So Rare (Boys of South Chapel #3)

39. Hunter

Chapter 39

Hunter

NOW

I’m brushing my teeth when a commotion down the hall catches my attention. This is it. The nurse who’s going to take our blood has arrived.

Quickly, I finish and rinse out my mouth, then stare somberly at my reflection in the mirror.

My eyes still look tired, their usual sparkle dulled by the dark bags that have been ever-present since my mother returned to North Carolina. I’ve been without my usual skincare and makeup products for days. Thankfully, I’ve made liberal use of Joey’s stash during our time at the Crusade mansion.

“Tem?” Greedy calls.

“Coming.” I splash my face with cold water and pinch my cheeks to bring a bit of color back to my face and call it good, then I make my way down the hall, following the cacophony of voices and chatter in the kitchen.

I haven’t had any matcha yet today, so my brain is a bit slow on the uptake. It’s only after the familiar, husky laugh of a man I’ve known most of my life rises above the chatter that realization slams into me.

I jog past the pantry and weight room, desperate to confirm that I’m not imagining it.

My heartbeat is racing double-time as I dash into the kitchen.

“ Joey ?”

My best friend turns around and grins, and I nearly bowl her over as I wrap her in the biggest hug. I fight back tears of relief and joy, my chest trembling with emotion as she returns my embrace.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

She pulls back enough to meet my gaze, her bright blue eyes filled with concern. “You needed me.” Her words are succinct, as if it’s a no-brainer. As if ending her honeymoon early to check in on me is perfectly reasonable.

In her arms, as she hugs me back fiercely, I close my eyes and soak in the comfort of her nearness. Just being in her proximity eases the stress weighing on me.

When I was younger, no one ever showed up for me simply because I needed them. My dad traveled for work nearly every week. My mom only wanted my company when she needed something from me. My old habits of running when things got tough robbed me of the opportunity to ever rely on anyone. The way I saw it, if I didn’t count on anyone but myself, I could never be disappointed.

I didn’t realize how much joy, hope, and love I was shutting out by living my life that way. Between my men and my best friend, I know I’ll never be alone in a time of need again. They show up. Not because they have to, but because they want to.

“I really did need you. Thank you.” The words are whispered into her hair as I give her another squeeze.

“Uh, Hunter?” Joey asks.

“Hmm?”

“Who’s your new friend?”

My cheeks heat at the call out. Scrunching my nose, I fight back a grimace, then put on my big girl panties and introduce my bestie to man number four.

“Joey, guys, this is Sione. We met in Italy a few years ago and, well, he’s going to be sticking around for a while.”

To their credit, Joey’s guys don’t crack any jokes or make things awkward. They gather around Sione and take turns greeting him and offering him handshakes and back smacks.

Smirking, Joey leans in close. “Girl, please tell me this is the last of them. I’m not sure Greedy can handle anyone else.”

I snort. She’s not wrong.

“There’s no one else,” I assure her, looking on as the guys all make introductions.

Locke breaks away from the pack first. He strides to us, mischief dancing behind his eyes. “Damn, Hunter,” he teases, pulling me into his massive, tatted arms for a hug. He’s so solid and warm. Joey is so lucky to have him in her life.

“You claiming a spot in the Shittiest Parents Club with Cap and me wasn’t on my bingo card.”

Sighing, I pull away and give him an unamused eye roll. “Believe me, Nicky. I had no desire to join the club. We don’t get a say in the hand we’re dealt or the family we’re born into.”

His eyes flash with sadness, then soften. “Don’t I know it.” Cupping the back of my head, he angles in and places a quick kiss to my forehead. “We’re all glad you’re okay.”

“We are,” Kendrick confirms, splaying one enormous hand over Joey’s abdomen and holding her tenderly. “You’re not alone in this, St. Clair. We’ll do anything in our power to help protect you from your ma.”

Emotion clogs my throat. I know he would. They all would.

Decker and Kylian come over next, forming a loose circle that my guys end up joining as well.

