“Do I sense some kind of tension between you two?” Knight asked, his voice too loud for him not to have meant for me to hear. “You two had a lover’s spat or something?”
“Just thinking it was a stupid thing to get involved, like you said.”
Tears prickled my eyes, and my chest constricted so tight it hurt.What happened to not regretting us? I was tempted to stay to hear more, but I hurried to our bedroom and stared at the bed where we’d made love, where I’d lain in his arms, and we’d whispered about our lives until the wee hours of the night.
The bedroom door opened, and Hunter walked in. He passed by me to the closet and grabbed our two bags.
“Start packing. I’d like to be as far away from this place as possible.”
“Daddy, can—”
“Don’t call me that.”
“But I’m—”
“Not here.” He dropped the bag on the bed and retrieved a handful of folded shirts from the dresser. “This is not the time nor the place, but when we’re alone, you’re going to tell me everything. And so help me god if you keep withholding information from me.”
***
The ride to Cross Keys in the back of Knight’s car was hell. Hunter rode up front beside the other man, and they didn’t include me in their conversation. Not that I had anything to say, and I’d rather be silent anyway, but Hunter’s behavior was all wrong. He didn’t so much as look at me, let alone ask me if I was okay as I’d grown accustomed to him doing, even when I was fine. It was like I didn’t exist and the world only had space for him and Knight.
What was Hunter telling him? Agent Knight was always so uptight with everyone else, but with Hunter, he became softer, and I didn’t like that one bit. He had even placed a hand on Hunter’s thigh. And why didn’t Hunter push it off?
We were almost at Hunter’s house now. Then we would be rid of Knight, and everything would get back to normal between Hunter and me. Right?
“Listen, we’re beefing up the security at your place,” Knight said to him. “How about you don’t try to play the hero and get yourself killed trying to protect him?”
“Just doing my job.”
Hunter’s words had been digging into my skin since last night. Every rejection, every time he ignored me, and for every second he tolerated Agent Knight’s hand on his thigh, I died a little more inside.
“Just be smart about it. I don’t want anything happening to you on my watch. Or anyone’s watch, for that matter.”
Agent Knight’s eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, and he had a cocky smirk on his face. He knew I’d messed up somehow, and he was taking advantage of it to get closer to Hunter.
“I’ve been doing this for over twenty-five years, Knight.”
“I get that, but if you need a friend, call me, okay?”
I couldn’t take a moment longer of Hunter playing along with Knight’s flirting. As soon as the car stopped, I flung the door open and stomped my way up to the porch. Someone had cleaned it, erasing all evidence of Ellis’s death. I growled in frustration, my eyes stinging with tears when I tried the doorknob, but it was locked.
Every minute Hunter spent in the car talking to Knight while I waited, my anger grew. It was almost as if he was punishing me. I refused to look back at them to check if he was allowing Knight to kiss him again. If he no longer cared, then I wouldn’t either. He was supposed to love me in good times and bad times. I’d thought he would, but apparently, I was mistaken.
A car door slammed, and footsteps crunched on the gravel.
“See you at eight,” Knight yelled. I squared my shoulders.
What was happening at eight?
Hunter dropped our bags and unlocked the door. I barreled inside and started for the stairs but changed course to the living room. I grabbed the pictures of him and his wife. I could only fight one person at a time, and now I had Knight to deal with. His dead wife shouldn’t even be in the equation anymore. Why did he still have her photos?
I threw the first photo at the wall, shattering the glass.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
“What is she still doing here?” I shrieked and hurtled the next photo at the wall.
“Cosmo!” he roared. “Put the photos down. This isn’t about her.”