Hunter

Chapter Forty Four

Kenzie ~

Standing outside the door of the interrogation room, Kenzie sucked in a breath and pushed it out.

"Remember everything we talked about?" Hunter asked firmly.

"Yes."

"You're in charge. You decide how long he gets to talk to you. If he says or does anything that makes you uncomfortable or upset. You just say the word. I'm right outside."

"I know." She said with a smile.

It was obvious that Hunter was worried about her emotional state and the fact that he had very little control over that when he was out of the room. But this was something she had to do by herself. Banks might hold back or act differently with Hunter in the room and Hunter seemed to understand that.

Hearing the lock disengage, Kenzie pushed the door open and saw Banks sitting at a table with one hand cuffed to it.

Hunter silently brushed past Banks and gave the chain of his cuffs a harsh pull. He double checked Banks' restraints with a deep scowl on his face before giving Kenzie a kiss on the head as he left the room.

Banks sat up a little straighter and his eyes lit up at the sight of Kenzie. He looked nervous, but the excited kind of nervous that reminded Kenzie how endearing her brother was.

"I'm glad you decided to see me Kenz." Banks said with a genuine smile that she thought at one point she'd never see again. 

Kenzie closed her eyes for a second, letting her aching heart catch up with her senses.

I never thought I'd hear that voice again.

"Do you think you could ever forgive me Kenzie?" He asked with pain in his eyes that put a lump in Kenzie's throat.

"Im going to try to. But I don't trust you...not yet anyway."

"I can work with that." Banks said with a little bit of hope in his voice.

An uncomfortable silence fell over them. There was so much pain that room and Kenzie shifted in her seat at the uneasy feeling.

"Banks...I died with you...when dad called to tell me you had been killed in action...I thought my heart was going to stop beating."

Tears pooled in Banks eyes, but he refused to let them fall as he listened to his little sister.

"Did you know? When you talked to me before you left on that mission. Did you know that was going to be the last conversation we were going to have?"

"Yes." Banks admitted.

"I knew it. I could feel it."

"Kenzie, I can't tell you how sorry I am. I know it doesn't make it any better, but it tore me apart to lie to you the way that I did. To know you were hurting a scared, running and hiding on your own with no one to turn to. But I checked on you every day Kenzie...every damn day."

"What do you mean you checked on me?" She asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"When you left with those drives Kenzie, we had you tracked. Dad knew where you were and was going to..."

"Kill me." Kenzie finished his sentence for him so he didn't have to say the words.

"I couldn't let that happen. So I cut a deal with dad. Life of servitude as long as you remained safe."

"So what happened? He just changed his mind and decided to come after me?"

Banks let out a sigh and shook his head.