The Hunter's Angel

Need You

"So, like, does that mean you're basically loaded?" 

I lowered my face into my hands as Kat asked Hunter yet another painful question—like she had been doing from the moment I had explained everything to her and Liam. 

Hunter's gaze shone with amusement at her question, and I could have sworn that he had been enjoying this conversation far more than he should have. 

Liam sighed. "Kat—" 

"What?" Kat exclaimed. "I heard it's a thing—that mafia guys are like totally rich." 

For God's sake. 

"Kat, we've been over this three times. Hunter is not in the mafia. He inherited a criminal organization from his father, which has no affiliation whatsoever with anything mob-related." 

Kat rolled her eyes. "Okay, whatever. Just wanted to know if my girl was getting that bag." 

This time, Hunter choked on a laugh, and I shook my head, unable to help the grin that pulled at my face. "Thank you, Kat, for your concern." 

Liam chuckled beside me, and Kat sent me a wink across the counter. 

God, this conversation had gone so much differently than I had expected. 

I had never seen two people go through so many emotions—shock and surprise when I first explained who Hunter was and what had really happened that night after the club, followed by sympathy and distress as I retraced everything we had gone through. 

Accompanied by a boatload of curiosity and intrigue from Kat. 

The latter shouldn't have been surprising, but it was certainly refreshing to see that the two of them were taking things shockingly well. 

Sure, it took them a while to fully process everything, and a hell of a lot of questions they needed answered, but by the time I was finished, Kat and Liam had been surprisingly...accepting. 

And emotional. The two of them had been brought to tears when I revealed that I was taken a few nights ago, and, as I explained how close I had come to death before Hunter saved me, I had nearly been in tears myself. 

There had been a great deal of hugging and soothing words shared throughout the conversation, and, as it came to an end, all I felt was a great surge of relief—as though I had finally broken down the final barrier in my life. 

I felt like I could finally breathe, knowing I no longer had to hide from them. I no longer had to keep any walls up or hide any part of myself. 

"Thank you for opening up to us," Liam spoke. "I know how hard it must have been, and it means a lot that you trusted us enough to tell us the truth. Both of you," he professed, nodding towards Hunter. 

Hunter nodded in response. "Thank you both for taking it so well. I know it's not an easy thing to process." 

Kat shifted her gaze to Hunter, her face taking on a more solemn expression. "Thank you for saving our girl." 

"Always," Hunter voiced, the word falling off his lips like he didn't even need to give it a thought. 

There went my heart again, swelling inside my chest.  

"But if you ever break her heart again," Kat said slowly, "I'll round up the actual mafia to take you down." 

I choked on the sip of coffee I had been taking, causing Liam to burst into laughter beside me. 

Hunter's eyes flashed with laughter, and he cleared his throat slowly. "Noted." 

Kat eyed him for a moment and then slowly nodded, as though she had approved of his response.