“You’re physically okay?” Decker asks, inspecting me like he has to check me over himself to believe it. It’s very on-brand for Joey’s control-loving husband.

“Physically, yes.”

I leave it at that, and he doesn’t dig deeper.

I’ve got a lot of emotions to sort through and a lot of trauma to heal from. That’ll be the real work of recovering from this ordeal. But I know in my heart of hearts I can’t even think about any of that until Magnolia is no longer an imminent threat.

“What can we do to help?” Decker asks.

“This helps.” I hug Joey again, still blown away that they’d come home early for this.

“I’m serious. What else can we do for you?” His question is laced with desperation, and his eyes fill with determination as he surveys each of my guys.

Resting my head on Joey’s shoulder, I play-punch him in the arm in an attempt to lighten the mood. “Don’t you think cutting your honeymoon short for me was enough, Cap?”

His obsidian eyes darken as he hits me with a disapproving scowl.

Before I even realize what he’s doing, he’s wrapping Joey and me up in a hug. His hold on us is intense, as if he’s still trying to convince himself that I’m here.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers as he holds me. “Back then? In high school? I had no idea what your mom was like or what you were going through at home. I wish you would have told me. I don’t know if—”

I shake my head. There’s no reason for him to blame himself for something neither of us could have fixed, let alone begun to understand when we were just kids.

“I wasn’t even fully aware of what was happening back then,” I tell him. “Between my parents’ divorce and all that happened the summer after graduation…” I look to Greedy and Levi. “I downplayed her behavior to everyone, including myself. I don’t know if I was secretly trying to protect her, or—”

“It was survival,” Kylian chimes in, the statement flat and logical.

Survival .

The innate desire to stay alive.

My instinctive need to endure… then, eventually, to run.

It was always a means of survival.

“Yeah,” I finally reply. “It was survival.” Images of the lonely nights I spent holed up in my room assault me. All the times I snuck down to the kitchen in the middle of the night, starving, because I’d locked myself away all day to avoid my mom’s unpredictable mood.

Joey slinks out of her husband’s hold and shuffles over to Kylian.

Decker wraps both arms around me, hugging me even tighter. “I’m still sorry. If I had any idea, I would have done everything in my power to help.”

I know he would have, because that’s the kind of man he is to his core. He’s always been a leader, but more importantly, he’s always been a protector. Decker Crusade takes care of his people, full stop.

“Right. Well, then.” Spence clears his throat. “I’ve witnessed just about as much physical affection between my girl and this group of men I’ve literally just met as I can tolerate. I think we can wrap this up now.”

Levi tucks his chin and snickers.

“They’re fine . Relax, your royal highness,” Greedy teases.

“I will not relax , Garrett. He has his hands all over her. I don’t even know these blokes, save for Walsh.”

Decker’s chest shakes with laughter. I keep my arms wrapped around his waist and hold on tight. Riling up Spence has become a beloved pastime for our group. May as well let Joey’s “cohort” in on the fun, too.

“He’s fine.” Greedy strides over to Joey, snags her hand, and pulls her into a hug. “Now we’re even, okay?”

He smirks at Spence, who’s looking less and less amused and more like he wants to spank Greedy for his defiance.

Now that is a visual I wasn’t expecting. I bite my bottom lip at the thought and the sudden flicker of heat in my belly.

“I can assure you that Crusade’s heart belongs to one person only.” Greedy playfully ruffles Joey’s hair.

With a shriek, she tries to spin out of his arms. But rather than let her go, he guides her over to where Decker and I stand and plants a kiss on my shoulder.

He pulls back, his gaze fixed on mine but his words intended for my best friend. “Thanks for coming back, Joze. She really did need you.”

Joey’s eyes well with tears, making mine do the same. I’m so damn grateful she’s here and that she so willingly and openly loves me, messy parts and all.

“You’re welcome,” she whispers to Greedy. “She needs you, too, ya know.”

Eyes softening, Greedy zeroes in on me. “Yeah,” he chokes out. “I know that now.”