<b>Chapter </b><b>133 </b>


    -HUNTER’S POV-


    The sight of that bastard’s hand on Celine’s shoulder sent molten rage coursing through my veins like poison.


    My reasonable mind….what little remained of it…screamed that I should ask if she was okay.


    I should find out what had happened, why she had been rushed to the hospital, whether she was hurt or in pain.


    Vincent’s voice echoed somewhere in the back of my skull, reminding me that Celine must have had reasons for leaving


    Reasons?


    What fucking reasons could justify this? Justify her running away with my son, taking my mother’s blood money, and apparently throwing


    herself into the arms of the First man who showed her attention<b>? </b>


    The stranger’s fingers were still curved protectively around her shoulder, and something primal and violent twisted in my chest.


    She was mine. Caesar was mine. This picture–perfect moment of domestic bliss they <b>had </b>created was built on lies and betrayal.


    But I pres


    “Let’s go, Celine.” My voice came out harder than I’d intended, but I was beyond caring about tone or tactfulness.


    I shifted Caesar’s sleeping weight in my arms and reached for her, my fingers closing <b>around </b>her wrist like <b>a </b>vise.


    She felt so small, so fragile under my grip, but the softness of her skin <b>only </b>fueled my anger. How dare she feel familiar when she had ripped


    our family apart!


    “No,” she gasped, trying to pull away from me. “Hunter, I don’t want to go back.”


    Her words hit me like physical blows.


    She didn’t want toe home.


    She preferred this…this shabby motel, this stranger, this pathetic excuse for a life over what we had had together.


    Tignored her protests and started moving toward the door, dragging her along despite her resistance.


    <b>Caesar’s </b>head lolled against my shoulder,pletely <b>unaware </b>to the storm raging <b>around </b>him. At least my son would be safe.


    At least I could give him the solidity and love he deserved.


    But with every step, Celine fought me harder, her heels digging into the cheap carpet, her free hand scrabbling for purchase on anything that


    might slow our progress.


    Her desperation only made me more furious. Why was she fighting so hard to stay? What had this stranger offered her that I couldn’t<b>? </b>


    “Hey.” The man’s voice cut through the tension like a de. “Thedy doesn’t want to go. <b>You </b>shouldn’t force <b>her</b><b>.</b>”


    I <b>stopped </b>dead in the hallway, my grip on Celine’s wrist tightening until she flinched.


    The audacity of this piece of shit–to insert himself into my family, to act like he had any right to an opinion about what happened between me and my woman.


    “Fuck off,” I snarled without turning around. “Stay away from things you know nothing about”


    <b>1/4 </b>


    But he didn’t back down.


    Of course he didn’t.


    Men like him–smooth talkers with their fake concern and hereplexes they never knew when to quit.


    “Look, I know I shouldn’t get involved,” he said, raising his hands in a


    e of surrender that fooled no one.


    “But I can’t turn a blind eye here. It’s obvious she doesn’t want to go with you. And she just got back from the hospital….”


    “Don’t.” The word came out as a growl. “Don’t you dare use that against me.”


    He


    e was trying to make me look like the viin, using Celine’s medical emergency to paint himself as the caring protector and me as the monster.


    But where had I been when she had copsed? Where had I been when she had needed me most<b>? </b>


    Driving myself insane looking for them, that’s where. While this stranger had been ying house with my family.


    “What the hell do you think you know about what she wants!” I turned to face him fully, Caesar’s weight solid and grounding in my arms.


    “You think spending one day with her makes you an expert on her feelings? On what’s best for her?”


    Those er


    green eyes of his so earnest, so fucking righteous–never wavered. “I think anyone can see….


    “ncey, please.” Celine’s voice was barely above a whisper, but it cut through our standoff like <b>a </b>gunshot.


    “Please don’t get involved. I… thank you for everything you’ve done for us. If we ever meet again, I’ll find <b>a </b>way to repay you.”


    If we


    ve ever meet again.


    The casual way she said it, like she was already nning future meets with this man, sent a fresh wave of rage crashing over me.


    I yanked her closer to my side, <b>noting </b>with savage satisfaction how she stumbled slightly.


