Hunter turned around as if to give me privacy. “Why do you think York is pretty scared?”
“Because he called you.” I tied the belt, stepped inside my dressing room, and closed the door. “York basically brought a bazooka to a water fight.”
Hunter turned around. “I like bazookas.”
“It’s still special coming from you.”
He pulled out my chair for me. “You should take the stalker seriously.”
“Of course, I am. It’s just you’re one of the big guys. You guard world leaders. I’m a model trying to get to supermodel status one picture at a time.”
“You’re already a supermodel to me. You’re just as important as my past clients. Even more. You know what I would do for you.”
“I do.” I swallowed.
An old high school memory flashed in my head.
I had no idea that Hunter would be coming to my high school’s cafeteria during lunch. Soothing a little broken heart, I’d been staring at my plate and making circles with noodles and red sauce.
The females in the cafeteria were the ones to alert me of Hunter’s entrance. Whispers rose. Someone whistled.
I looked up and saw Hunter stomping toward me. “Hunter?”
And then he passed my way as if he hadn’t seen me at all.
“Hunter?” I rose and followed him, realizing that Hunter had not been going my way. He’d been heading for the football table.
“Oh shit!” I hurried. “No! Hunter, please don’t.”
Hunter grabbed Justin, the school quarterback and my cheating ex-boyfriend. In a blur, Hunter punched him. Justin fell to the floor.
The cafeteria went crazy. Kids jumped on top of tables. Football players, who would have usually joined in a fight, slipped out of the area as Hunter slammed Justin against the brick wall.
Hunter growled. “Tell Zola you’re sorry.”
Spit fell from Justin’s lips. His shirt was ripped at the collar, and a large bump had already formed on his bottom lip. “I-I’m sorry. Z-zola.”
Hunter growled again. “That was her friend you kissed.”
Someone yelled out, “Oh shit! Justin cheated on Zola.”
A girl shook her head on my right and snapped her fingers. “I knew he wasn’t shit.”
I thought Hunter would let Justin go, but he slung Justin to the ground and kicked him in the stomach again and again. The crowd roared. A few girls shrieked.
Screaming, I ran to Hunter and grabbed his waist, trying to pull him back. “Please! He’s sorry! He’s sorry!”
Blood spilled from Justin’s mouth. He wagged his arms back and forth, but it didn’t appear like he knew where he was or what was going on.
Hunter opened his mouth in shock as if he’d left his head and had just returned. “Fuck.”
My hands shook, but I wouldn’t let go of his waist. “He’s sorry, Hunter. He really is.”
“You still care for him?”
“Not anymore, and you’ve got to get out of here!”
“I will.” He walked off.
I grabbed my books and followed. For one, I didn’t want to be in school that day anyway. Second, once Mom got off work, she would kill us both. We might as well enjoy the day while we could.
Hunter headed to the parking lot and glanced over his shoulder at me.
I shrugged. “I’m going with you.”
“Fine.”
“Mom’s going to go crazy when—”
“She won’t. Who do you think told me? I had to rush here before she did.” He pulled out Mom’s car keys and waved them at me. “I took her keys, so she wouldn’t go anywhere.”
“How the hell did she find out?”
“York read some email from your computer.”
“Jesus. All of you are crazy!”
“Just understand this.” He opened the door for me and scowled. “Be goddamn careful who you give your heart to.”
I widened my eyes.
“Because the next guy that hurts you, I’ll kill him.” He shut the door.
And that was the end of conversation.
I gazed at the new Hunter that stood in front of me.
He was not like most men—he took no orders or suggestions, unless they were from Mom. Other than that, he ruled his own world with an iron fist, never letting anybody too close.
His beauty wielded power. Hunter’s face opened doors when people should’ve locked them. It said angel, instead of demon. Love, instead of hate. Fixed, instead of broken. His gorgeousness hid the darkness inside him. It was all a mirage in many ways. An illusion. His face was everything and nothing at all.
Basically, he knew how to dominate a room and disappear in the same space within seconds.
“So…” I tried to gather my thoughts. “How are you?”
You barely respond to my texts, and we haven’t talked in years. Are you not going to say something about it?!
Ignoring the question, Hunter sat in the other chair. “I fired your bodyguard, Rico.”
“What?”
“He’s a garbage bodyguard.”
I held out my hands. “Yeah. Probably next to you, but—”
“Did you know he had three ex-girlfriends put a restraining order on him?”
“What?” I blinked. “How do you know that?”
“My friend, Stark is looking into all the people who work around you.”