A Forever Masterpiece (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 3) (25 page)

Hunter agreed. Whether Jesse was actually related to Becca or not, this whole story was one hell of a traumatizing event. Had Becca not been with his parents that night, what would her fate have been?
No. Don't go there.
He did
not
need to play the what if game.

"I'm sorry, Jesse," he managed to say.

"Wh-where is everyone now?" Becca stammered.

"Dad is in prison, serving a lifetime. He was up for parole a few years after serving, but he got denied. He's been pissed at Mom and I since, because we had to attend and state that he was not fit to be released. I'll never forget it. He yelled at us that he should have let the men kill us. He's been trying to make our lives hell since. Mom ... she's in a home in Maryland. She isn't well, but is hanging on."

"So what you said at our last meeting was true," Hunter stated.

"Yeah. She did have a stroke, which gave me more reason to want to find my family again." Sadness flashed on his face. "Our brother is the only one who's done well for himself. He talks to me every once in a while, usually when Dad tries to get one of his sleazy side kicks to mess with us. It's like he taunts- they'll cause trouble. Little things like messages we'd only understand. They'd follow us with a warning. One of them actually came after me once and broke my leg, but never any death threats. Maybe he gets a kick from this little game. I don't know. It's like a reminder that he's still around and, if he wanted to, he could finish what was started. I don't know how those slip by past the prison wards, but they somehow do, which is why I didn't want him to find out Becca lived. I don't know what he'd do."

"You said another sister," Becca prodded.

Jesse nodded. "I haven't seen her in years. Ever since she became of age and got out of the system, she ran off."

"If ... if it turns out I really am related, can I- will it be possible to meet your mom?"

"She'd love that. It would ease her mind to know you're okay and doing well. There are days I sit with her and she cries out your name and rocks a pillow as if she's still holding you. I don't know how much she'll understand, but we'll make it happen. Her grief over losing you and the rest of our family has worn away at her soul and body."

For the moment, the past was let go of and they ate their food, making small talk until the diner had to close down for the night. No one really ate much. Becca pushed her food around and took a few bites. Hunter ended up asking for take home boxes.

Becca, Hunter, and Jesse stood outside, hesitant to leave, but it was late, cold and they needed to.

"Can I hug you?" Jesse stood before Becca, glancing at the both of them. "After almost twenty nine years, I can't believe I'm standing in front of you again."

"I never thought I'd learn the truth and meet anyone in my family," Becca whispered. She stepped forward. What an emotional scene. Hunter was ninety percent sure this guy was being honest. The pictures showed so much resemblance, and as much as he distrusted people, especially Jesse's questionable actions, he had a feeling a family, Becca's family, was meant to reunite and started by doing so right now.

"I'll give you Mom's letter and bring some photos and other few things I have. I'm so sorry for not coming to you sooner, especially when I did know you were looking. I just wanted you to be safe." Jesse and Becca both broke down in tears.

Chapter Twenty

Becca made it home at the same time Hunter did. Both were still in shock. Once inside the house, he gathered her in his arms, and they clung to each other in silence. So many unreal revelations had hit them lately. Horrid secrets by the people around them. "Do you think he's for real?" she asked, still holding on tight. The steady beat of his heart filled her ear as she rested against him.

"Actually, I do. I still don't trust him, and as crazy as his story is, I think it might be real. I'll call Jed in the morning and find out how we can get some sort of DNA test done. We'll speed up the results, if possible. Whatever it takes to get the answers as soon as we can." Hunter kissed her forehead. "How are you taking this, I mean honestly? Don't hold a thing back, okay?"

"I'm not ready to believe. I want to, but I can't take any more hits if this is all a lie. I'm sick at the thought of what his father - possibly my father - was like. He makes my grandparents and Vince seem like perfect people. It's horrible that the other two siblings wouldn't even remember me. It isn't over yet though, is it? Not with these - Oh my God, that reminds me! I hate to change the subject on something so big, but I got another text." Becca broke away from his hold to find her phone. "As I was going to the stairs. I wasn't going to go in the elevator because it bothered me the first time around, but I got a message and tripped." She handed it to Hunter.

