Page 50 of Hunted

Gunn flicked her a sideways glance. “Dobe saved his life that day, which is why Sanchez took it personally when you almost killed him. Pack saved the town. Hawk and Ariana lived happily ever after. Another fucking fairy tale.”

He sounded bitter, and her heart went out to him. Hawk got a forever mate, and Gunn got a pack that didn’t want him, and a responsibility he’d never asked for.

“So that’s where you went,” she said. “Hawk called you in, didn’t he, when he knew the cartel was coming.”

“Yeah.”

“So you were planning to come back to me, when it was over.”

“I told you I was. Last night.”

“Yeah, you did.” But she still hadn’t been sure, deep down, whether to believe him. She’d never really believed in him, she realized. Not the way a person should believe in their mate.

She reached over and rested her hand on his thigh. “I’m sorry,” she said. “For what you went through, and for doubting you. I should have believed in you.”

They were passing by a road house, closed this early on a Sunday. Gunn pulled off into the empty parking lot and put the Lexus in Park. For a minute he just sat there.

“You okay?” Mikey asked. “Shit. What’s wrong? What did I say?”

He clenched his jaw, fighting back his emotions. She’d never talked to him like that before. They’d sparred, argued, laughed, teased, fucked like crazy. Robbed a safe, had each other’s backs. Even talked about the future.

But she’d never just offered that simple, sincere support. Something that hit right to his core, like a rock you could stand on.

A rock you could build something on.

But he sucked with words, and he didn’t know how to explain it to her. He just put his hand over hers and met her eyes. “It wasn’t your fault,” he said. “I dumped you and disappeared. What were you supposed to think? But even so, I guess… I just really needed to hear that.”

It took them all day to get to Chicago, especially because they had to keep getting off the highway to avoid tolls.

Tollbooths had cameras, and they were trying to stay off the grid as long as possible.

They also had to change vehicles a couple more times, and steal a couple of license plates to confuse things. It all took time.

About an hour out, Michelangela got a text from Remy.

Swiss Douchebag ready, documents in your cloud account

Sending hard copy ID by courier to the apartment

Damien says it’s vacant, and you can stop by and get your stuff any time

“Good news,” she said to Gunn. “We got the apartment. It’s perfect—no one can connect the name on the lease to me.”

At this point, Jaeda took over Remy’s phone.

Are you sure you’re ok?

Do you need to talk?

I know you need to talk

Michelangela texted back: I’m fine. Pinky swear

Jaeda: Huh. I’ve heard that before

Don’t decide not to kill anyone without talking to me first

Mikey: Ok as long as you and Remy don’t kill him without talking to *me* first