After tossing and turning all night, unable to sleep soundly without Hunter beside her in bed, Greer crossed through the Civic Plaza lobby at 7:00 am sharp, clutching her purse under her arm and feeling the thick stack of cash inside.
This was not how she’d pictured spending the Thinkspace gallery money she’d earned in Los Angeles, but she wasn’t about to let her boyfriend rot in a jail cell until the courts decided what to do about the kidnapping charges.
As she crossed into the police station, Officer Geffen sipped coffee behind the front desk, but soon glanced up at her and began choking out an apology.
“Save it,” she said, setting her purse on the counter. “Just tell me how much it’ll cost to bail him out.”
“The chief really is sorry about this,” he insisted, typing into the computer system to find the exact amount. “He’s already asked the judge for a favor to get the charge expunged from Black’s record.”
She sighed. As angry as she was, she knew Maguire was doing everything he could and there was no sense holding a grudge when the people responsible for this entire mess had nothing to do with the precinct.
Geffen verbalized the cost of Hunter's bail, which knocked the wind right out of her.
“Why so high?” she asked, producing an envelope of cash from her purse.
Apologetically, he explained, “We have to take child abductions very seriously. It’s required by State.”
She tried not to snort a laugh at how ridiculous these charges were, as she forked over the entire envelope. “I can put the balance on my debit card,” she told him, handing her bankcard over as well. “Where are you holding him?”
“Give me a minute and I’ll walk you down,” he said, quickly counting the cash and noting the figure in the computer system. Next he ran her debit card, finalizing the transaction, and invited her to follow him through the police station.
When they reached the far corner of the room, he held the door open for her. She stepped into a stairwell and he mentioned, “One flight down.”
“The basement,” she surmised, padding down the stairs, which spilled onto a landing where another door stood.
He opened it for her and she entered the holding area. There were two rows of jail cells with a linoleum aisle in-between.
Though it was a bit dim for her taste, the holding area wasn’t overtly bleak and every cell was empty except for Hunter’s.
As she neared the bars, having followed Geffen down the aisle, Hunter sat up from the cot he'd been lying on and rubbed his eyes.
“What time is it?” he asked groggily, as the officer unlocked the cell, grabbed hold of the bars, and drew the door open.
“Early enough that you’ll have time to shower and eat before art class,” she said.
“So I can go?” he asked Geffen.
“Your bail has been posted,” the officer confirmed and Hunter immediately widened his eyes at Greer.
“Your Thinkspace money?”
“It’s fine,” she said, taking his arm. “Let’s get you out of here.” As they made their way to the stairwell, she glanced over her shoulder at Geffen and said, “Thanks,” but it sounded halfhearted.
When they reached their rental car, he complained, “Taking Jamie with us was so stupid,” and eased into the passenger’s seat.
As they drove off—Greer behind the steering wheel and Hunter beating himself up beside her—she tried to reassure him that it had been an innocent mistake, their hearts were in the right place, and that Chief Maguire was working hard to rectify the entire misunderstanding. But though she was doing everything she could to set his mind at ease, nothing she said was getting through to him.
She parked the Toyota in front of the Meadow View B&B and urged Hunter into the inn. He lumbered through the foyer and by the time they reached their room on the second floor, he looked downright exhausted.
“I can handle the kids for the morning if you want to stay and sleep,” she offered, closing the door as he fell onto the bed. “It’s no problem.”
He reached for her, indicating she ought to join him. When she did, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, as he sighed out a long, rocky breath.
In a deep, yet quiet voice, he said, “I never told you...”
She waited for him to finish the thought, but it was clear he wasn’t going to so she said, “Hunter, I know.”
“You do?”
“If you want to tell me about it, then I want to listen, but you don’t have to. I put it together. Your irritability, your behavior these past few days, it’s clear that you see yourself in Jamie. I’m just sorry that-”
“Don’t apologize,” he said softly, glancing down at her when she lifted her face. “My whole life the wrong people kept telling me they were sorry and it never helped.”
He ran his fingers through her hair, stroking the locks off her cheeks. She searched his eyes and whispered, “That scar on your back.”
“You heard me?”
“When you were talking to Jamie? Partly. I never knew how you got that scar.”
“It was a long time ago,” he said, taking a deep breath. “A lifetime ago.”
“Which got dredged up the second you saw Jamie’s arms,” she supplied. She was about to tell him that she was sorry again, but held her tongue, choosing to kiss him instead.
