Hidden Plan

Hunter

"Lucia, what happened in there?" I asked as I pulled the car over in the garage. "What did your father tell you?"

Her mouth pressed into a thin line. "Nothing."

My eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What do you mean nothing?"

"You heard me Hunter. My father refused to talk to me about Hailey Young. Who the hell is she? What exactly is going on here? It's obvious you know some things that I don't." She snapped.

I understood her frustration, but I couldn't tell her everything. Knowing was dangerous, it was what had gotten her father behind bars, and I couldn't let her become another victim of this dark world. I hadn’t been able to save my mother years ago, but I wouldn’t fail to save Lucia .

"Why did you come back?" She asked.

"I think you should go back inside the house." I said.

Her jaw tightened. "Why did you kiss me?"

"Go inside, Lucia." I growled.

"Don't you dare give me orders, Hunter. I don't know what's going on here, but my father is so close to being free, don't fuck this up for him and me, because of some crazy urge to be a hero."

I was very far from being a hero. She reached for the handle of the car door and i grabbed her hand, stopping her. "I came back for my father...and for you." I admitted. It was only part of the truth of course, but it was all she needed to know for now.

She tried to snatch her hand away, but I held fast, pulling her forward till our faces were barely an inch apart. Her eyes went wide, fear and desire sparking in them.

The first day I'd ever set my eyes on Lucia, I'd thought I'd seen an angel, and even all these years later, she was still the most exquisite woman I'd ever seen.

Just as I leaned closer, my focus shifted to over her shoulder. Irritation curled through me as I spotted my father marching towards the car, looking less than impressed.

Lucia followed my gaze, then let out a horrified squeak, jumping out of the car. "Christian, I can explain."

He grabbed her arm, and yanked her forward, mouth peeling back into a snarl. "What the hell were you thinking? How dare you disobey my clear orders and run off to go see your father?"

"Christian_"

"Whose side are you on!" He snapped at her. "You stupid bitch, you embarrassed me today, and I'm not going to let you get off lightly."

"Let me go, you're hurting me." She screamed.

I leaped forward to save her from his grasp, and at the same time, he raised his hand into the air and brought it down on her face in a deafening crack. With a scream, she fell to the floor, cheeks blooming red, her eyes wide with fright.

"Get inside, now!" He barked, stepping toward her again.

I caught him by his shoulder, yanking him back. I wanted more than anything to break his jaw, but I couldn't act rash now. I had to control myself in order to achieve what I returned to New York for.

He shrugged out of my hold, but by then, Lucia had fled into the safety of the house. Before I could brace myself, his fist came down on my face, in a weak, disappointing hit.

I smirked at him, enjoying the anger that filled his face when he saw the punch didn't even faze me.

"Six years away and you still return as foolish as the day I exiled you." My father sneered at me. "But then again, what did I expect from the weak son of that whore?"

My fingers curled into fists at my sides. "My mother wasn't a whore."

"Your disgrace of a mother is whatever I say she is." He laughed. "I see you have a soft spot for Lucia. How unexpected."

I froze for a moment. I couldn’t let him know I cared the slightest bit for her. So I let out a snort. "I don't care about that gold digging, air head, don't kid yourself."

He searched my expression suspiciously. "Remember, Hunter, I once ruined your life and I can easily do it again. You're back here only because of my benevolence. If you dare to cross me, well, I don't need to say much, you should know best what I'm capable of."

My father stepped closer, his cold blue eyes holding mine. "When I say jump, the only thing I want out of your mouth is how high."

"I'm not going to become one of your lackeys."

" You'll become whatever I want. Or you'll lose everything again in the blink of an eye. Don't test me." He warned. "Remember, Son, going up against me is futile. I have endless power, while you're nothing but a child in adult clothes. You won't win against me."

I bit back my smirk. My father still thought I was the helpless kid from six years ago who he had tossed out in the middle of the night. He was in for a surprise.

He turned to walk away, but stopped at the last second, turning to look at me over his shoulder. "And one more thing, son. Stay the hell away from my wife."

My jaws ground together. "Of course."

I watched him march back into the house, hatred for him boiling to the surface. For years, I'd dreamt about the day I'd finally watch Christian beg for mercy on his knees. It was just a matter of time before that dream became reality.

But first, I was going to make Lucia mine.

Revenge for my mother's death would come later.