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After a moment of internal struggle, I made my decision. “Alright,” I said, my voice low. “You can deal with him, but on one condition—no torture, no killing. I don’t want this escalating into something worse.”
Vincent raised an eyebrow, a sly grin on his lips. “You’ve gone soft, Hunter. But alright, I can keep it clean. Just enough to scare him off for good.”
“Good,” I snapped, pacing back and forth, “but you can’t stay here. I’m going to have to get you somewhere safe.”
Vincent paused at the threshold, turning back to face me. “You’re kicking me out already?”
I stopped pacing and faced him squarely. “It’s not safe for you here, and it’s definitely not safe for me to be harboring a fugitive. I’ll arrange somewhere for you to stay, somewhere off the grid.”
He studied me for a moment, a wry smile playing on his lips. “Always the planner, Hunter. Alright, I’ll lay low somewhere else. But remember, I’m doing you a big favor here.”
“I won’t forget that,” I replied, the weight of our agreement heavy on my shoulders. “I’ll make the arrangements and get in touch. Stay out of sight until then.”
He paused, a curious edge to his tone. “Is she worth all this, Hunter? This woman you’re going to such lengths for?”
I turned to face him, my response immediate and fierce. “Yes, she’s worth it. More than you can imagine. Morgan’s not just someone I care about; she’s become a part of me. I can’t—I won’t—let anything happen to her.”
Vincent raised his eyebrows, seemingly taken aback by the intensity of my feelings. “Well, she must be something special to get the great Hunter Blackwater so riled up.”
“She is,” I said, my voice softening. “She’s everything I didn’t know I was missing. Her laughter, her intelligence, her kindness—she’s changed my world. And I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe, to keep her in my life. I may have a past I’m not proud of, Vincent, but with Morgan, I see a future. A future I want more than anything.”
“Then I’ll make him pay,” he snarled.
“Good.”
* * *
The next day
It had taken quite a bit of work and several favors, but I had managed to ensure Uncle Vincent’s safety on a secluded island in the Caribbean. It was an ideal hideaway—remote, tranquil, and off the radar—offering him a refuge for as long as he needed.
He’d only been in my penthouse for a few hours while Morgan met her friend Zara for brunch, so it was easy to hide his presence from her when she got back home.
This morning, she seemed to be in a good mood as she walked into the kitchen. I smiled and poured her a cup of coffee. We were just sitting down to breakfast, and she still had a sleepy look on her face. Sherlock and Holmes, her two mischievous cats, trailed in behind her, batting playfully at a stray hair tie on the floor.
Morgan took a sip of her coffee, then glanced at the TV where the news played softly. “Anything interesting happening in the world today?” she asked casually, watching Sherlock pounce on Holmes in a mock battle over the hair tie.
“Just the usual political drama and celebrity gossip,” I replied, my gaze shifting between her and the playful antics of the cats. “Nothing too groundbreaking.”
She laughed, watching the cats. “At least we have Sherlock and Holmes to keep us entertained.”
I joined her in watching our pets, feeling a sense of contentment. “They definitely make life more interesting.”
“Breaking news,” a news anchor suddenly announced, her tone a mix of disbelief and professionalism. “Controversial paparazzo Richard Conway was found early this morning in a local movie theater, completely naked and under the influence of unknown substances. Witnesses report he was engaging in lewd behavior before being apprehended by authorities.”
Morgan’s eyes widened in shock, her coffee cup paused mid-air. “That’s… that’s Richard Conway, the guy who was blackmailing us!” she exclaimed, turning to look at me.
As Morgan watched the news story unfold, her eyes narrowed slightly, and she turned to face me, a hint of suspicion in her gaze. “Hunter, this is a bit too convenient, don’t you think? Did you have anything to do with this?”
Honestly, I was a bit proud of her, and rather than keep her in the dark, I decided to tell her everything.
“Morgan, there’s something you should know. My uncle Vincent was here yesterday.”
Her eyes widened in surprise.
I nodded. “He needed a place to lay low, but more importantly, he offered to deal with Conway. This is his doing, not mine.”
“Isn’t this taking it a bit far?” she asked, her eyebrow lifting knowingly.