    We made our way through the lobby in tense silence.


    The bleached–blonde receptionist watched <b>our </b>little parade with <b>obvious </b>interest, her cigarette dangling from her lips, but she had enough sense to keep her mouth shut


    The parking lot felt like a battlefield under the flickering neon lights.


    My Ferrari sat gleaming among the rust–buckets and broken dreams, a reminder of the world I could offer her–should have been offering her


    all along.


    “Hunter.” Celine’s voice was small, defeated. “Hunter, please…”


    “What?” I spun to face h


    her, the single word exploding from my chest like a gunsho


    She flinched backward, genuine fear flickering in those brown eyes that had once looked at me with such warmth.


    The sight of it made something twist painfully in my gut, but I shoved the feeling down. She had brought this on herself.


    Her fear was nothingpared to the agony she <b>had </b>put me through.


    “What is it, Celine?” I demanded again, my voice only slightly less harsh.


    <b>2/4 </b>


    <b>97</b><b>% </b>


    Her gaze dropped to where my fingers were still wrapped around her wrist, and I followed her line of sight.


    My knuckles were white with the force of my grip, and her skin looked pale and delicate against my darker hand.


    “You’re hurting me,” she whispered.


    The words hit me !


    me like a physical blow,


    I released her immediately, watching as she cradled her wrist against her chest and turned away from me. Even in the artificial glow of the motel’s lights, even after everything that had happened, she was breathtaking


    The way her hair caught the neon pink<b>, </b>the curve of her neck, the stubborn set of her shoulders everything about her called to something deep and desperate in my chest.


    I wanted to pull her into my arms.


    I wanted to bury my face in her hair and breathe her in until the fear <b>and </b>anger and betrayal all faded away.


    I wanted to whisper apologies and promises and sweet words until that scared look left her eyes.


    Instead, I focused on Caesar, carefully settling his sleeping form into the Ferrari’s backseat. His face was peaceful, unmarked by the chaos <fn0478> Discover more novels at find{n}ovel</fn0478>


    surrounding him.


    At least one of us could find some peace in this nightmare.


    “What about our things?” Celine <b>asked </b>quietly, still not looking at me.


    “I’ll pay someone to collect them.” I didn’t trust myself to look at her either.


    The pull between us was still there…stronger than ever, if I was being honest….and I couldn’t afford to let it cloud my judgment again.


    I moved to the passenger side and opened the door, the soft click unnaturally loud in the night <b>air</b>.


    “Get in, Celine”


    She hesitated, still rubbing her wrist where I had gripped her too tightly. The sight of that unconscious gesture made my chest ache with something that might have been regret.


    “Get in,” repeated, my voice carefully controlled. “And <b>trust </b>me….I won’t ask <b>a </b>second time.”


    The threat hung between us like smoke, heavy and suffocating. I watched her face in the reflection of the car window, saw the moment she


    realized she had no choice.


    Her shoulders sagged in defeat, and she slid into the passenger seat without another word.


    As closed the door behind her, I caught a glimpse of the stranger–<b>ncey</b>–still standing in the motel doorway.


    His hands were shoved deep in his pockets, his face creased with concern as he watched us prepare to leave.


    Let him watch. Let him see exactly who Celine belonged to.


    I walked around to the driver’s side with deliberate slowness, making <b>sure </b>he got a good look at the car, at the expensive clothes, at everything I could offer that he couldn’t.


    Then I slid behind the wheel and started the engine, the Ferrari’s purr drowning out whatever protests he might have been mak


    10:21 Wed, 6 Aug


    Celine sat stiff in the passenger seat, her hands folded tightly in herp, her gaze fixed on something beyond the windshield.


    She looked like a prisoner being led to execution, and theparison made my stomach chum.


    This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Finding them was supposed to lix everything, supposed to bring us back together as a family,


    Instead, I felt like I was driving away y with two beautiful strangers who wanted nothing to do with me.


    But they were mine.


    Whatever had happened, whatever had driven her to run, whatever promises that smooth–talking bastard had made her… none of it


    mattered now.


    Thad them back, and I wasn’t letting go again.


    Even if it killed us all.


    Comment