Page 56 of Betrayal

Hunter wasn’t expecting the absolute sense of unity between the two sets of twins.Liam and Kate were lovers, but Anna had the kind of relationship with Niall Quinn that Hunter had with Casildo.Siblings by choice, and Anna was concerned that Niall was besotted with Lucy and making all the wrong decisions.

Hunter understood what that was like as well.And despite Niall’s almost total focus on Lucy, the carpenter had given Anna a hug, kissed her on the forehead and said “Keep safe” in parting.

Was Niall warning Anna to be careful about Hunter?

Good families, like the Hariris and the Turner/Quinn conglomerate, conveyed such complicated messages in a single glance, yet waited for the evidence to be in before judgment.

So, Hunter was unsurprised when the atmosphere subtly shifted after Niall and Lucy’s hasty departure, when Liam Quinn ushered him into the lounge room and offered him a fine, single malt whiskey.

“I’ve been abstaining with Kate pregnant, but if you have one, I can have one.”Liam tilted the bottle in Hunter’s direction.

“Lovely.”Hunter settled onto one of the sofas.“The last month to six weeks you’re on tenterhooks.”Hunter grinned.“And, in case you’re interested”—Liam Quinn was very interested—"I’m speaking from second-hand experience.Someone I think of as a sister has two ankle biters, and I swear her brother and I had more Braxton Hicks contractions than Zahra did in those final weeks.”

“It is scary.”Liam handed him a drink, before staring into his own.“Although I’m being all manly and brave.”

Hunter snorted.

Liam took the opposite sofa.“They’ll be here in a minute.I have a feeling I’m supposed to interrogate you, but I can’t think of a damn thing to ask.”

“Really?”

“You look happy, she looks happy.Make sure it stays that way.”

“That works as a threat.”

“She’s special.”

“I agree.That doesn’t mean that every relationship is headed for happily-ever-after.”Hunter felt compelled to warn this man, who might have to help pick up any pieces.

“True.But, if it all goes to shit, tell her the truth.They’ve had a lifetime of lies with their dad.Truth’s an absolute for the Turner twins, especially Anna.”

“You must be a hell of a lawyer because I feel completely interrogated, and you’re still smiling and swilling good whiskey.”

Liam grinned back.“What can I say?It’s an art form.”He cocked his head to one side.“Sounds like we’ve got company.

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Baby talk dominatedconversation for the next hour, and Hunter was reminded again of Zahra’s two pregnancies, of the late-night chats over coffee and Lebanese pastries with Cas, about how scary, yet thrilling, parenthood was.Before Anna and he left, or before they made their escape, because hell, he was as keen to get Anna back into bed as Niall had been to kidnap Lucy, Hunter was dragged off to see Niall’s cradle.And he understood some of Anna’s frustration.The guy did incredible work.

Hunter had pressed Niall on risk and reward at dinner, and the conversation was still swirling in his head when they arrived at Anna’s apartment.He’d advised Niall not to risk something he couldn’t afford to lose.Hunter was fast coming to the conclusion that losing Anna would destroy any good left in him.

“I like Lucy.”He hung his jacket on the back of Anna’s bedroom door.

“She’s hard not to like.”Anna was on the stool in front of her dressing table, her fingers unclipping her delicate earrings.The finely wrought strings of turquoise and silver leaves had danced for Hunter whenever he’d glanced across the table at her.They’d drawn his attention to the sparkle of her smile and the elegant line of her neck.“That doesn’t mean I think they’re right for each other,” she said, tucking the baubles into her jewellery box.

“Do you always leap to judgement about other people’s relationships?”

“Niall hasn’t told her about the exhibition.”She swung away from the mirror, a furrow forming between her brows.“Crafting the pieces for the exhibition was his major focus before he met Lucy, and now he won’t talk about it.”

“You blame her for distracting him from his work?”

An interesting idea, given Anna had distracted Hunter from his, distracted him from Nick.After years spent working with few rewards—and a bespoke woodworker plying his craft fitted that category as easily as Hunter did—a loving, lovely woman was a hard distraction to resist.Niall was risking his exhibition.Hunter was risking—what?Nick had seen Anna with Hunter.Time to keep a closer eye on Nick.

“It wasn’t work on Niall’s mind when he practically dragged Lucy out of the house before dessert.”Anna sounded prim.

“As far as I could tell, the only thing on their minds from the second we sat down to eat was ripping each other’s clothes off.I was surprised they made it past the first course.”Hunter could understand Niall’s urgency.Each time he’d made love to Anna last night, the tendrils of need had dug deeper.

“Okay.The chemistry between them is combustible.But I love Niall.I want him to be happy.I worry about their relationship if he feels unable to tell her what’s important to him.”

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