Wild Thing (21 page)

“Hunter, we’re about to leave. Where are you going?”

Son of a bitch. Bianca had followed. “I forgot something in my cabin. I’ll meet you at the river. James and everyone know how to get there. Just give me a few minutes.”

Bianca walked toward him and grasped his wrist. “Hunter, Toni is packing. She has a lot of work to catch up on in the city. She’s fine. You know she’s not a fan of the river, and since I’m here, there’s really no reason she should spend the day on the edge of a panic attack, is there?”

He stepped out of her grasp. “Packing? Toni wouldn’t just leave without saying anything. I’ll be there in a minute.” He left, feeling Bianca’s eyes on him the whole way out the door.

Something was very wrong, and he knew it. Toni had come a long way in conquering her fear, and she was a trooper. She wouldn’t let them go down the river without her. This was her shoot, and she’d never let Bianca take over without a fight. He hightailed it to the cabin. Relief crashed over him when he opened the door and found Toni packing. He rushed up to her and pulled her into a hug. “What happened?”

Toni pulled away and continued to empty the contents of her underwear drawer into the suitcase open on the bed. “Bianca has work for me back at the office. I have to leave sooner than expected. What happened to you?”

What could he say?
Bianca
kissed
me, she offered me the deal of a lifetime, and I’m scared to death of losing you?
All in the two minutes he had before Bianca herself came calling? He didn’t think so.

Toni stared into Hunter’s beautiful green eyes and braced herself for the truth—the whole noncandy-coated, ugly truth he’d promised.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” She might not be sure what had happened between him and Bianca, but she knew something had. “Nothing happened?”

“No. I just went to the meeting and was concerned when you weren’t there. Fisher and Trapper thought you weren’t feeling well, so I wanted to check on you.”

“Nothing happened?” He didn’t try to candy coat it. He just lied. Something happened—something he wouldn’t talk to her about.

“Listen babe, you don’t have to leave now, do you? Just stay here, and we’ll talk when I come back. We’ll decide what to do then, okay? I’ll be back by two o’clock or so.”

“I know the schedule. I wrote it.” The terrible pain she’d been holding off slammed into her and then was gone. It was replaced by a somehow familiar numbness. Hunter held her tight in his arms, and still she felt nothing. Maybe she had learned the cure for magnetic attraction after all.

“I’ll see you when I get back. Don’t worry. We’ll work everything out. I love you.”

Toni nodded and collapsed on the bed when she heard the screen slam shut behind him. He loved her. Sure he did. How many times would she give him the benefit of the doubt? Would she wait years, like her mother had, making excuses for her second husband’s incessant cheating? No. But Toni would hear Hunter out—if for nothing else than for her own piece of mind. She’d promised. And unlike some, she didn’t renege on her promises.

When she could take a normal breath, Toni continued to pack and absentmindedly tossed the book her mother had sent her into her backpack.

She’d told Bianca she might not leave until the morning, so she could stay and hear Hunter out. Then maybe it was time to go home, take a good look at her life, and figure out how to make it less anemic.

Toni kicked off her boots and slipped on her Vans. There was little chance of leaving her boots in Hunter’s closet, so she’d do the next best thing. She grabbed his duffel bag from under the bed to deposit her boots, unzipped it, and found the book her mother had given her with a bunch of papers stuck in it like an oversized bookmark.

“Wait a minute.” She glanced at her backpack. This wasn’t her book. Removing the sheaf of papers, she laid them on the nightstand and thumbed through the book. Handwritten notes were scrawled in the margins throughout—some with her name underlined twice. Hunter’s notes.

Toni felt as if she hovered above herself, reading his comments and realizing her entire relationship with the only person who ever claimed to love her was nothing but a joke. Hunter had read the book and played her like Jimi Hendrix played his Fender Strat.

Why Hunter had done it was a mystery, but she’d known enough men to know sometimes there was no rhyme or reason for the hurtful things they did. To see how far they could go or what they could get away with was usually sufficient incentive. In Hunter’s case, he’d gotten away with her heart.

Toni looked around their joke of a love nest as the walls closed in on her. She tried her cell, remembered its uselessness, and tossed it into her backpack before grabbing the landline to call for reservations.

