Moments of Malevolence (The Hunters Book 1)

AFTER THE SHOWER, I went to my room and didn’t come out. Zuko didn’t attempt to come in last night either.

I woke up this morning feeling better, like I can move now without wanting to cry. When I get up and leave my room, I find him in the kitchen wearing nothing but a pair of basketball shorts. He eyes me from over his shoulder as I make my way to him.

“This is the best my kitchen has ever smelled,” I tell him.

“You do know you shouldn’t store shoes in the oven?” he questions.

“I ran out of room everywhere else.” I shrug and notice he’s cooking an omelet in one pan and bacon in the other.

“Where did you get the fry pans from?”

“You really don’t have anything in this place. How do you survive?”

I step over to the freezer and pull it open to show him my frozen dinners. “Quick and easy.” I smile, closing the door.

“You’re looking better.” His eyes assess me. I am wearing a nightie, one that’s loose enough it doesn’t cling to my skin so I can move without it hurting.

“I feel better,” I reply. “You cooked enough for me too, right?”

“This is all for you. I ate already.” He gets a plastic plate from the cabinet, and I can’t help but laugh at the face he pulls. He says nothing and starts to plate up the food while I watch him with interest.

Who is this man?

I mean, I think I know him.

But then he shows me glimpses of another side of him and I wonder how much you can ever know a man.

“I have a favor to ask you,” he says.

“Hmm…” I mumble as he places the food in front of me. “Is that why you cooked?”

“No, I cooked because you clearly are missing substance in your meals.” He nods to it. “And protein.”

“I like to get my protein another way.” I smirk. “How much would you say is in a man’s cum?” I question. If looks could make you drop your skirt, the one he’s giving me right now would do it. His lashes lift, and ever so slowly, his eyes find mine. I’ve heard of smolder before, but I’ve never actually witnessed it—until now.

This man knows how to smolder.

“I have a dinner to attend tonight, but it’s a weird dinner. I wouldn’t ask you to go, but I don’t want to leave you alone. My brothers and Pops will be there. And I trust no one else with your safety but me.”

“Safety?” I question, with a mouth full of eggs.

“Yes.”

“You think Sarah will try again? I mean, you did cut her finger off,” I remind him.

She wouldn’t be that stupid, right? Even if she is really stupid.

“Will you come?”

“What do I wear? And is it a date?” My lips curve up into a wide smile.

“You’ll wear a masquerade mask to hide who you are. No one is to know your identity at this party. If they ask for your name, you’ll give them a fake one.”

“Mmm… okay.”

“This is not a joke,” he says seriously, reaching over and gripping my hand. “I need you to repeat to me that you will not tell anyone your name.”

I nod my head and pick up a piece of bacon. “Okay, okay. I get it.”

“I have a dress being delivered soon. And a mask to match.”

“What if I don’t like it?” I keep on chewing the delicious bacon, nothing beats that crunch and salty flavor.

“You will.” He starts to clean up and huffs when he doesn’t find what he’s after.

The doorbell rings, and before I can get up to answer, he’s already there, opening the door and reaching out for something. He shuts the door and returns with two garment bags and places one of the bags on the counter next to me. I wipe my hands on my nightie and unzip the bag so I can see my dress.

It’s black with lace around the bodice and a Cinderella-like skirt. I run my hand along the silk and smile up at him.

“It’s beautiful, especially considering how much you hate shopping. You chose well.”

“It’s nothing special. I did it online,” he replies, carrying the other garment bag, which I assume to be his suit, to the couch. He places it down and grabs something before he heads to the shower. I hear the water turn on, and it takes everything in me not to go and join him. Instead, I sit there finishing my breakfast and staring at the dress.

When I hear the shower turn off, I look up to watch him walk out with a towel around his waist.

“I’ve asked your friend to come over and stay with you. I have to do some work today.”

“What type of work?” I ask suspiciously.

“I need to close a few accounts.” He winks, slipping on a black T-shirt before he drops his towel and picks up his black jeans, sliding them up his legs. He pulls on his boots and picks up his phone before he saunters over to where I’m still seated at the counter.

“Have you ever killed anyone you know for money?” I ask.

He doesn’t hesitate when he answers, “Yep.”

“What if you got a hit on me? Would you do that?”

“It’s not so much hits we deal with. We hunt what others can’t find, and we always find what we are after.”

“Sounds so scary.”

“I’m scary.”

The doorbell rings again, and he goes to answer it as I mumble, “I’ve never had this many people come to my door before.” I hear Louise’s bright, bubbly voice as Zuko lets her in.

I pick up my drink and nod to Louise. “How do you know she won’t kill me?” I ask him.

“She won’t. I know everything there is to know about her. Even down to her fucking your ex-boss.” I choke on my coffee, and Louise’s face goes bright red. “It’s my job to know things.” Then he’s out the door without a goodbye, leaving Louise and me staring at each other.

“He—”

“He’s a lot,” I tell her. “So, about you and Jeff. Care to tell me more?”

“Nope, that’s done. Time for me to move on. Oh, what’s that?” She catches sight of the dress, and her hands run along the silk skirt exactly as mine did only moments ago. “This is very pretty.”

“Thanks. Zuko is taking me to some party or something later.”

Her eyes do a quick scan over me. “Let’s put curlers in your hair and set them.”

