Hunter (The Untouchables MC 6)

I blinked and the world went dark. Really, really dark. I held up my hand inches from my face and couldn't see even a trace of it.

"What the?"

I took a deep breath and remained calm.

Don't panic, Claire, it's just a blackout. This used to happen at least twice every summer. The timing definitely sucks, though.

Just then, a loud sound came from the kitchen. It sounded like someone falling. The whimper that followed set my heart racing.

"Gran!"

I was on my feet and running unerringly through the dark house. A soft blue light flashed from the living room. The ancient VCR must have some sort of battery in it. It was literally the only thing I could see in the whole place. Even the streetlights outside were out. The county had changed them from incandescent to LED lights a few years ago, and the pale blue tone was not only ugly, but now it was gone entirely.

How utterly useless.

"Gran?"

"I'm here. In the kitchen."

My heart thudded in my chest. Gran's voice sounded weak. I forced myself to stay calm, going into nurse mode. I crouched low, feeling around the room until I found Gran on the floor.

"Are you all right?"

"I think so. I just . . .” she paused as if she were afraid to worry me. “Well, I can't seem to stand up."

"Hold on, let me get a flashlight."

"There's one in the drawer next to the stove."

I rustled around for a few minutes before I felt my hand close around the plastic cylinder. I pressed the button, and thank the good Lord, it worked.

"Gran? Oh, God, Gran."

My grandmother was sprawled on the floor. Her face was twisted in pain, even though she was trying to hide it. I ran over to her and quickly did an examination, pressing along her bones and checking her pulse.

"Does this hurt? What about this?"

"No. No. Ow! Yes, there."

"Is it a burning pain or a sharp pain?"

"Sharp—ow!"

"Okay, that's good. I think it's a sprain. Nothing is broken, thank God, although we should get you an X-ray. You okay to get up? I'd like to have another look with you in the chair. Let me do the heavy lifting . . ."

I carefully eased Gran into the seat and examined her again. It was slow going, but we made it. I breathed a sigh of relief when she was settled. I didn’t think she was badly injured, but she could have a hairline fracture . . .

I sat back on my heels, thinking aloud.

"We can't go anywhere in this blackout. The roads won’t be safe.”

"We've been getting a lot of them lately."

“How many?”

“Four or five since July.”

I stared at her in the dim light of the flashlight. I was trying to figure out the best thing to do. Constant blackouts? I’d had no idea. I hated the thought that she'd been living like this and not telling me. I knew she hated to make me worry.

"How long do they usually last?"

"Anywhere from an hour to three days."

I chewed my lip. I couldn't drive around the city with Gran in the dark. It was dangerous. Not just because the traffic lights would be out. But blackouts increased crime, especially in a modest neighborhood like ours that bordered a rougher part of town. If it were just a sprain, she would most likely be all right after a few days, anyway.

But she was getting on in years . . . and there were things that I couldn’t catch. Internal bleeding. It was better to be safe than sorry.

But which choice was safer?

I would watch her like a hawk for the next couple of hours, I decided. It was safer to stay here unless I saw major bruising or her pain levels went up.

"Okay. Let's ice it for fifteen minutes. That's the magic number. Anything longer can make it worse. Then I'll wrap it and see if I can find some painkillers."

"I have headache pills.”

"Hmm . . . I'm not sure that's going to cut it. What about candles?"

"There should be some on the top shelf."

"Everything okay?"

A voice rumbled behind me. Someone was in the house. But I wasn’t afraid of the hulking shape in the darkness. I knew who it was. I turned to see Hunter standing in the doorway.

I couldn't help it. My heart leapt at the sight of him. The truth was, I had never been so glad to see anyone in my life.

He might look like a darkly handsome devil standing there in the shadows, but I knew the truth about him now. Hunter was more angel than devil. And weren’t we all a little bit of both?

Chapter Fourteen

Hunter

Damn, she was a sight for sore eyes. Claire looked beautiful, as usual. Even in the dark, her beauty shone out from those wickedly blue eyes of hers. But this time was different. She almost looked happy to see me.