Truth or Dare (13 page)

“Is it all right if I take a shower? I feel … dirty.” 

“Down the hall to the left. There should be towels in the closet. And an extra toothbrush under the sink.” 

Her footsteps echoed down the hardwood floor. 

Luna slipped off her shoes and dropped her dress to the ground. Turning the water on as hot as it would go, she stepped into the tub. She scrubbed her skin till it felt raw, the cuts on her legs stung like crazy. Then she lowered herself into the tub, letting the water pelt down on her. She laid there for a long time, trying to wrap her head around what happened tonight. 

“You okay in there?” Hunter yelled through the doorway. 

When she didn’t respond, the door creaked open. She heard him come into the room and she closed her eyes.

Hunter cleared his throat and raked his strong fingers through his hair. “Do you need me to do anything?”

Luna sniffled back a sob and Hunter pulled back the curtain to see her curled up on the bottom of the tub. She jumped a bit, but there was no fear in her eyes when she looked up at him. Only distress. Her nerves were raw. 

Without speaking, he stripped off his clothes and stepped into the tub, sitting across from her. 

“Hey, come here.” 

Her chin trembled. She was dangerously close to crying again, and she prayed the tears wouldn’t spill over. Luna knew she looked like a drowned rat with her hair plastered all over her face. The hot water had turned lukewarm. Hunter held his arm up and Luna scooted over between his legs before dropping her head on his chest. “You must think I’m such a baby.”

He gave her a sympathetic smile. His voice was soft and soothing when he said, “Not at all. You went through a horrific ordeal tonight. I wish I knew what to do to make it go away.” 

“You’re doing it. Thank you.” 

“Your phone’s been ringing off the hook.” 

Luna leaned her head back against his chest. “I’m sure Marcus called my sister or brother. They are probably worried sick. I guess I should get out of here and let them know I’m okay.”

Hunter lifted her arm and pressed his lips to her wrist. “Just stay here a few more moments. I’ll get the soap out of your hair.”

She hadn’t even realized she forgot to rinse it out. It was probably a rat’s nest. 

Hunter stepped out of the tub and grabbed a cup off the sink, hitting the release so the water came out of the spout instead of the shower. 

Gently, he tilted her head back and poured the water down her head. His steady hands lathered in conditioner, which she was surprised he even had. Most guys skipped that step. It was one of the sweetest things a guy had ever done for her. Once he was through rinsing her hair, he wrapped a towel around her, helped her out of the tub, and eased her over toward the toilet. “Sit down.”

He rummaged through the drawer and came up with a small black comb. 

Oh boy. That was not going to work well in her long mane of hair. Patiently, he combed through her hair until all the tangles were out. 

“Make those calls and then crawl into bed.” 

Luna stood up on shaky feet and made her way into the living room to grab her purse. What she really wanted was a shot of whiskey to calm her nerves. Dull the pain. However, something told her that wasn’t the answer.  

She pulled out her phone. He wasn’t kidding. Over twenty missed calls, all from her family and a couple of texts from Marcus, wanting to make sure she was okay.

Taking a deep breath, Luna called her sister first. After twenty minutes, she’d convinced her she was fine. Her brother was next, and then her mother. Finally, she sent of a quick text to Marcus. Their concern was touching, but she was drained and wanted nothing more than to fall into bed and go to sleep. 

When she finally crawled into bed, Hunter lifted the covers, opened his arms, and she eased into his embrace. The strength of his muscles rippled against her. It felt so natural and safe. 

“You’re going to be okay, Luna. You’re a survivor. Just like me.” 

Tilting her head, she looked up at him. “What if he comes after me again? I was so scared.”

His fingers absently ran up and down her arm. “He won’t. I’ll make sure of it. He’s only a man, not a demon. Don’t give him that power over you.” 

Hunter lightly trailed his fingertips along her waist, and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. 

Luna turned, closed her eyes, and relaxed against him. Their bodies molded together perfectly. 

“Just get some sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning,” he said softly, as he massaged the tension between her neck and shoulders. His hands were warm and comforting. “If the darkness comes, just hold onto me.”

