he didn’t. Will tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling. Tried to think of a way to say it that might make sense to someone who hadn’t grown up in the Rivers household.
“I know what she was capable of but—” He ignored Hunter’s scoff and continued. “She saved me. She and Peter.”
“How?”
“Never mind.” He glanced at Hunter and tried to forget how hard the news of the death had struck. “The guy who told me about her being dead went into a bit too much detail. It’s not easy to forget.”
The same guy who had planted the seed of doubt about Hunter and questioned his background.
“Who is this guy and where is he now?” Hunter asked.
“His name is Gatt. He showed up near the end, before the explosion, and hung around the country house while we were back in London.”
“Wait—”
“Peter didn’t trust him, but Stacia invited him to stay.” Will had intentionally not learned more. He wasn’t close to his family. He suspected his father had killed his mother, or had it done. Couldn’t prove it, but remembered her planning to run away and then she was just gone. Overheard Stacia and Peter talking about it.
“Stacia had a boyfriend?”
Will couldn’t quite see that, but…“Probably. Does it matter?”
Hunter frowned. “I guess not.”
Truth was, he came from a diseased family tree. That wasn’t a surprise to Will. He didn’t want to care about what happened to any of them, but his brain didn’t seem to work that way. “They used to go at it, her and Peter. My father encouraged it because he believed his children needed to battle in order to earn his respect and the right to hold power. So, they’d fight, and I don’t mean yelling. There was a time before I left for school…”
Hunter’s disinterest vanished. He was fully engaged now. “What?”
“Stacia stabbed Peter. She said they were sparring, learning knife moves or some stupid thing. A coach was right there, but she sliced Peter’s stomach. There was blood everywhere.” Will had been a kid and his father finally agreed to ship him off right after that. Said he needed a better education and that being away would make him more of a man.
“Your brother wasn’t a good guy. Maybe Stacia was defending herself.”
Will laughed as he stood up. “You don’t know as much about the family as you think.”
Hunter frowned. “Meaning?”
“She was the more ruthless one. Possibly worse than my dad, and that’s saying something because he didn’t have a conscience or any boundaries.” She was savvy and the most dedicated to the family name. “Apparently she tried to kill me when I was a baby because she didn’t want another brother. Threatened me several times when I got older, but just as frequently put her body between mine and our father’s hand.”
Hunter shook his head. “Jesus, your family is something.”
“I don’t pretend that I ever truly understood her.”
“She was dangerous.”
“Understatement. There was this car accident that wasn’t much of an accident at all. I was nineteen and home for a holiday and almost died.” He’d been rammed and knocked unconscious. Woke up to see a man coming at him with a knife and barely escaped. “Peter insisted I stay at school from then on. Actually paid me not to come home.”
“I guess none of that should surprise me since you’re heir to a criminal dynasty, not a coffee shop.”
Will paced around the room. Debated putting his pants back on as he tried not to think about how Hunter said the words. Not like any paid bodyguard Will had ever known. “Those are rumors, yes.”
“You’re not that naive. Hell, you’re supposed to be the smart one.” Hunter glanced at his phone, which sat on the floor beside him. “The one with all the fancy degrees.”
“The one who broke away from the family.”
“You can’t sell that to me. I worked for your family.” Hunter stood up and slipped his phone in his front pocket. “I know where all that
“I know what she was capable of but—” He ignored Hunter’s scoff and continued. “She saved me. She and Peter.”
“How?”
“Never mind.” He glanced at Hunter and tried to forget how hard the news of the death had struck. “The guy who told me about her being dead went into a bit too much detail. It’s not easy to forget.”
The same guy who had planted the seed of doubt about Hunter and questioned his background.
“Who is this guy and where is he now?” Hunter asked.
“His name is Gatt. He showed up near the end, before the explosion, and hung around the country house while we were back in London.”
“Wait—”
“Peter didn’t trust him, but Stacia invited him to stay.” Will had intentionally not learned more. He wasn’t close to his family. He suspected his father had killed his mother, or had it done. Couldn’t prove it, but remembered her planning to run away and then she was just gone. Overheard Stacia and Peter talking about it.
“Stacia had a boyfriend?”
Will couldn’t quite see that, but…“Probably. Does it matter?”
Hunter frowned. “I guess not.”
Truth was, he came from a diseased family tree. That wasn’t a surprise to Will. He didn’t want to care about what happened to any of them, but his brain didn’t seem to work that way. “They used to go at it, her and Peter. My father encouraged it because he believed his children needed to battle in order to earn his respect and the right to hold power. So, they’d fight, and I don’t mean yelling. There was a time before I left for school…”
Hunter’s disinterest vanished. He was fully engaged now. “What?”
“Stacia stabbed Peter. She said they were sparring, learning knife moves or some stupid thing. A coach was right there, but she sliced Peter’s stomach. There was blood everywhere.” Will had been a kid and his father finally agreed to ship him off right after that. Said he needed a better education and that being away would make him more of a man.
“Your brother wasn’t a good guy. Maybe Stacia was defending herself.”
Will laughed as he stood up. “You don’t know as much about the family as you think.”
Hunter frowned. “Meaning?”
“She was the more ruthless one. Possibly worse than my dad, and that’s saying something because he didn’t have a conscience or any boundaries.” She was savvy and the most dedicated to the family name. “Apparently she tried to kill me when I was a baby because she didn’t want another brother. Threatened me several times when I got older, but just as frequently put her body between mine and our father’s hand.”
Hunter shook his head. “Jesus, your family is something.”
“I don’t pretend that I ever truly understood her.”
“She was dangerous.”
“Understatement. There was this car accident that wasn’t much of an accident at all. I was nineteen and home for a holiday and almost died.” He’d been rammed and knocked unconscious. Woke up to see a man coming at him with a knife and barely escaped. “Peter insisted I stay at school from then on. Actually paid me not to come home.”
“I guess none of that should surprise me since you’re heir to a criminal dynasty, not a coffee shop.”
Will paced around the room. Debated putting his pants back on as he tried not to think about how Hunter said the words. Not like any paid bodyguard Will had ever known. “Those are rumors, yes.”
“You’re not that naive. Hell, you’re supposed to be the smart one.” Hunter glanced at his phone, which sat on the floor beside him. “The one with all the fancy degrees.”
“The one who broke away from the family.”
“You can’t sell that to me. I worked for your family.” Hunter stood up and slipped his phone in his front pocket. “I know where all that
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