Toni listened to the Muzak playing and the recording thanking her for her patience. The only thing holding Toni together was the need to be far away from Hunter before he returned. No explanations necessary—she’d read the writing in the margins.

She didn’t know how he’d gotten a copy of the book. Sure, there were bookstores in Sun Valley and Ketchum, but she didn’t remember him leaving the inn without her. It had to have been Karma—she must have brought it to him, which meant his brothers probably knew too. God, she was the joke of the entire family. Hunter had played her from the first day, and everyone was in on it. He’d done it with forethought, malice, and help.

“May I help you?” The Muzak had stopped, and a real human voice drew Toni back to earth.

Toni cleared her dry throat. “Yes. I need a ticket from Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey, Idaho, to JFK. What’s your next available flight?”

When she had come back from the meeting, she’d dropped her clipboard on the table by the door. Too bad the old-fashioned phone cord wouldn’t reach that far. She grabbed the first piece of paper she saw, something from KidSports, and scribbled her itinerary on the back along with the number for Sun Valley Limo.

She disconnected the call and dialed the limo service. “Hello, this is Toni Russo, and I need a limo from The Sawtooth Inn to the Hailey airport as soon as possible. When can you get here?” Checking her watch, she nearly groaned. “Noon would be fine, but earlier would be better. If something opens up, I’m in cabin seven.” She gave them all the necessary information and paid with her corporate credit card. At least she had a plan. Apparently, that was all she was good for.

Toni finished packing and tried to decide what to do about Hunter. She’d never broken up with someone before and wasn’t sure how. She would rather just leave, never to be heard from again, since the thought of having to see Hunter was too painful to imagine. Maybe she’d leave the book opened to that interesting section he’d highlighted about insecurities and baggage. That would suit her just fine.

Dragging her luggage behind her, Toni gathered Hunter’s papers and his copy of the book. The words
Deal Memo
caught her eye. She did a double take and wondered how documents from her office got here.

The memo was written on the template Toni had designed. It was copied to Hunter Kincaid, River Runners Camp; Bianca Ferrari, Action Models; and Kevin Shultz, KidSports. “So that was the hush-hush deal Bianca had been busy negotiating.” A deal with Hunter, a man Bianca wanted, and working together would put them in very close proximity. Knowing Bianca, that was exactly what she had planned. Now the kiss was beginning to make more sense.

Toni scanned the memo and nodded. It was everything necessary to obtain Hunter’s goal, maybe more than he needed. Of course it contained more strings than the inside of a regulation baseball. Toni knew how much Hunter wanted that camp, and Bianca had just handed it to him on a silver platter. How could he refuse Bianca and not the deal? Why would he?

Toni waited for another slash of pain, but it didn’t come. She figured by this time there was nothing left of her heart to break. Her eyes burned, and she blinked a few times. Feeling like a ghost looking down at herself going through the motions, she wondered when the numbness would wear off. She set the book and the memo on the table for Hunter to see when he returned. He was a bright guy. He’d figure it out eventually.

Toni removed her copy of the book from her bag. Lord knew she didn’t need it now. The last thing in the world she ever wanted to do was put herself in the position to feel this way again.

Glancing around the cabin once more, Toni made sure she’d remembered everything and wished she’d never stepped foot in Idaho. She tossed her key card on the table, grabbed the boots she’d planned to leave at Hunter’s, and tossed them and her book where they belonged—in the trash.

Rolling her bags out the door, Toni decided she’d rather wait alone in the middle of the freakin’ forest than in the cabin she’d shared with Hunter.

Chapter 17

Hunter jumped out of the van and headed to the cabin. Without Toni being there to keep the shoot moving, the day had taken much longer than they’d planned. Bianca had been unprepared, even with Toni’s notes. She should have known that and let Toni do her job.

He’d negotiated the waters and the people with a sense of impending doom. He’d lied to Toni. Sure he told himself he hadn’t had the time to tell her the truth, but when it came right down to it, he’d been afraid to. He’d been afraid of the look he knew he’d see in her eyes. Afraid of letting her down. Afraid of losing her.

