Hunter

Chapter Thirty Four

Hunter ~

Kenzie slept for a few hours, giving Hunter time to strategize while she dozed. There were so many moving parts, so many things to consider and try to predict, but the most difficult part of all of it was Kenzie's emotions.

Hunter knew how to get information. He knew how to read people or even interrogate them to pull information from them, but he had to consider Kenzie's need to hear Banks' reasoning behind why he was there. He had to consider what she would want to do once Banks confessed why he'd gone along with his fathers lies. 

Would she forgive him and welcome him as if he didn't work for the most morally corrupt mercenary on U.S. soil? Would she punish him for his betrayal and turn her back on him for good?

Letting out a sigh, Hunter tried to run through the endless scenarios one by one, coming up with a plan for each as he tried to predict how Kenzie would react based on what Banks had to say.

There's got to be more of the story. Miles wouldn't threaten to kill his own flesh and blood for basic mission intel. It had to be something big, something damning that would put Miles and his men behind bars.

As much as Hunter wanted to call the shots and tell Kenzie exactly what she needed to do, he reminded himself that this wasn't a job and Kenzie wasn't a client. She had an emotional attachment to this situation and needed to be given the majority of the control while still keeping her safe.

Feeling Kenzie start to move and stretch next to him on the bed, Hunter pulled her close and held her, making sure she knew he was still there as she became fully awake and aware.

"Feel better?" Hunter said softly against her hair.

"Mmmhmm." she hummed, pressing her back against Hunter.

She reached up and ran her fingers along the black beads of the bracelet she had given him, causing him to instinctively slide it off of his wrist and on to hers.

"What do we do now?" She asked over her shoulder, wanting Hunter to take the lead so she didn't get overwhelmed.

Don't worry about a thing baby. I got you.

"Let's get some food in you first. Then we can talk about next steps with Banks." He said, watching her reaction carefully.

There was a lot of anxiety behind her eyes, but she seemed to tamp it down long enough to give him a small smile and nod her head in agreement before sitting up and fixing her hair.

Even with mussed hair and tear stained face, Kenzie was the most beautiful woman Hunter had ever seen. To be able to climb out of that bed with a smile on her face with so much warmth still intact was something Hunter had never witnessed before.

After fixing her hair and make-up Kenzie emerged from the bathroom with a light hearted smile. She was still her sweet self despite the bomb that had just been dropped on her. The only visible difference to Kenzie's demeanor was the instant she left the bathroom, she immediately reached for Hunter's hand, needing some physical reassurance that he was there to protect her and that she was safe.

Feeling emotions he'd never felt before, Hunter pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her small knuckles one by one, keeping her fingers laced in his. It was an intimate gesture that he would have given any of the guys shit about had he witnessed it a few months prior, but now he understood. There was a physical need to be near her and to touch her, not necessarily in a sexual way, but in a way that just made him feel alive.

"You ready?" He asked, loving the way his light kisses seemed to put Kenzie at ease.

"Born ready." She said, in a low forced voice, mimicking Marcus.