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“Cared?” Hunter scoffs, but Keira ignores him.
“He did it so you’d realize he was there,” she says. “Watching you wasn’t enough. Having your photographs wasn’t enough. He needed you to be a part of it, too, even after you’d explained how frightening it was for you. That wasn’t what he wanted to hear, you see… so he ignored it.” She lets out a sigh. “It’s like when you fall in love, and you want the other person to know, and understand… and feel it, too, even if they don’t.”
“This isn’t love,” I murmur, unwilling to think about that sigh and what might have happened between her and Hunter.
“No. It’s weird and creepy,” she says, shaking her head. “But to him, it was love.”
“Tell me you’re gonna inform the cops,” Hunter says.
Keira gives him a pitying look. “I gave all the details to one of my contacts this morning. They picked him up before I came here.”
“What about his wife and his daughters?” I’m mumbling, barely able to speak, the relief is so intense.
“They’re not your problem,” Keira says.
“She’s right.” Hunter gets up, coming around the desk and crouching beside me. “He made vows to his wife. He broke them. It’s not your responsibility, Livia. It was his.”
I look into his eyes. They’re shining into mine, and although I know it can’t happen, I long for him to hold me, to take all the scattered, muddled pieces of me and put them back together again.
“I’ll be going,” Keira says, getting to her feet and breaking the spell. Hunter stands and goes to her, shaking her hand, which seems very formal for two people who were once lovers. But then he said that to her the other day, didn’t he? Or words to that effect.
“Don’t forget to invoice me, not the company,” he says.
“You can count on it.”
She leaves and I struggle to my feet. I might be relieved, but it’s like a wave of fatigue sweeping over me, as though the lifting of my worries has left me sapped of energy, and I realize I’ve been living on adrenalin and very little else for the last few days.
“You should go home,” Hunter says, and I turn to face him.
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. You’re dead on your feet. You said earlier you’ve barely slept since this started, so go home.”
“A—Are you sure?” I feel guilty, but I’m too tired to be useful here.
“Positive.”
“Thank you.” He turns away. “Hunter?” He spins back, looking at me. “I mean it. Thank you. For everything.”
He shakes his head. “You don’t have to thank me.”
“If you let me know how much Keira’s invoice is, I’ll…”
He holds up his hand, stopping me mid-sentence. “Don’t even go there.”
“But…”
“This is on me, Livia.”
I don’t have the energy to argue. “Th—Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, go home and get some rest.” I turn around, getting to the door before he calls me back. “There’s just one thing.”
“Yes?”
“It doesn’t matter right now because he’s not here…”
“Who’s not here?”