He’d spent the entire day worried about Toni, Emilio, the camp, and the deal with Bianca. He dropped his gear on the porch, slid the key card in the lock, and stepped into the cabin.

“Toni?”

The second he saw her boots and the book in the trash can, all the air left his lungs. She was gone. The memo and his well-read copy of that same book stared up at him as he crumpled onto a chair beside the table. Toni’d found out and left. He sat staring at the evidence of his stupidity. Sure, he’d just gotten the book as a joke at first, but then he used it to try to win her over. Toni would only see the negative.

The ringing of his phone cut through the fog of shock and self-recrimination. “River Runners.” Hunter didn’t recognize his own voice. It sounded as if it came from far away.

“Hunter, it’s Pat.”

“Can I call you back? It’s a really bad time.”

“It’s not going to get any better. Listen, there’s no easy way to say this. Emilio got busted last night.”

“For what?” Hunter tried to draw a breath, but seemed incapable.

“Drugs. He’s not talking. He must be protecting his buddies. The police are holding him. It’s not looking good. I’m sorry, Hunter.”

“When’s the bond hearing?”

“We’re not sure. The day after tomorrow maybe.”

The image of Emilio behind bars danced before his eyes.

“Let me know. I’ll be there.”

“Hunter, that’s not necessary.”

“If Emilio was here, if I’d spent more time with him, he wouldn’t be in jail now. My presence at the bond hearing is necessary. Just let me know the details. And Pat, tell his mother… Milana… tell her I’m sorry.” Hunter barely choked that out. His throat felt as if someone had him in a headlock. He’d promised Emilio’s mother he’d look after him. He’d screwed that up too.

“You did the best you could. Milana knows that. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

The hell he didn’t. He was too controlling, too stubborn, and too damn proud to ask for help, and Emilio paid the price. “Just tell her, okay.”

“Sure. I’ll call you when I have more information. And Hunter?”

“What?”

“Take care of yourself. There’s only so much you can give before it starts taking you down. You did all the right things. Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you can’t save them.”

“I should have kept Emilio with me. I should have made it happen. If he were here, he’d be safe.”

“Emilio should have been at the shelter with his mother and little brother. You didn’t put the drugs in his pocket, nor are you responsible for him being out on the streets after curfew. He’s going to pay the price, Hunter. You can’t.”

“I gotta go, Pat. Bye.” Hunter ended the call, tossing his phone on the table as if it were a poisonous snake, and stared into space. Emilio was in jail, Toni was gone, and Hunter was responsible for both.

***

Hunter packed his things and was just about to leave when Trapper, Fisher, and Karma walked in without knocking.

Trapper picked Toni’s boots out of the trash. “Problem, little Brother?”

Karma slugged Trapper then put her arm around Hunter. “What happened? God, you look like you’ve just lost your best friend.”

“I did. Toni’s gone and Emilio—”

She pulled away to look at him. “What about Emilio?”

“He’s in jail. He got picked up for drugs last night.”

“I’m so sorry.” Karma pulled him in tight.

Jail for a kid like Emilio could very well be a death sentence, and they all knew it. Hunter didn’t know who was comforting who. Karma fought a losing battle with her tears. He looked to his brothers to help him out, but they seemed almost as upset as Karma. Fisher, the doctor, the guy who stared death in the eye every day during his residency in Chicago, looked glassy-eyed, and Trapper, well, Hunter couldn’t tell. His hat hid his eyes from view.

“Look, I’ve got to go. I need to talk to James—find out where Toni lives—”

Karma shoved him. “You don’t know where Toni lives?”

“Manhattan’s a big-ass island, Karma. I don’t have her address. I didn’t think I’d need it yet, and her cell was out of service the whole time she was here, so I never bothered to get her number. So yeah, I don’t know where she lives. I just know I have to find her, and then I have to get to LA and see what I can do for Emilio. Maybe I can talk some sense into him. Can you guys finish the shoot for me?”

Trapper cleared his throat. “I thought you had to be here.”

“An owner has to be here, and since we never got around to changing the LLC, the three of you are still technically owners, so we’re golden. I just need to tell Bianca.”