As tired as he must have been, he pulled her in, deepening their kiss, and began fumbling for the hem of her tee shirt.
She eased, looking at him with a slight smile on her face, and stripped her shirt off.
He groaned softly, his gaze traveling the length of her body—her breasts covered with sheer white lace, the curve of her hips, the length of her taut stomach.
She sat up and unbuttoned his jeans, as he lain on his back, watching her. He lifted his hips when she began pulling his pants down. She stripped his shoes off, tossed them to the floor along with his jeans then pressed her hand against the growing bulge beneath his boxer-briefs.
In response, he pulled his tee shirt up and over his head, and as it fell to the floor, he rested his head against the pillow.
Just as she was reaching down the front of his boxer-briefs, her fingers grazing his hard erection, there came a knock at the door.
“Greer?” asked Tasha.
“Yeah?” she called out, as she began stroking her boyfriend’s penis.
“Is Hunter back?”
“Yeah,” she said quickly.
“Jenn and I are going to grab breakfast at Sue Ann’s Cafe-”
“We’ll meet you-”
“There?” she guessed then began teasing, “yeah, yeah, you’ll always meet us there. Try not to get arrested this time.” After a pause she added, “Hey?”
“Yeah, Tasha?”
“Tell Hunter I’m glad he’s out of jail.”
Greer laughed and promised she would, and they listened to their friend pad off down the hallway.
Hunter angled his green eyes up at her and said, “You know if Tasha had come with us to the Sands, Maguire would’ve found Chester in a body bag near the pond.”
She let out a breathy laugh, knowing how right he was, and resumed stroking his penis.
His gaze softened and a glint of arousal filled his eyes.
“I was worried about you,” she whispered, as she worked his boxer-briefs down his hips then his thighs, exposing his big erection. “I could barely sleep.”
“Oh?” he asked in a playful tone. “You tossed and turned without me?”
“Something like that,” she said, bringing her mouth down to the tip of his penis, which she licked slowly.
He groaned. His eyes drifted shut and as he relaxed into the feel of her tongue licking and tracing the rim of his penis’ head, she watched him breathe deeply, enjoying every second.
“How much time do we have?” he asked, glancing down at her.
She sucked in the length of his erection, feeling the hard tip of his penis slide to the back of her throat.
“Oh, God,” he breathed, forgetting his question.
After pumping him in and out of her mouth, she licked and sucked the tip of his erection then said, “Don’t worry about it.”
It took her all of three seconds to hop off the bed, wriggle her jean skirt down her legs, and strip out of her lacy panties. When she kneeled on the bed again, coming to straddle him, Hunter lifted onto his elbows and drank in the sight of her long thighs, the lines of her taut stomach, the light dusting of pubic hair along her vagina.
He grazed his fingertips gently around her labia, tracing soft circles. Soon his finger slid along her smooth vagina, making her wet.
She took hold of his erection and for a long moment they fondled one another—Greer delivering firm strokes and Hunter teasing her by dipping his finger up her wet, tight slit.
Single-handedly, she unfastened her bra and it fell down her arms. She tossed it aside and when she again took hold of his penis, she angled it up between her legs.
Gradually, she lowered, moaning as she came into contact with his erection. He felt hard, yet so smooth and hot that she found herself suddenly aching for him.
“Are you going to fuck my pain away?” he asked, gazing up at her.
She moaned in response, helping his thick erection to feed into her body. She felt so tight with his penis slowly penetrating her. A sweet sting came next, causing her breathing to quicken, rapid and shallow sips, as she adjusted to his girth. She moaned again when finally he had filled her completely, her inner thighs resting flush against his hips.
Angling forward, she planted her palms on the mattress and like second nature he cupped her breasts with both hands.
She began grinding, slow creamy circles at first, feeling his every inch inside of her and relishing the sensation of his firm pubic bone press against her clitoris. He looked so sexy beneath her. She drank in the sight of his lips, the aroused curl at one corner of his mouth, his toned pecs and washboard abs, his muscular arms that flexed in his effort to massage her breasts.
The heat and slippery friction of their gentle lovemaking caused a swell of tingles to rush through her. That was the great thing about Hunter and how long they’d been together. He only needed to penetrate her and she’d find herself on the brink within seconds.
She let out a smooth moan then began thrusting quickly.
“Oh,” she cried out, feeling the most delicious heat stirring through her genitals.
“Fuck me, Greer,” he groaned and she quickened her pace, giving it to him as hard as she could.
