Even through all the flowers, he could smell her. The thought made him feel feral. Like the predator he was. He looked at sweet Gabby Cooper and felt as if he should be somewhere else. As though he should be hiding in the bushes. Seeing Gabby look at him brought back so many memories. He knew he had by no means ruined her life, but it was impossible to not feel like the whole thing had been his fault. As though somehow his darkness had infected her.

He wouldn’t pretend that coming here was a good idea. Having Sterling erase Hunter’s existence had been one of the best things to ever happen to him, no matter how steep the cost was. But he could undo all of that if only one person recognized him. Gabby might say that her father had no ties here, and he was sure that she believed that, but she was wrong. He might not be in charge of whatever criminal operations stretched through this idyllic town, but criminal organizations like this never really died. It was like a hydra: cut the head off one and soon enough another one would pop up in its place. Gabby had just been unlucky enough to be related to one of those heads.

As he walked, he stuck his hands in his pockets. He would admit that he had a mixture of nerves at coming back here. Partly about seeing Gabby for the first time in ten years. Partly because he wasn’t naive enough to think he no longer had enemies here. He was more comfortable with a shoulder holster, but he didn’t want to freak out any of the innocent townsfolk. The sweater method was a decent concealment method. He could keep his hand on the handle of his gun, and most people wouldn’t think twice about seeing someone carrying a sweater around. Only jaded folks like him would have any inkling about what he was doing.

It was spring, and the cold Michigan winter was fading away. The sun was shining, and the previously cold morning had turned into a pleasantly warm day. It was too warm to wear this sweater, but not unbearable. Gabby was wearing a pair of loose jeans and a shirt tight enough to show her curves. She’d filled out in the time he’d been gone. She’d been a skinny teen with a face to break hearts before, and now her body had caught up to her.

He’d expected her to be pretty. Girls like her never really lost that beauty. Her face was timeless, and he’d kill her if she ever tried to go under the knife to improve anything. She was already perfect.

Which was why he’d been shocked to find her even prettier than he remembered.

To make it even worse, he’d touched her. He’d held her in his arms and cradled her against him. He couldn’t pretend that she didn’t feel exactly as good as she looked. He couldn’t pretend that he was over her or that somehow the teenage hormones had given way to reason.

Because right now he felt just like a teenager who was peeking into the girl’s locker room: knowing it was wrong and unable to look away at the same time.

And this was looking at Gabby fully clothed. What would he do if he actually got her naked?

“Hunter.” She pulled him out of his mental fantasy of ripping those clothes off. “I’m very grateful that you made it out here. I have to admit, when I sent that email, I thought it wouldn’t go anywhere.”

Silly girl. Like he could ever ignore her siren call. “I promised I’d protect you.”

There was silence after that. Each of them knew full well what that protection had cost. He didn’t regret his decision for a second. He would do it all over again if it meant he would keep her safe.

“My apartment is just around the corner,” she said, not acknowledging what he’d just said.

Interesting. When he’d known Gabby, she’d lived in one of the biggest homes in the city. It wasn’t surprising that she’d fallen in station once her family’s dirty laundry had come out. It seemed odd that he had a better living situation than Gabby. He should be the one in an apartment and she should be the one living an expense-free life with Hart Securities. She deserved a mansion with servants and parties every weekend.

The only thing that made sense was the flowers. It made complete sense that she would work surrounded by beauty.

She turned in to a nice-looking apartment complex, but it was still a decent walk to reach her unit. They didn’t speak much. He didn’t have much to say. He didn’t want to talk about the odd road he’d traveled since he’d been carted off in that police car. He didn’t want to talk about his time working for Sterling or all the terrible things he’d done since he left her. Hell, he felt he didn’t deserve her back then, and that feeling had only gotten worse.

Her unit was on a lower level and she had direct access through a front door. She held the door open for him and turned to lock it as soon as he entered. The place was nice. It had the plain beige carpeting and white walls of most apartments, but there was pretty floral artwork adorning the walls to give color, and he once again smelled flowers.

He pulled his hood down and took a deep breath. No more small talk. He’d come here to keep Gabby safe, and it was about time she told him the whole story. He’d only half turned around when she body-slammed him. Before he could ask what the hell she was doing, her lips covered his, and all of a sudden, he was holding the girl of his wet dreams in his arms once more. This time she hadn’t accidentally fallen. She was actually there, kissing him. He would’ve thought he was imagining the whole thing if he didn’t feel her nails biting into his shoulders and her face press more firmly against his.