He swore under his breath. "That's creepy, especially when you ended up in the elevator with Jesse right after."

"I know." Becca set her phone down. Her body was shaken, sore, and tired from today's events. "You know how you suggested I talk to someone right after Maryland? I think I'm going to. This is going to sound weird, but I feel way too calm, considering everything happening. Not that I am calm, but ... I don't know. I don't think I'm explaining this right."

"I think I get it," Hunter said softly. "Either way, I'm glad to hear you're going to talk to someone. A lot has been thrown at us at once, and to move forward, it has to be dealt with. I've learned that."

Becca nodded and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you." A tear slid down her cheek.

"For?" Hunter's hand moved along her spine in a gentle, loving gesture.

"Being my best friend. A lifetime of truths are coming in the open, and the only thing I'm certain of is you." She fought them hard, but the tears fell anyway.

"Let's go upstairs, okay? I'm wired and might not be able to sleep, but I want to hold you. We can talk, we can whatever ... let's just be together." Hunter kissed her tenderly.

Becca smoothed his hair back. "I'm scared," she said in a small voice.

"Of?" Concern laced his voice. He took her hand and led the way upstairs. Once in their room, Hunter sat on the edge of the bed with her.

"My past. The present. Who I am. Curt Everett Laughlin and what he did." Even though the house had plenty of heat, she shivered again.

Hunter cupped her face. "Hey, I said this before and I'll continue to say it. Whatever we find out won't change anything. Hell, I didn't expect this story, but you're still the heart of my heart. You always will be. I love you, angel." He pressed a soft, yet needy kiss on her lips.

Becca jumped up. "Take a hot shower with me? I feel like I need to wash up." She almost told him she needed to wash off the dirty feeling she felt about her history, but that sounded stupid. It did in her head, even though she couldn't quit thinking about it.

Hunter winked. "I won't turn down a hot shower with my girl." Then he turned serious. "You were about to say you wanted to wash off how you feel, weren't you?"

Becca looked away, but she pretty much gave her answer by doing so. Hunter knew her well, and she should know not to hide from him. "It sounds so stupid."

"No, it sounds like you processing, trying to understand."

Becca followed him to the bathroom, both dropping their clothes in a trail on the floor along the way. Hunter turned on the water. Becca glanced at herself in the mirror and tried to recognize the person staring back at her. Okay, now she really was being dumb. The face and body belonged to her, but she questioned everything. Who she was, who she'd been, and who she could be.

Yeah, somehow she had to learn to deal with this, and on her own wasn't the answer.

"Bec?"

She tore her gaze away from the stranger in the mirror and faced Hunter. He stood in the shower stall with his inquisitive, gorgeous eyes on her. Crease lines of worry formed around them.

With shaky legs, she entered the shower, where Hunter tugged her hand to bring her flesh up against his naked body. "I don't like the way I'm feeling," she choked out.

"I can imagine. Let it out, sweetheart. I'm right here," he soothed, rocking her her in his arms slightly. Droplets of hot water splattered against her skin.

"I want-" She hiccuped as sobs erupted. She couldn't gather her thoughts. Her mind spun in a frazzled tizzy.

"You want?" Hunter pulled back, sliding a hand up her bare belly all the way up to her face. Intense eyes traveled along.

"R-right now I want to love you," Becca whispered, kissing his chest. Forget the chaos, forget the madness. Becca wanted to enjoy an intimate moment with Hunter. He groaned as she continued to leave tiny, soft kisses all along his wet skin.

"Bec-" he uttered, then kissed her neck. His hands moved all over the place before he placed them on each side of her stomach, slowly moving her toward the back wall of the shower. Her skin met up with the tile, and she flinched slightly at the cold. Hunter readjusted the shower head in order for more water to hit them. Steam rose from the heat. Then he reached for the green loofah, poured a little bit of soap on it, and raised it to Becca's skin. With him being right in front of the water stream, she only had a light mist of water hit her. Before he scrubbed her chest, Hunter moved in for a hot kiss. His tongue meshed with hers before he eased away gently. He lathered the soap all over her belly, then rose to her breasts, teasing, touching, and making her want him. Bending lower, Hunter moved the loofah along her legs, making sure to hit every sweet spot he could. Need pooled in her gut and spread lower. Becca let out a moan as he continued. Then he stood, placed a hand on her shoulder and told her to turn around. She complied.