Suddenly, she felt safe. The knot inside her chest eased and exhaustion took over as she dozed off in his arms. 

 Chapter Seventeen

Luna woke to the sounds of pans clinging. She felt groggy, her arms and legs felt heavy; her neck ached and her lips felt numb. The smell of bacon caused her stomach to rumble. Pushing herself up, she was surprised to find herself in Hunter’s bed. The night came crashing back to her. Closing her eyes, she gave herself a mental pep talk. Swinging her legs to the floor, she slid out of bed and scurried into the bathroom. After taking care of business, washing her bruised face and brushing her teeth, she padded back to his room and grabbed a T-shirt out of his drawer. He was so big it fell almost to her knees.

It occurred to her that last night was the first time she’d slept in someone’s bed without having sex since Trevor. 

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to walk into the kitchen. Just when she thought he couldn’t get any more perfect, she finds out he cooks, too. She stood back, watching him move through the kitchen completely at ease. She wanted to bury her face against his chest.

He poured himself a cup of coffee and looked up at her, a serious expression on his face. She wondered if he’d known she’d been watching him.

Hunter studied her over his coffee cup. “How are you feeling?” He nodded toward the bandages. 

“Much better. Thank you.” She tugged down the front of his shirt, feeling self-conscious. She’d bared her soul to him last night. Had it changed the dynamics of their relationship? And if so, was she ready for that?

“Let me see.” He frowned, his blue eyes warm and full of concern. He set his mug down on the counter, and she stared at him a moment, hesitating before coming forward. 

Softly, he brushed his thumb across her swollen lip, and tender cheek. “Bastard,” he muttered, before dropping to his knee and peeling back one of the bandages. He touched the skin tenderly. “Doesn’t look like you’re getting an infection,” he pressed the bandage back, and with skilled hands quickly checked on the others, “but we’ll clean and bandage them again after breakfast.”

Luna nodded, let out a couple of breaths, and fell back a step. 

“Coffee?”

Glancing down, she rubbed her temples. “Please! I feel like I’ve been dragged through the ringer.” 

Hunter set down his mug and grabbed another for her. “Milk and sugar, right? Two scoops?”

Luna smiled and nodded, surprised and touched that he’d remembered. 

He handed her the mug and their hands brushed. Once again, the heightened awareness of his body passed through her. Instead of sexual, today it felt comforting.

Resting her hip against the counter, she brought the mug to her lips. 

“I hope you like eggs …”

“As long as you have bacon and toast to go with it.”

Hunter grinned. “Have a seat.”

Luna pulled out a bar stool and gingerly sat behind the counter. 

She watched as he made his way around the kitchen like a pro. Fresh fruit, eggs, bacon, and biscuits and gravy. She didn’t think she had much of an appetite until he set the food in front of her. She devoured it. Holding the fork midair, she asked, “Where’d you learn to cook like this?”

“I’ve taken care of myself for quite a while. I enjoy cooking. It’s relaxing.”

Luna took another bite without responding. She practically lived on boxed foods. 

“How’d you sleep?”

She shrugged noncommittally, tucked her hair behind her ears, looked at the ground, and then back at him. “Okay. I woke up a few times, but once I realized where I was I fell back to sleep. Thanks for letting me stay here. I probably wouldn’t have slept at all at home.”

“You shouldn’t have been alone last night.”

Luna set her fork down and rubbed her arms, a chill running through her as memories of last night came flooding back. 

“He could have killed me,” Luna cried angrily. “If it weren’t for you …”

Hunter stood up and slipped his arms around her waist, and she dropped her head to his chest. “Shh, you’re safe now. We could still call the cops. I memorized his license plate. As a matter of fact, after he drove off I made a call that someone drunk had just driven away from the bar.”

Her head snapped up. “You did?”

“Yeah, wasn’t going to let him get off scott free. I called when you were talking to Marcus. I checked online, you know how you can check recent arrest’s now with the click of a button?”

She shook her head; she didn’t know such a thing was possible. He pulled her into the living room and fired up his laptop. After clicking a few buttons, Luna flinched when her attacker’s face filled the screen. Hunter had really done a number on him. He was almost unrecognizable with all the bruising. As long as she lived, she would never forget his beady little eyes. 

