Page 117 of Passion and Payback

“What do you think the cops would do with our information?” Stitch asked, raising a brow. “If you think it’s to help the greater good, then you still have some naivety to lose.”

Hunter huffed. “Or maybe I just keep hoping for a better world than the one we’re in.”

“Good news, you’re being offered the chance to do just that.”

“I hardly think working for hackers and information sellers who don’t consider morality when selling or stealing are going to be my road to a better world.”

“And yet that same group is offering you a chance to play that very role. They don’t care about your motivations, so long as you do the jobs given to you and don’t break their rules.”

Hunter looked away. “Irony heaped upon irony.”

“Do you have anything else to ask, Hunter?” I asked him softly.

“No.”

“Then, Stitch?”

“I’ll be down the hall,” Stitch said, pushing away from the counter. “And thank you for the coffee. It was quite delicious. I can see why your café is so popular.”

“The cats certainly help,” Hunter told him and then slumped against the counter once he was out of sight.

“Hey,” I said softly, stepping closer and putting an arm around his shoulders. “I know this is a deal with the Devil in your mind?—”

He snorted. “It feels more monkey paw than anything. At least with the Devil, you know what you’re getting into. These guys? They might be telling us the truth, but do you think it’s the full truth?”

“No,” I answered honestly. “Any group that operates in secrecy doesn’t know any other way to be. Even when they think they’re being transparent, the water is still murky.”

“And Zeke?”

“He...well, he’s probably doing the same thing, but to a lesser degree. I trust him, I always have, and if I lose my trust in people just because they’ve done or are doing things I don’t agree with…” I said and then trailed off to glance at Hunter meaningfully.

His face scrunched up before he let out a soft laugh. “Well, you were trying to pull me in the other direction for a while, but I refused to listen, didn’t I? So here we are.”

“Here we are.”

“I wish I had a better choice than this offer or nothing.”

“So do I.”

Hunter stared at the ceiling thoughtfully. “There’s no way for us to get out of this without their help, is there?”

“I don’t think so. No, not without making a new mess while cleaning up the old one.”

“I was thinking the same,” he said with another sigh. “This was not where I saw my life going. I can tell you that much.”

I caught his eye before asking. “And what did you think was going to happen when all this was done?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted with a shaky laugh. “I knew it wouldn’t be as easy as I thought. And there would be a lot of fallout. But all I could think was to deal with one thing at a time. And eventually...eventually be able to look around and see what I’d built, fought for, andkilledfor...and there would be peace in that.”

I understood that feeling all too well. It was the same thing I’d thought on the flight back to Port Dale, knowing I was leaving my military career behind despite all the opportunities that could await me. I’d wanted to have something worth measuring, something I could look at that was definite,real,and tell myself that was what all that pain and death was for.

And looking at Hunter, I realized I did have that.

“You,” I said, stepping in front of him and smiling, “are all I ever wanted in life, you know that? You have always been home to me. Whenever I was miserable, in pain, or scared, your face always came into my head. And that face made me finally leave when my contract was up and come back here...to you.”

“And now you’re getting dragged into another mess.”

“But I’m going to haveyouthere the whole time.”

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