Hunter
“Come on, Hunter.”
Hunter looked to the end of his cell, where an officer was sliding open the metal door. He sat up on his hard cot, confused.
“You’re out on bail.”
“Bail? I thought that wasn’t going to happen.” He’d been told when they first brought him in that for such a violent crime—multiple crimes, really—that they would not release him on bail. Even talking to his lawyer hadn’t given him any hope that he’d see the light of day in the near future.
“Some new evidence has come in.”
Hunter walked to the door and stepped out. “New evidence?”
“Talk to your lawyer. I can’t tell you much about it.”
“I will, thanks.”
“Just sign at the desk to get your things, then you’re free.”
Hunter went to the desk and signed in a daze. He’d mentally prepared to spend months in jail, not mere hours. What could have possibly happened in that time to let him be a free man? And who even knew about his bail to post it for him?
He picked up his bag of things after the clerk retrieved it and walked through the metal door when it slid open for him. In the waiting room, Nicholas jumped up to his feet from one of the bright green plastic chairs.
“Hunter,” he said.
“Hi.” What in the world was he doing here? Of all people, Nicholas would be the last he would expect to encounter here.
“I’ll take you home.”
Hunter narrowed his eyes at him.
“I’ll explain everything in the car.”
Hunter got in the car beside Nicholas and as soon as he closed the door, he asked, “What in the world are you doing here?”
“I posted your bail.”
“You—”
“I also gave the police the evidence they needed to prove that your claim of self-defense is legitimate.”
“How—”
“I’m getting to that.” Nicholas then went on to explain what he’d found out about Jeremy’s family and their connection to the mob, how it proved that using deadly force was necessary.
“Wow,” Hunter said. “Well, for whatever trouble you’ve caused us in the past, you’ve sure turned out to be a big help. Thanks. That doesn’t even really cover it. You’ve given me time with those I love most. I can’t thank you enough.”
Nicholas nodded. “Well, there’s no excuse for my behavior. From the beginning, when I didn’t believe Vanessa. You don’t know about all the paperwork I filed to try to have Opal taken from her.” He shook his head. “Then to find out I was wrong and almost sent her back to an abusive father? Inexcusable. And when someone comes and tries to forcibly take Vanessa, I do nothing. I don’t want to be that man. I never thought I was, but I’ve learned things about myself in the last months that I wish I didn’t know.”
“Being in those situations isn’t easy. Especially if you’ve never been around it all.”
“Sure. I feel terrible, though. And it’s my duty, and my job really, to make sure that Opal is in the best environment possible. And that means being with her mother and being safe, which also means, having you around to keep her safe.”
Hunter reached over and clapped his hand on Nicholas’s shoulder. “Thanks, man. And if you ever want training for how to be better in these types of situations, you know who to call.”
“I hope to never be in anything like that again, but thanks.”
They pulled up to Vanessa’s apartment complex. Hunter ran inside and up to her door. He knocked and waited. When she opened the door, she exclaimed in surprise and jumped into his arms.
“How are you here?” she asked.
He kissed her and squeezed her tight. “Nicholas,” he said, turning to face the man.
Vanessa gave Nicholas a quick hug. “It worked? Thank you!”
Nicholas left shortly after to give them time alone. But they agreed, they owed him one for Hunter not only being able to post bail, but being the one to actually put up the money. They both seemed to have forgiven him of all prior wrongdoing.
When they sat down to dinner that night, just Vanessa, Opal, and him, it felt like every second was precious, borrowed time. He could be sitting in a mess hall with hundreds of criminals, fighting over nasty food, but instead he was here, eating the delicious meal Vanessa had prepared.
He slept fitfully that night, even with Vanessa by his side. His mind kept bringing back his arrest and Jeremy’s murder, and his dreams were full of lies. Jeremy killing Vanessa and Opal, Jeremy killing him first, and then him being locked up forever and Vanessa moving on. In one particularly cruel dream, Vanessa came to see him in jail to say she was pregnant, but was going to marry Nicholas and tell everyone it was his kid instead of Hunter’s. He woke up from each dream having to reassure himself of reality, and then hold Vanessa close as he drifted back to sleep.
In the morning, he made a decision. He still had money saved from his past jobs. He got up early thanks to his most recent nightmare, and got on the computer in Vanessa’s living room. He looked through site after site before he found just the right thing. He made a phone call, then waited for her to wake up.
“I want to take you somewhere today,” he said to her as she made coffee.
“Okay, sure.”
Once they had showered, eaten, and dressed, they got into the car and he drove to the location. They pulled up to an adorable house—white siding and a wooden fence, cute landscaping, and plenty of room to play in the backyard.
Vanessa looked at the “For Sale” sign, then over at him. “Who’s house is this?”
“Ours if you want it.”
Her mouth dropped open. “But, how…”
“Let’s go see it.”