“He’s probably spending the night in jail, we could go in and make a statement.”

Luna thought it over. She really didn’t want to have to go through a trial. She’d been drinking and had a known reputation as a party girl. A lawyer would rip her to shreds and she knew it. Not to mention, Hunter would get in trouble for assaulting him. It was their word against his. She could already see them twisting it into some jealous quarrel. She shook her head. “It looks like he probably got the message.” 

“I’ll be making another visit in a few days just in case he needs a reminder.” 

Luna looked up and could tell he wasn’t joking. His eyes were cold and his face remote. 

“You don’t have to do that. You’ve done enough.”

“He fucked with my girl. He’s gotta answer to me.”

Surprisingly, she didn’t flinch at the term. 

***

Aimlessly, Luna wandered around the apartment, looking at his book case, and photos of Hunter when he was younger with another boy who looked very much like him. Obviously, his younger brother. There were also images of who she assumed was his mother. She was striking; long, dark hair and the same clear blue eyes that Hunter had. Except hers were warm and his were intense. The family resemblance was strong. No pictures of his father or any sort of father figure, which was something she could relate to. Her own father had bolted on them when she was younger. There were also several pictures of Hunter in uniform with friends. 

If it was possible, he was even hotter in uniform. 

 Zeus’s nails clicked on the floor as he made his way toward her. Luna smiled as he spun in a circle a couple of times, before dropping near her bare feet. Within minutes the poor dog was snoring loudly. 

“He likes you,” Hunter remarked, as he strolled into the room. 

Startled, Luna turned, and he handed her a tall glass of lemonade. “How long have you had him?” 

Hunter hesitated. “Not long, a little over a year. A buddy of mine was killed in Afghanistan, and there was no one to take care of the dog, so I took him in.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear about your friend.”

He shrugged. “It happens in our line of work.”

Luna looked at him for a moment, frowning. “Still, he must have been a good friend.”

“He was.” 

“Always a man of few words, aren’t you?”

“What’s there to say? It was his time.”

“You really believe that?”

“It’s the only thing that makes sense. I’ve seen guys make it through a dozen deployments and firefights, only to be killed by a stray bullet waiting in line to purchase a soda, or in a freak car accident while on leave. When your clock’s up, there’s no way out of it.” 

“Well that’s a depressing thought.” 

Hunter shrugged. “Depends on how you look at it I guess. To me, it means I don’t take a single day for granted.”

That was a good way to view life. 

“I was thinking while looking around your place that I don’t know a lot about you.” 

“What do you want to know?” 

“How’d you get the scar on your stomach?”

His hand froze midair as he was reaching out for her. “Work related. I can’t really talk about it.” 

“Okay, I get that. What about the scars on your back? Are they work related as well?”

His face hardened and the atmosphere between them changed. He stared at her without speaking, and she wondered if he was going to answer her. 

Her stomach clenched. She’d crossed a line that she wasn’t aware was drawn. 

Finally, he blew out a breath. “My father used to knock me around. He was a good for nothing drunk.” There wasn’t a trace of sadness in his beautiful face, but somewhere deep down, she knew he had to hurt. The scars no one could see usually caused more pain than the visible ones. 

His confession surprised her. Luna’s breath caught in her throat, and she turned her body toward his. She knew without a doubt, he was letting her see a part of him that he kept hidden from the rest of the world. 

On impulse, she stepped forward and fingered the jagged scar above his eyebrow. 

“One of the many. I can’t even recall what I did to piss him off that day. Seven stitches. I like that one.” He hesitated. “A reminder every time I look in the mirror of who I don’t want to be.”  

“I’m sorry,” Luna said softly. She tried to imagine Hunter as a scared little boy and she couldn’t conjure up the image. “You must have been terrified of him.”

Hunter gave a harsh laugh. “Terrified? Maybe when I was really little, but as I got older, I was pissed off. I couldn’t wait till I got big enough to give him a taste of his own medicine.”

That image was easier to imagine. She wondered if his father brought out the savagery in him, or if he was born that way. Probably a little of both. “Well, did you?”