Hunter did a double take when Fisher sneered at the mention of Bianca’s name. Fisher, his happy-go-lucky brother, looked about ready to open a can of whoop-ass on Bianca.

“What’s your problem?

“Bianca’s the problem. She’s sent Toni home before finishing the job. That’s just not right. She handled every shoot so well. Bianca didn’t need to come out here and screw everything up.”

Hunter, Trapper, and Karma all turned and stared at Fisher.

“Hey, just because I like to have a good time doesn’t mean I didn’t notice how hard Toni worked. I’m not an idiot. I’m a real MD.”

Trapper patted Fisher on the back. “We know you’re not an idiot. Nope, you get paid to play with X-ray machines, stethoscopes, and have women take their clothes off in front of you.”

Karma shook her head. “Who’s the idiot now?”

Both Trapper and Fisher gave him the evil eye. “Hunter.” They said in stereo.

Fisher shrugged. “You let Toni get away.”

“This doesn’t make any sense.” Karma crossed her arms. “Why would Toni just leave like that? Bianca said she was catching the first flight tomorrow. She didn’t even say good-bye to us or you.”

Hunter shook his head and couldn’t meet her eyes.

“What did you do?”

“I fucked up. Okay? Toni found the book I was reading and a deal memo Bianca put together for the camp.” He tossed the memo at Trapper. “I never agreed to it, but I’m sure Toni took one look at that memo and the book and thought the worst.”

Karma rolled her eyes. “Well, you were using the book. Only you would take notes in the margins.” She paged through. “God, I didn’t take this many notes in college.”

“I was just using it to figure out how to get in Toni’s—”

Karma looked up. “Pants?”

Hunter sat back down, completely defeated. “I love her, Karma. I think I have since the first moment I set eyes on her. I saw something special in her eyes, and when she let me in, I discovered a treasure. I just wanted to make sure she felt the same about me.”

Trapper grabbed the book out of Karma’s hands and flipped through the copy.

Fisher dug the other out of the trash. “Damn, I guess it works as long as you don’t get caught.”

Hunter rose, feeling like an old man, and packed his things. He was just stuffing the coffeemaker into its small bag when James came to the door. Hunter tossed his duffel to Trapper along with his keys. “Would you guys make yourself useful and pack my truck while I talk to James?” Karma took the bag with the coffee and coffeemaker—probably to her own cabin knowing her. Fisher grabbed his other bags and gear and headed out.

James looked around the empty cabin. “Where’s Toni?”

“I thought you’d know. When I left for the shoot, she said she’d be here when I got back. She wasn’t.”

“I know Bianca wants her back in New York, but I thought she wasn’t leaving until tomorrow.”

“I guess we were both wrong.”

“She wouldn’t leave without saying good-bye. Did something happen between the two of you?”

Hunter really wasn’t up for going into that—besides, he’d lied. As nice as James was, he was very protective of Toni.

“James, you gotta help me out. I have to find her. I need to make sure she’s okay. Where does she live?”

James crossed his arms and glared at Hunter. Gone was the nice easygoing guy he’d gotten to like. “You didn’t answer the question.”

“What happened is between me and Toni. I love her. I just need to find her and explain.”

Hunter stared back at James, who seemed to be taking his measure. Finally the man relaxed, and Hunter breathed a sigh of relief. He been waiting for James to slug him—not that he didn’t deserve it. After seeing the disappointed look on James’s face, Hunter would have preferred a punch.

“I can’t give you her address without her permission. I’m sorry, but that’s rule number two in best friend etiquette. I’d be happy to contact her and ask if I can. But that’s about all I can do other than put in a good word with her—not that you deserve it.”

Hunter nodded and rubbed his eyes. He had a mountain of a headache and had a feeling it was only going to get worse. He ripped a piece of paper off the deal memo and wrote down all his contact information. “Would you call me when you talk to her? I’m worried sick. I know I fucked up, but she promised she’d hear me out.”

James folded the paper and put it in his wallet. “I know she loves you. I don’t pretend to know what the problem is, but I’ll fill you in on one very important thing.”

“What’s that?”

“If you hurt her again, I’ll do my best to kick your ass from here to New York and back. I like you, but Toni’s like a daughter to me. I love her.”

