“Dare I ask what she did with all that money?” His voice vibrated with irritation on Elle’s behalf. “Clearly she’s done nothing to help you or the business.”
“No,” she agreed, fiddling with the fork on her plate. “As far as I know, she spent all of it on herself and her daughters. Nice cars, over-the-top expensive jewelry, designer clothes and accessories, lavish trips for her, Gwen, and Claire.” God, the purchases had been endless, as well as frivolous. “Considering how she keeps taking whatever she can from the company financially, I’m assuming what she received from my father’s life insurance policy is gone.”
“Selfish bitch,” Hunter said unapologetically, his jaw clenched in anger. “She’s off living an extravagant lifestyle she can’t really afford, while you’re working your ass off to make sure you don’t lose the company.”
Yep, pretty much. “The business means everything to me.” Emotionally, Darian Commercial Realty kept her connected to her mother and father and losing it would devastate her. “I think your idea of selling the house and using the equity to work out an agreement with Helena that would allow me to buy out her part of the company is a really good one.” In fact, the more Elle thought about it, the more she believed that could be her answer to ultimately saving the business and her walking away as sole owner, as it originally should have been.
“I have connections to good, reputable lawyers who can steer you in the right direction with all this, and I can help you though the process and at least be someone you can talk to or bounce ideas off of.”
Her heart swelled in her chest at this man’s kindness and caring. Reaching out, she placed her hand on his cheek, just to have that momentary connection with him. “Thank you, but this isn’t your problem to deal with. Trust me, you don’t want to involve yourself in this mess. It’s far more drama than anyone should have to deal with.”
“Including you,” he pointed out adamantly.
Unfortunately, Elle didn’t have any other options but to somehow figure out a way to reconcile the situation with Helena, the house, and the business, whereas Hunter did have a choice in sticking around. Elle wasn’t sure that Hunter’s patience could withstand all the issues she needed to deal with in her life . . . which could take a few weeks if things went well, or a few months, or possibly more than a year if Helena made things difficult, which she always did. Until the situation with her stepmother was resolved, Elle’s attention would be diverted elsewhere, and as she’d learned from experience, he’d get tired of waiting around and being put second to her problems, and that just wasn’t fair to a good, decent man like Hunter.
Hunter took the hand that was resting on his cheek and brought her palm to his mouth, placing a warm, tender kiss in the center, his golden gaze resolute. “Here’s what you need to know,” he said, weaving their fingers together and setting their joined hands on his lap. “You’re not dealing with this alone. I’m not giving up on you, Elle.”
She swallowed hard, battling back the desire to accept what he was offering, to lean on him, to share this burden that was slowly sucking the life out of her. But she knew better. “You’ll get tired of waiting,” she said softly. “I’ve been in this position before.”
“Explain.”
The one word was like an order, and she wanted to laugh, but she was too filled with sadness to enjoy that authoritative quirk of his. “Benjamin, the
guy I had been dating for two years before my father passed away, couldn’t handle all the crap with Helena once my dad was gone. My long hours at the office, hardly ever seeing me, and all the issues with my stepmother. So, he walked away when I needed him the most.”
Hunter swore beneath his breath. “He was clearly an asshole who didn’t deserve you.”
She’d since come to the same conclusion and agreed with Hunter’s assessment, but he was missing the point she was trying to make. “What I’m trying to say is that even after I was in a serious relationship with Benjamin for two years, he couldn’t handle the upheaval in my life, which is still happening. You and I haven’t even hit the serious part of whatever this is between us.”
“Yes, we have,” he replied in an even, matter-of-fact tone as he leaned toward her and kissed her on the cheek. “You just haven’t realized it yet, but you will.”
Chapter 13
After breakfast, Hunter drove Elle back to Darian Commercial Realty, where she’d left her car the evening before. The drive to her workplace was quiet, and he didn’t push Elle for conversation. That aside, he’d already said everything he could to make her believe he was sticking around and he wasn’t letting her go without a serious fight. He knew she was skeptical of his promises for all the reasons she’d told him this morning, but he was more than prepared to prove that he was a man of his word and he’d meant everything he’d said to her.
While every other woman in between Natalie’s death and meeting Elle had been nothing more than brief, mindless diversions, there was no question in his mind or his heart that what he felt for Elle was the real deal. He’d known that first night when he’d met her that she was special, and his feelings for her had only grown stronger. Life had somehow offered him a second chance, and he wasn’t about to fuck it up. Whatever it took, whatever Elle needed, he’d be around for her. And once she resolved her issues with Helena, then he could focus on what he wanted for their future.
Arriving at the company, he parked his car next to hers, which she pointed out for him—not that there were that many vehicles in the lot so early on a Saturday morning. She unbuckled her seat belt, grabbed her purse and the crystal shoe he’d given back to her, then looked at him, a forced smile on her face, which he fucking hated. He now understood her reasons for being so reluctant about them, but this distance she was attempting to put between them was killing him.
“Take care, Hunter,” she said, the words sounding so . . . final.
His hands tightened on the steering wheel to keep from hauling her over to his side of the car and kissing her senseless. There was a time and place for him to be a possessive caveman, but he knew this wasn’t it. Instead, he calmly stated his intentions, despite her trying to brush him off or make what she felt was a clean break.
“This isn’t goodbye, sweetheart. Right now, I’m just letting you do what you feel you need to get done on a Saturday, but I will talk to you later, and I will see you again, okay?”
“Sure,” she said, clearly saying what she thought he wanted to hear.
She slid out of his car and he let her go to give her space. He made sure she was safely locked into her own vehicle and watched as she pulled out of the parking lot to head home for her own shower and a change of clothes before returning to work for the day.
Hunter exhaled a deep breath as he drove back to his place, mulling over the conversation he’d had with Elle this morning about the business, the house, and Helena. Bits and pieces of what she’d told him hadn’t set well with Hunter; it was a niggling feeling he couldn’t fully pinpoint, nor was he willing to ignore his gut instinct, either. Something about the predicament with Helena just felt . . . off. While Elle was far too trusting, being a shrewd businessman had taught Hunter that if a situation didn’t feel right, it usually wasn’t, and Hunter wanted and needed reassurance that Elle’s issues with Helena weren’t more complicated than she naively believed.
As soon as he parked his car in the underground structure of the building where he, Maddux, and Tempest lived above the offices of MadX-Tech, he reached for his cell phone and typed out a text to his brother, who’d employed some of the best, most ruthless investigators over the years to give him regular updates on Theodore’s every move. Their practices might have been a bit unethical in unearthing information, but Hunter wasn’t looking for a basic background check on Helena Darian. He wanted the nitty-gritty dirt on the woman.
Are you around and free to discuss something I need your help with? Hunter asked Maddux, then sent the message. The last thing he wanted was to barge in on his brother and Arabella doing anything he couldn’t unsee.
Maddux’s reply came back quickly. Of course. I’m in my penthouse office. Come on up.
Five minutes later, Hunter stepped off the elevator into his brother’s apartment. The living room and kitchen area were quiet and empty when he’d expected to see Arabella, so he headed directly to Maddux’s office. The door was open, and he walked inside. His brother was by himself, sitting behind his desk and typing on his laptop, looking surprisingly well despite being shot in the shoulder over a week ago. Then again, there wasn’t much that could keep his big, strapping brother out of commission.