“I can do my own hair,” I tell her. “Plus, the party isn’t until tonight.”

“Awesome. A mani-pedi is what we’ll do, then. Now, Zuko did say not to leave, but I saw a nail salon just down the road. Think he would mind?” She bites her lip at that question.

“Who cares if he does.” I give her an eye roll as I rise from the stool. “Let me get changed real quick. I could use a good pedicure.” I go to my room and slip on a maxi dress that hugs my breasts but flows down my body. After sliding on some sandals that will be easy for the pedicure, I walk out to see Louise typing away on her phone.

“Zuko said to stay in the house.” She pouts.

“He can go fuck himself.” I smile, grabbing my purse. “Let’s go.” I stroll to the door, but she doesn’t follow.

“He won’t…you know…hurt me, will he?” she asks worriedly.

“No,” I lie.

Well, I hope he won’t, but I don’t know for sure.

“Okay, good.” She grins and jumps up from the couch.

We step outside and decide it’s best to walk down to the salon. Louise fills me on the jobs she’s been searching for and skips all the parts about Jeff when I ask her how she’s been. I don’t push. I wouldn’t want to go into detail about fucking someone either if that someone was Jeff.

When we arrive at the salon, we sit down next to each other and are offered drinks. Louise holds up two fingers and tells them two wines. I don’t want to tell her that wine doesn’t mix well with my medication, but then I realize I never took any today, so it should be fine.

We order more wine and chat about nothing and everything. It’s nice to have a girlie conversation. I don’t make friends easily because other girls are either intimidated by me or jealous, but Louise is neither.

Just as our nails are drying, the door opens, and in walks Zuko. It’s amusing to me how all eyes go to him. He doesn’t seem to notice or care though, as he strides straight to where I am seated. He grabs the glass from my hand and pulls it away. His eyes are deadly as he grips hold of the stem, and I swear he is holding it so tightly that any minute it will break away from the glass.

“I thought…” He takes a deep breath. “Are you done?” he asks, clearly unamused and not happy with us. He hasn’t even peered at Louise because he’s completely fucked off right now.

“Almost. How do my nails look?” I ask him, holding out my hands.

He peers down at them. “Good! Now come on.”

I lift my toes. “How do they look?” I say, wiggling them.

“Good enough to eat.”

I hear someone sigh at his words but don’t check to see who. He pulls out a few hundred-dollar bills and pays the ladies who just did our nails.

“You need to tip,” I tell him. He pulls out another hundred and passes it to the lady, who gushes and smiles, thanking him over and over.

“You weren’t supposed to drink,” he reminds me, handing the glass to the lady, who can’t stop saying thank you to him.

“It was only one glass.”

“Trouble… I can see the empty glass next to you.”

“Okay, it was two. But technically, you took my third.” I bite my lip.

He offers me his hand, and I wave at my shoes. He bends and picks them up, sliding them on my feet one at a time, careful not to touch my polish as he does.

“Are you hungry?” he asks.

I look to Louise, who nods her head.

“We’re starving. Drinking and self-care can really take a lot out of a woman, you know.” I wink and then stand. He holds on to me, making sure a hand is touching me at all times.

Making our way down the street on foot, Louise follows close behind. When we enter a restaurant not too far away, he pulls out my chair, letting me sit, then pulls out the chair for Louise.

“I want a cocktail,” I announce.

“No!” He growls out the word succinctly as the waiter arrives at our table. He orders for the whole table, not giving us a chance to check over the menu.

“What if Louise is allergic to what you just ordered?” I sit back in my seat and study him.

“She isn’t.”

“You can find that information as well?” I ask, amused.

“Yes.”

“What have you learned about me?”

“You…” He sits back and eyes me up and down. “What makes you think I did research on you?”

“Oh, you did. Now, tell me… What did you learn?”

“When you were born, you were born addicted. Your mother was high throughout her pregnancy. She left a note pinned to you that said she couldn’t handle your screams, so she dropped you off at a fire station and never looked back. As far as I can tell, she is still high as fuck to this day. And from the age of two, you went from foster home to foster home.”

His words jolt me. I don’t know anything about my mother. Not even what she looks like. I never really cared to ask or search for her because someone who loves you wouldn’t treat you that way. “It’s why you don’t do drugs, am I correct?”

“Correct,” I answer quietly. “Plus, alcohol works just fine for me.”

I raise a brow.

“You also like it when I touch you. Any touch of mine…me holding your leg, my hands between your legs—”

“Well, I should go,” Louise says, obviously feeling slightly awkward.

“No, stay and eat.” I reach for her hand, and she sits back down.

“You also hate to be touched, especially with affection. But not by me.”

“Oh, yes, she hates it when I cuddle her, so I make sure to do it every time I see her to get her used to it.” Louise laughs.

“You do it on purpose?” I question.

“Of course I do. And because you are the best friend a girl could have. Even if you hate cuddles, I love them, so you will take them.”

“I’m gonna start kicking you now every time you cuddle me,” I threaten, just as the food is placed in front of us.

“You won’t. You love me too much.”

Damn! She’s right. I do.

I look to both of these people who are now fixtures in my life and I wonder how I got here.

I’ve never had anyone—it’s always been me against the world.

But now, I have two people who look after me. Granted, one wants to kill me when he fucks me.

But even then, I keep coming back for more.