Soon they were bouncing against the mattress together, their bodies slapping, her breasts jiggling in his hands. She was on fire for him, his thick, long erection sliding in and out of her vagina so fast that she found herself in the sudden throes of a mounting orgasm.
“Come all over my cock,” he ordered.
“I’m close,” she moaned.
“You look so fucking good,” he groaned as they bounced together, thrusting and moaning, sweat beading up on their bodies—something dirty and hungry and messy about how badly they needed one another. It felt so good she couldn’t help but get rough with him.
She plowed her fingers through his hair and held his head just as a powerful orgasm began blossoming through her vagina.
“Oh!” she called out, every muscle in her body relaxing except for the one that clenched again and again around his hard penis.
He released her breasts in favor of grabbing her hips and forcing her to keep pounding against him, his penis thrusting harder and faster until he too was crying out in the throes of a strong orgasm.
In the next moment, after he had let out a satisfied breath and stroked her breasts, she collapsed to the bed, falling into his embrace.
They lain there, breathing heavily together, as their heart rates gradually subsided.
He kissed her forehead then said, “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
She looked up at him, lifting onto her elbow, and pressed her lips against his. She loved the way he smelled after sex, and because of it she inhaled his scent.
Finally, she whispered, “I don’t know either.”
Running low on time, they showered quickly and dressed even faster then met Tasha and Jennifer at Sue Ann’s Cafe only to discover that the girls had already eaten.
As Hunter neared the counter where a friendly yet frazzled woman was rushing about, pouring coffees and passing off breakfast plates to the waitresses, Greer crossed through the cafe and joined her friends at a table in the back.
She felt eyes on her and as Tasha and Jennifer rose to their feet, collecting their empty coffee cups and discretely asking her how Hunter was doing, she glanced over her shoulder to find a cluster of residents staring at her. Others snuck glimpses of Hunter the moment he turned from the counter with two to-go cups of coffee in his hands.
“He’s good all things considered,” she said distractedly.
Jennifer stepped in close and said, “Just ignore them.”
“What?”
Tasha explained, “We’ve been getting a few looks, too.” When Greer met her gaze, she added, “We’re the out-of-towners who abducted a little boy.” Though she rolled her eyes, the sting of the comment hit Greer like a pail of cold water to her face.
“People have been talking,” said Jennifer. “But they don’t know the whole story so let’s just get out of here.”
“Right,” said Greer, who met Hunter at the condiment station, as her friends crossed through the coffee shop and onto the sidewalk outside.
“I’m getting a lot of glares,” he said, pouring half-n-half into his coffee cup. “But Sue Ann-”
“Who?”
He nodded at the woman behind the counter and said, “Sue Ann, the owner... she mentioned that most people think I made an honest mistake and won’t hold it against me.”
“But others will,” she countered, catching a middle-aged man at one of the tables eyeing her. “Let’s just hope the kids haven’t heard.”
Hunter raised his brow as if to say, I wouldn’t bet on it and pressed a plastic lid on his coffee cup.
She made quick work of doctoring her own coffee with cream and sugar, and then they left Sue Ann’s Cafe in time to see Tasha waving at them through the passenger’s side window of the Honda, as she drove off with Jennifer down the street.
They walked to their rental car and when Hunter pressed the key fob, unlocking the vehicle, a pickup truck pulled up along the curb behind them.
Justin Barnes was behind the steering wheel, Amanda in the passenger’s seat. She smiled and hopped out.
“Morning!” she said in an upbeat manner as she neared them, but the sentiment soon left her tone. “You guys are heading off to the Youth Rec Center?”
Justin hadn’t climbed out of the pickup truck so Greer waved at him as she said, “I have a feeling it will be a very long day.”
“Keep an eye out if you can,” she advised, which piqued Greer’s concern. Amanda studied her face for a beat then clarified, “Those Sand boys can be aggressive.”
“You’re telling me,” said Hunter, folding his arms. “Chester set up the whole arrest.”
“I don’t doubt it,” she went on, “and if you ask me we haven’t seen the last of it.”
“Christ,” said Greer, itching to get out of there. She felt vulnerable on the street in the heart of Hope Falls and for some reason trusted that the rec center would offer a sense of protection. “Thanks for the heads up.”
Amanda feigned a smile, but it only indicated how worried she was for them. “A bunch of us are going bowling this afternoon at Lone Pine Lanes if you’d like to join.”
“That’s sweet of you,” she said before glancing at Hunter to get a read on his interest. “We were going to try to squeeze in some time to work on our own sculptures for the art show later this week, but we’ll hook up with you.”
