Chapter 9
Dianna hit the elevator button repeatedly, as if the force of her finger could make the car arrive faster.
Hunt stepped up beside her.
"You're shaking," he noted.
"Go away, Hunt."
The doors opened. They both got in. Hunt pressed the 'L' button. He stood close to her, watching her reflection in the metal doors.
Her phone rang again. Not the school. A private number.
Dianna answered it immediately. "Mrs. Gable?"
"Not quite."
The voice was oily and familiar. Franklin Campbell. Her father.
Dianna froze. "What do you want?"
"I heard my grandson had a little accident," Franklin chuckled. "Leo, is it? He looks just like you. Well, he has Hunt's chin, doesn't he?"
Dianna felt the air leave the elevator. "Don't you dare go near him."
"I'm watching him right now, Dianna. Nice school. Very secure. But not secure enough for a grandfather."
"If you touch him, I will kill you," Dianna hissed. She didn't care that Hunt was listening.
Hunt looked at her. He had never heard her threaten anyone. The ferocity in her voice was terrifying.
"Relax, sweetheart," Franklin said. "I just want to talk business. Seven PM. The steakhouse on 5th. Bring the transfer papers for your shares in Campbell Enterprises. Or maybe I'll go introduce myself to Leo... and tell Hunt he has a son."
Click.
Dianna dropped the phone into her bag. Her knees buckled.
Hunt caught her by the elbow. "Who was that? What's going on?"
"Let me go!" Dianna screamed. The elevator doors opened. She sprinted into the lobby.
She reached into her bag for her car keys, but her hands were trembling so violently she dropped them. They skittered across the polished floor.
Hunt picked them up.
"Give them to me!" Dianna pleaded, tears welling in her eyes. "I have to get to him!"
"You can't drive like this," Hunt said. He grabbed her arm, steering her toward the exit. "My car is out front. I'll drive you."
"No, I-"
"Dianna! Get in the damn car!"
She looked at him. She had no choice. Every second mattered.
"Sunshine Preschool," she gasped as she slid into the passenger seat of his Maybach. "Tribeca. Drive fast."
Hunt got in and slammed on the gas. The car surged forward into traffic.
He gripped the steering wheel. "A preschool? Is it your... friend's child?"
Dianna closed her eyes, leaning her head against the window. "Yes. My friend's."
"You seem very attached to this... friend's child."
"Shut up, Hunt. Just drive."
Hunt wove through traffic with aggressive precision. He glanced at her. She was chewing her thumbnail, a nervous habit she'd had when they were married.
They screeched to a halt in front of the school.
Dianna didn't wait for the car to stop completely. She threw the door open and ran.
Hunt watched her run toward the gate. He saw her burst through the entrance.
Through the chain-link fence, he saw a little boy sitting on a bench with a teacher. He had a bandage on his knee.
Dianna dropped to her knees and hugged the boy. She buried her face in his neck.
Hunt felt a strange pang of jealousy. He reached for the door handle. He wanted to see the kid. He wanted to know who made Dianna look like that.
Buzz.
His car phone rang. It was the Chairman of the Board.
"Hunt! The merger is collapsing! We need you on the line now!"
Hunt cursed. He looked at the schoolyard one last time. Dianna was picking the boy up, shielding his face with her shoulder as she carried him inside the building.
He slammed his hand on the steering wheel and picked up the phone.
You may also like
