply, picked up his phone and checked to see no reply had landed from Savannah.

“Great?” Hunter echoed.

“Yep. Great.” Connor said. “They better know what they’re doing, that’s all.”

Hunter cracked a rare smile. “I think she does. She knows what she wants and now she has it she’s not going to give it up.”

So you might as well accept it.

“Good for her.” Connor wasn’t jerk enough to think his kid sister wasn’t gonna grow up and have a sex life sooner or later. And he wasn’t gonna stand in her way. Rocco was a good guy and if Connor had had any damn idea it was on the cards he’d have given them his blessing the other night.

Not that either of them needed it.

“I’ll tell her you said hi,” Hunter said. “She’ll be stunned.”

Connor nodded, distractedly typing out another text.

“Savannah’s not answering?”

Connor shook his head.

How the hell Hunter knew every goddamn thing, Connor would never know. But he trusted him. Knew he could keep secrets. All kinds of secrets. Ugly ones. And good ones too.

“You’re gonna go check on her.” It wasn’t a question.

Connor stood. “You’re on a case?”

“Personal. Yeah.”

“The barista from the pop-up pizza place?” Hunter wasn’t the only one who knew some things. Connor’s cousin Xander had told him about the way Hunter had been eyeing Xander’s girlfriend’s employee.

Hunter didn’t confirm or deny. Which was answer enough.

“It’s not like you to chase.” Connor frowned. For Hunter to have to chase. He had short flings. Almost Logan-pre-fiancée short. No swapping of anything intimate.

“I’ve managed to scare her off.” Hunter walked with him to the door.

“Can’t think how you’ve done that,” Connor said dryly.

“You take care,” Hunter warned.

“Because of Savannah?” Connor laughed grimly, staring down at his silent phone. “There’s nothing she can do to hurt me.”

Hunter said nothing.

Connor rolled his eyes. “Seriously. I’ve got this.”

“I’m not worried about what she might do, but what you might do.”

“Meaning?”

“This isn’t like you. You’re usually more cautious.”

“Cautious?”

“Conservative. You never fool around. Never take risks like that.”

Like what—f*cking the enemy in the back seat of his car? “Am I a coward then? Boring?”

Hunter looked wary. “Connor, if you want me to stick around a couple days—”

“Thanks but you finally got a lead on your coffee queen. And I got this. I have nothing to hide. I’ve never done anything outside the law. Nor has Rex.”

“Doesn’t mean he’s not a bastard.”