He held her hand and Opal’s as they walked up the front steps to meet the realtor. They went room by room, and he loved the excited look in Vanessa’s eyes.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered to him at one point. “And so big.”
When she’d seen the whole place, he asked her privately, “Do you want it?”
“I can’t afford this place on my salary.”
“I know. That’s why I’m paying cash for it. There will be no mortgage, and your salary should cover the other bills just fine if I’m… not here to pay them.”
She squeezed his hand. “Don’t say that. You’ll be here.”
“Is that a yes, then?”
She closed her eyes and let out a small squeal. “I love it.”
“I love you.”
He explained to the realtor that they would pay full asking price in cash, and wanted to move in as soon as possible. The realtor would call after talking to the sellers, but Hunter wasn’t worried. Who wouldn’t take a full-price offer, and in cash with no hassle of mortgage companies to deal with?
Opal excitedly talked about how she would decorate her new bedroom in pink and kitty cats as they drove back to the apartment.
“Oh, can we have a real kitty?” she asked, her face twisted into a deep plea.
“I think so,” Vanessa said, looking at Hunter.
“Just one? I thought maybe we’d have a couple. Maybe a dog, too.”
“Really?” Opal squealed in delight and went on talking about the new house and her future dog. She had named them all many times over during the short ride. He hoped that “Lollipop” didn’t stick as a name.
That night, he had no trouble falling asleep. Knowing that Vanessa and Opal—his two greatest loves—would have a new place to live, a place without the horrible memories of all that had happened in the apartment, a place they could heal and grow together, gave him tremendous comfort.
They spent their days preparing. Once the offer was accepted, it was time to pack and buy new furniture. In no time, their days became filled with house details, and moving took over everything. Hunter felt like a family man in every sense. He walked through the building supply store, picking out appliances and curtains with his woman by his side and her daughter, and he almost laughed. Never did he think this would make him happy. Being part of a family, being able to see himself taking food from the fridge they had just purchased. It was a dream coming true that he’d never before dreamed.
At night, when he curled up in bed with Vanessa, they made love or simply talked. He tried to comfort her as best he could, but they both knew he could be going away soon. Tonight, he ran his fingers over her forehead as she let silent tears drip down her face.
“It’ll be okay,” he said. “I’ll get off on self-defense and the nightmare will finally be over. Jeremy can’t hurt you anymore. After this trial, we’ll never have to think about him again. We can pretend like he never even existed.”
“I like that idea.” She closed her eyes.
# # #
Vanessa enjoyed the feel of Hunter’s fingertips on her skin. His presence and words soothed her to an extent. But he could only do or say so much. The worry built in her every day. While they were in the process of moving, she’d been able to put things aside. But now that they were mostly settled in their new house, her fears returned.
They’d talked with lawyers about how the trial would go. It was still weeks away, but the time was going too fast. She wanted it to be over, but she was terrified that Hunter would be gone when it was. That wasn’t the only thing keeping her up at night, though.
His lawyer said she should testify. If she did, she worried that Jeremy’s family might retaliate. She’d been afraid of them enough as it was before she knew they were part of the mob. But even if the cops knew Jeremy was involved in that level of crime, how could they stop his family from coming after her if they were alive and walking the streets doing their crimes? They might kill her or take Opal and start the nightmare all over again.
But if she didn’t testify, it could hurt Hunter’s case. And she’d do anything she could to make his case strong. She needed him to be here with her and Opal. Needed him as part of their new family. How could she refuse to testify, knowing it could hurt him, and by extension her and Opal? She couldn’t.
So she wrestled. For weeks she had, since the lawyer first suggested she take the stand in the court room. But now she was realizing she really had no choice. She had to stop worrying so much. Stop being suspicious over every person and every little noise she heard. Stop living on the edge. Stop giving Jeremy the power to still make her fearful and suspicious of everyone she came across in her life.
She had found love in Hunter. She had her daughter and a new house. Even if she couldn’t be absolutely sure they were safe, Jeremy was gone. The real threat had been buried. It was time for her to stop worrying, to stop seeing everyone as a threat and trust the lawyer when he said that she wouldn’t be in any danger if she testified. If Hunter could be so sure and so full of hope, then she could be, too. He didn’t see any problem with her testifying, and if anyone was trying hard to keep her safe, it was him. So she had to trust him, too.
“I think I can do it,” she said.
“What’s that?”
“I can testify for you.”
“I thought you were afraid,” he said.
“Well, I realized that I have to start trusting and having hope at some point. If you can do it, and you think it’s okay, then I have no reason not to go ahead and do it.”
“You’re sure?” he asked. “You’re going to sit up on the stand and tell the world what Jeremy did to you and Opal?”
She nodded. “And to you. He hurt you, too.”
“And you’re really okay with doing that?”
She smacked his arm lightly. “Don’t talk me out of it.” She giggled.
“I’m just making sure. I don’t want to you to do this only because you think I want you to. I want you to really be okay with it.”
“I am. Really.”