He slid close behind her, his erection pressed up against her. Hunter kissed the back of her neck, brushing wet locks of hair away. Becca pressed her hands flat against the wall and anticipated Hunter's next move.

"You're gorgeous, Becca. Inside and out. I'll never forget how incredibly lucky I am to have you in my world," he whispered against her ear before nibbling on her earlobe as he continued to scrub the loofah in circles all down her back. Moments later, the water sprayed directly on her, washing away all the soap. "Turn again." He leaned over against her ear, mumbling seductively.

She did so. He put the loofah back and ran his hands along her body. He tugged on a lock of her hair, twirling it around his finger, and kissed the corner of her eyes. Just a soft, quick one, like the wings of a butterfly.

"I'm the lucky one," she said, studying his face, memorizing every little detail about him, even though she knew them by heart already. "You've always gone so above and beyond. I never imagined twenty years after our fateful meeting that this is where we'd end up. I love you so much, Hunter."

"Ahh, I'll never tire of hearing it." He threaded his fingers through her wet tangles and leaned in for another kiss.

"Good, because I'll never get tired of saying it."

"I hope not."

Becca shut him up with a kiss. He backed her up against the wall again as their kiss intensified.

"This water is going to get cold soon," he mumbled against her lips.

"Mmm. Guess we'd better keep ourselves warm." She toyed with his bottom lip with her tongue.

Hunter growled at her touch, once again turning her around. He stared at her naked body pressed up against the shower wall and quickly stepped out of the shower for a condom packet. If they weren't so concerned over the messages, he'd have taken her right there without one, but he had no intentions of even chancing getting her pregnant when they were being followed.

He tore open the packet, rolled it on, and stepped over the tub, closing the shower door behind him. Becca stayed in position, ready and waiting. Water glistened on her ivory skin as it hit and rolled down her body.

"Just tell me if you're uncomfortable." Hunter pressed up right against her and settled himself inside her. She let out a sound. "This okay? Here, arch your back out a little bit. Keep your hands on the wall." When she did this, he was able to slide in much easier and more comfortably for them both. He pumped in and out slow at first, then faster. He put one hand flat against the middle of her back and reached around to run his fingertips along her midsection as he thrust harder. Her wet skin beneath his touch succumbed to shivers as he continued to tease. Around his cock, Becca tightened and spasmed. He closed his eyes and rocked their worlds. As the water started to get cold, both Becca and Hunter cried out together as they came.

He leaned against her, breathing heavily against her shoulder. He pulled out and eased Becca into his arms, pressing kisses all along her face. "You'll always be the best thing about me. My life is complete with you, sweet Becca."

It didn't matter who she was or wasn't. This woman would always carry his heart in the palm of her hands. He owed her so much.

Hunter left a message with Jed the next day and marked it as urgent. It wasn't until lunchtime he got back with him.

"I thought I told you not to follow him!" Jed exclaimed when Hunter answered. In all of the haste this morning, he forgot to mention how they actually ran into Jesse.

"I didn't. He was trapped in an elevator last night with Becca. The big gas explosion near the hospital knocked out some of the power, and Becca was visiting the family she'd helped in the accident a few weeks ago. He explained a big part of who he was. I want confirmation, as does Becca. Where do we go to do this?"

"You know it would be better if a parent could take part in the testing, instead of Jesse and Becca," Jed said after a moment.

"I was kinda worried about that. Jesse said his mom isn't in the best shape, and unless he can get a DNA sample from her without telling her why, this might upset the woman. She's had so much grief that it's caused years of depression. If Becca isn't really the daughter she sent away, then it might destroy her."

"Talk to him, and see if he'll get his mother to agree to a maternity test. In the meantime, do you have her name? I might be able to at least run some things and get information. This is one hell of a complicated story, Hunter. But if these are the answers we've been seeking, it's going to move us ahead. Now all we have to do is figure out who's behind these texts and find Sylvia."