And now that his dream was coming true, he did... nothing. He stood there like a statue as he waited for her to give up. It took every ounce of self-control to keep himself from grabbing her, pushing her up against the wall, and letting her know exactly how often he’d thought about her over the years.

Finally Gabby stopped and looked up at him. In her eyes was a devastating mixture of hurt and confusion and embarrassment. He could see the tears welling up as she turned around and started to run from him. He probably should’ve let her go, but his instincts kicked in and he gave chase, reaching her right as she hit the back door. He slammed his hand on the glass sliding door before she could open it, and she froze in place, facing away from him and every muscle tense.

“Gabby,” he said, aiming for a soft and comforting tone to calm her.

“Just go,” she said. The words were almost a moan.

“Not until you tell me what’s going on. Why am I here?”

She turned around and he could see the tears in her eyes that were about to roll down her cheeks at any minute. “You’re here because I’m a moron. I wanted to see you again and there was no other way I knew how to get through to you. I’m sorry I wasted your time. I just wanted to....”

Hunter swallowed as he took in what she was saying. She’d just... missed him? He was flattered at the thought. Hell, he hadn’t been able to get her out of his head in the past ten years. But this wasn’t good. He wasn’t angry about the lie. If anyone was used to doing whatever necessary to get the job done, it was him. But he knew that her calling him here was more dangerous than she realized.

“Gabby... I left for a reason.”

“You left because you were taken away from me. I know you were only protecting me. And you have to believe me, I tried to help you. I told the police everything that happened and they still—” She broke off as the tears came back, this time with a vengeance. “They still took you away,” she finally finished.

Hunter couldn’t stop himself from reaching out a comforting hand to her shoulder. “It wasn’t like that.”

“No, Hunter, it was exactly like that. You saved my life, and when I tried to return the favor, I had doors shut in my face. I failed you a thousand times, and if there’s anyone who I never should’ve failed, it’s you.”

He didn’t know what to say to that. He couldn’t give her any comfort. He couldn’t assure her that everything had worked out. He couldn’t say it was all for the best. The last day he’d ever seen her had been the day his life had been over.

But he wouldn’t take it back. He’d regretted how it all turned out, but he never regretted his actions. “The past is the past,” he said simply. “I don’t want you to worry about me. I don’t want you to think about me. From now on, I’m just some guy from your past.”

She looked up at him as confusion clouded her features. “You’re my hero. How can I ever stop thinking about you?”

Confusion swamped him as well, but he was good enough at controlling himself to keep Gabby from seeing it. He’d imagined that Gabby had married the high school football captain and had a horde of children following her around and kept in only by the white picket fence surrounding her two-story picture-perfect home. Instead, she was here in this small apartment and pining after him? What parallel universe had he wandered into?

“I don’t know who you wanted to see tonight, but I can promise you I’m not that man.”

She shook her head. “No, you’re the perfect man.” She reached up and let her fingers trail along his cheek. “My knight in shining armor. I know you. I think I know you better than most.”

“You don’t know a thing about me.”

“You saved me,” she said forcefully. “You did it for no money or reason. You did it because you’re a good person.”

Hunter leaned in closer, but not to offer comfort. Instead, he let his size overwhelm her as a dark look took over his features. “I’m not a nice man. I don’t save people anymore, sweetie. I kill them. I have bosses who point me in a direction and then I go in to do the dirty work no one else wants to do. I’ve been doing this for years and I have no plans to stop. Whatever hero you thought you knew was locked up years ago. He’s gone and you’re left with me instead.”

She opened her mouth, but he didn’t want to hear it. He was already too tempted to continue what she’d started and crush her between his body and the glass door before taking her to her bedroom and taking everything he’d ever dreamed about having from her. He needed her to understand that she should’ve never tried to reconnect with him, and he had to make sure she never tried to do it again.

So he turned up the asshole level. “I’ve been out of jail for years, honey, and I never came back here for a reason. This town is part of my really shitty history. I have money, power, and connections now, and I don’t need any part of my past dragging me down. Got it?”

Gabby’s tears vanished, replaced by a cold, hard look of rage. He was half expecting her to punch him, but instead she just gave him a cool look. “Get out,” she ordered.

It was exactly the reaction he was going for, but it didn’t make him happy to come out of this one victorious. But it wasn’t the first time he’d done what he thought needed to be done, even if he didn’t like it.

He tried to remember how Gabby had looked as she’d fallen into his arms and realized he was there. Her eyes had lit up with happiness and excitement. That was the Gabby he wanted to remember. Not the one who was looking at him as though he’d somehow betrayed her. As though he’d let her down.

So Hunter did the only thing he could do. He backed away from her and walked away without even a glance behind him.