“You and me both, but I can’t fix it if I can’t find her.”

“I’ll see what I can do. Just remember what I said.”

“I will. Trapper, Fisher, and Karma are taking over for me on the job. It’s been good knowing you.”

James clasped his hand and gave him a guy hug. “Good luck.”

Hunter grabbed his phone and dialed as he walked toward the truck.

“Joe Walsh.”

“Gramps, it’s Hunter. I need help.”

“What’s going on, boy?”

“Toni’s gone. I need to borrow a jet, and I need it in two hours.”

“Now, slow down, son. Where’s Toni?”

Hunter grabbed the keys from Trapper, jumped in the Land Cruiser, and started the engine. “I don’t know, probably on a plane to New York by now. I screwed up, Gramps. I gotta find her.”

“What in the hell did you do?”

“It’s a long story. I promise to tell you the whole thing if you send me your fastest jet. I’m worried about her.” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “And Gramps, Emilio’s in jail. The bond hearing is in a day or two, so I’ve got to go out to LA and see if I can talk to him. I have to do something, but the fact is I’ve lost him. I can’t lose Toni too.”

“Aw hell. I’m sorry about Emilio, but you can’t count the kid out yet. You just need to stand behind him and make things right with Toni. I’ll have my pilots meet you at Friedman Memorial. And Hunter…”

“Yeah, Gramps?”

“I love ya, son.”

“Love you too. I don’t suppose you know anyone who would be able to tell you what flight Antonia Russo took out of Hailey, would you?”

“I just might. I’ll call you back.”

***

Toni watched the clock tick, wishing she could turn back time and avoid the last week of her life. She was numb, empty, humiliated, and alone. She snapped her collar and cuffs back on before pulling her hoodie around her, shivering in the air-conditioned terminal. Every time she reached for her collar she thought of Hunter—the lies, Bianca and Hunter kissing, and the way she’d faded to near invisibility. “That Time of Year” blared from her cell phone. She jumped and reached for it. “Hello?”

“Toni, thank God I caught you.”

“James.” Tears welled up in her eyes, like someone turned on a faucet. They ran down her face as pain slapped her and cut through the sea of numbness she’d floated in. It was as if someone dropped a live wire in the water, shocking, painful. It stole her breath. She sobbed and covered her mouth, trying desperately to keep another sound from escaping.

“Hunter’s worried sick. He’s coming after you.”

“Oh, God. Did he leave the inn? When?”

“No, not yet. Toni, he looks like hell. He thinks you’re long gone.” A boarding announcement filled the air, and she clasped her hand over the phone. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell him you’re still at the airport, doll, unless you want me to. When’s your flight?”

She let out a shaky breath, trying not to cry. “3:09 p.m.”

“He’s asked me for your address and number.”

“No, don’t give it to him. I don’t want to see him. Please, promise me?”

“Honey, what happened?”

“I can’t—” She drew in a stuttered breath. “I’ve got to go, James. Just please, don’t give anyone my address or number.”

“Toni, honey, why not? I thought you loved him. Why are you running away?”

“James.” God, she was losing it. “I can’t do this. I gotta go.” She closed her phone and turned the damn thing off. If it were up to her, she’d never talk to another human being again. Maybe when she got home she’d get a pet. No cats—they’d just ignore her, and she’d been ignored enough for one lifetime. A dog? No, she’d have to take it out and pick up poop. Gross. Maybe she’d get a turtle—a creature with as anemic a life as her own.

***

Hunter drove like a madman. Parking in front of the airport, he bought a ticket to somewhere, anywhere, praying he’d be able to find Toni on the other side of security. A woman fitting her description had taken off less than an hour before, to Salt Lake, which meant she’d probably be getting into Kennedy around 11:30 p.m.

Hunter left to cool his heels in the hangar waiting for Gramps’s Gulfstream to arrive. He drank bad coffee, cracked his knuckles, and cursed his own stupidity. His only hope was beating Toni to New York and meeting her at the airport. If that didn’t transpire, he could watch her office. At least he knew where that was. Of course, that didn’t mean she’d actually see him.