Amanda began walking backwards as she said, “Sounds good! And don’t worry. This whole thing will blow over sooner than you know it.”
Greer wanted to believe her, but the knots forming in her stomach told her that trusting anything or anyone would be a mistake.
When they arrived at the Youth Rec Center, their students were piling into the main room, collecting tools and setting up their stations. Hunter began instructing the group from the front of the class, as Greer walked from student to student, station to station, to offer constructive criticism and pointers on how each kid could improve their sculpture. Though she sensed that some of the students had heard about Hunter’s rocky night in jail, none of them commented on the incident, and before long the day was winding down.
Amy peeked her head in when the clock struck three in the afternoon. As she assisted the children with their clean up duties, Greer carried a metal basin full of dirty tools into the supply closet and set it in an industrial-sized sink.
She began washing clay off the tools, all the while eyeing Jamie Sand’s disturbing sculpture, which she had tucked on one of the shelves above the sink. It didn’t disturb her like it had when she’d first seen it. If anything, it reminded her of Hunter’s work, which now made sense considering their identical pasts.
With the tools clean and drying on a towel that spanned the counter, she turned off the faucet and shook her hands dry then returned to the main room where Hunter was covering the leftover bricks of clay with plastic.
“Bowling sounds good right about now,” he mentioned, pulling her into a hug. “Knock back a few beers, knock down a few pins...”
“In your case it would literally be a few,” she teased. "I've seen you bowl."
“Hey, that’s only because I forgot the golden rule.”
“What’s that?”
“Bowling before beer and you’re in the clear.”
She let out a breathy laugh and squeezed him then smacked his butt and started for the exit.
As they neared the door, she was struck with how quiet it was, and when they walked outside, she realized why. All of the students had been picked up. Even Amy Maguire had taken off. Washing the tools must have taken her longer than she thought.
Hunter locked up, after which he shoved the keys into the front pocket of his jeans, as she playfully hooked her finger through one of his belt loops and pulled him in for a kiss. Then they started off down the walkway towards the parking lot.
“I say we make this game interesting,” she said, shooting him a coy smile.
“Interesting?”
“If I get a higher bowling score than you, then you have to...” she trailed off, dreaming up the raciest sexual favor she could imagine, and said, “go down on me.”
He cocked his brow and grinned down at her, admitting, “I’ll go down on you any day of the week.” She smacked his butt again and returned her hand to his hip, as he said, “If I win, then you have to...”
When he trailed off, it wasn’t because he was trying to get creative. His eyes were locked on a rusted-out vehicle that was barreling up the street.
Greer recognized it immediately.
The Sands’ Volvo.
And it was heading straight for them.
As the driver cut the wheel, aiming to hit them, Greer sprang aside just barely in time. The vehicle missed them, coming to a screeching halt.
Hunter took fast hold of her arm, pulling her towards their rental car for cover, as Chester Sand leapt out of the driver’s seat. But it wasn’t until another teenaged boy jumped out of the passenger’s seat and two more emerged from the back that Greer felt panic surge in her chest.
They were holding baseball bats and advancing on them.
Hunter shouted, “Are you out of your minds? Get out of here!” as she scrambled to unlock their car.
“Come on!” she insisted, throwing the driver’s side door open, but Hunter wasn’t about to run off scared.
Chester cocked his bat, winding it up over his shoulder, and took a hard swing at Hunter, but he lunged, catching the bat in his hand and throwing a hard right-hook. When his fist made contact with Chester’s jaw, Greer screamed, “Stop!”
Frantically, she jumped into the vehicle, shut the driver’s side door, and panicked to get her cell phone out of her pocket. She dialed 911 just as one of the kids slammed his bat into Hunter’s chest.
He grunted, falling to his knees and that’s when they began beating him—striking Hunter with their bats, kicking his stomach, and stomping on his legs.
As she relayed the attack to the 911 Operator, crying out the horrifying details as they unfolded, Hunter did what he could to catch the bats and get to his feet, but it was an ugly struggle.
The 911 Operator asked her something, but she was too panicked to understand.
Then without warning the boys jogged to the Volvo, jumped in, and sped away, leaving Hunter in the fetal position—bloody and groaning.
Throwing the driver’s side door open, she rushed to him and dropped to her knees.
“Oh my God,” she breathed and insisted, “don’t move” when he tried to lift up off the ground. “An ambulance is on its way.”
“I don’t want that,” he told her, his words turning garbled. “Call it off. I just want to go home.”