The Bounty Hunter

Chapter Seventeen

Lloyd knew he should've stopped her and kept her in sight but he was frozen to the spot, the door still wide open. The way she looked at him made chills shoot down his spine, and he put his hand up to his head. Her reaction to what he said shocked him and the way she calmly rested her head against his chest almost made him lose it. His feelings for her grew every day, and it didn't help that she was oblivious to them either. It only made it harder on him. Lloyd walked over to the double doors on the other side of his room and opened them, feeling the cool breeze blow past him. He walked onto the terrace and placed his hands on the railing, gazing out upon his estate. The breeze ruffled his shaggy hair as he watched the sun set. Lloyd's eyes drifted upwards towards the sky, a smirk playing on the corner of his mouth. She believed her brother was looking out for her. Lloyd lowered his head, his mind reeling if Kasey would end up trusting him. Now that I know what she's been through, I could help with her situation, and Hailey seems to be all for it too. Lloyd closed his eyes tightly as he recalled her story. What a horrible thing to endure. Anger had boiled up inside Lloyd as he sat there, listening to her gruesome story, and his hatred made him want to execute David on the spot. Lloyd's gaze drifted over to the cells, and he narrowed his eyes. Lloyd knew it wasn't his job to pass judgment, but right now, he didn't care. He turned and shut the doors to the terrace behind him, stomping out of his room. He made his way back downstairs into the living room and noticed Hailey was gone, probably already in her room for the night. Luke and Caleb were on their feet when Lloyd entered the room.

"Were you able to talk to her?" Lloyd looked at Luke, and he knew he couldn't hide his anger from his friends.

"Yeah, I spoke with her."

"You seem a bit put out," Caleb said. Lloyd sat down in an arm chair and put his hands together, his eyes staring off into space. Caleb and Luke exchanged glances, worry clouding their face. 

"She left some out," Lloyd said, breaking the silence.

"She did what?" Luke asked, his eyes widening.

"Kasey said Hailey needed to know the basics, not the details behind them. She said only what she thought Hailey needed to hear." Lloyd's voice was growing colder with every word. He couldn't blame Kasey; he was proud of her for telling the beginning.

"That's too much," Caleb says. "The poor girl was beaten practically all her life and you're telling me she didn't even tell half of it?"

"Yes," Lloyd said rubbing his temples. Luke shifted on his feet.

"I personally think it was a wise move on her part to stick with the basics." Lloyd slowly lifted his head up at Luke, a deadly glint in his eyes. Caleb raised an eyebrow, placing his hands on his hips. Luke smiled sadly at Lloyd's expression. "Let me explain," he said.

"That's what I'm waiting for," Lloyd said darkly.

"Think about it for a moment. Hailey was given a lot of information regarding what had happened to her sister, her brother and to her. Not to mention she's trying to get over the fact the person she knew as 'Dad' had murdered her brother, was going to make an attempt to rape her, and had brutally tortured her sister. Kasey had probably thought ahead and decided to just leave it at the basics, for Hailey's sake."

"When you put it that way it does make sense. But shouldn't Kasey at least tell us the truth?" Caleb asked rubbing his chin.

Lloyd sighed. "She doesn't trust us. She tolerates us, yes, but she doesn't trust us. I'm guessing the walk down memory lane took a toll on Kasey, seeing that she nearly broke down during it. I don't want to force her to relive all of those painful memories," Lloyd stated.

"I can give her some credit for actually telling it," said Luke, who started to move towards the front door. "I didn't expect her to start at the beginning. Well, I'm going to go check on him. He's one prisoner I don't want to escape."