His Secret Past by Katie Reus

game to him. He needed me to get him something from Calero. It was only supposed to be a brief assignment. I wasn’t supposed to be gone so long. Two years tops. Infiltrating Calero’s organization took a lot longer than I’d originally expected. Two years turned into six and now here I am.” He shrugged. There was a lot more to it than that, but he’d give her the details later when Alan wasn’t around.
    Alan grunted, but Hunter ignored him and kept his eyes on Alexis.
    “Why did you say yes? Surely there was a way to handle this without working for that monster. Isn’t there someone you could have gone to and tried to prove your innocence?” Alexis asked.
    He didn’t respond. Looking back, there had been a hundred different ways he could have handled things. But he hadn’t. Doing exactly what Davis had asked had been his only choice. If he’d fought him or confronted his old boss, he might have been tossed in jail or killed and Alexis would have been a target. If he’d crossed Davis, the other man would have killed Alexis out of spite. Now he might have done things differently, but back then he had finally understood what loving someone meant. For the first time in his life. And he hadn’t been willing to risk her life. Not for a second.
    Alan lifted a dark eyebrow as he stared at Alexis, and his voice was incredulous. “Are you blind? Davis obviously threatened you. And knowing him, he was probably very graphic in his threats.”
    Hunter watched her face pale. He couldn’t hide it from her. He’d alluded to it back at her house but hadn’t actually spelled it out.
    “Is that true?” she whispered.
    He nodded, hating to admit this to her. He was tired of seeing hurt every time she looked at him, but if he lied she’d know. “Yes.”

Chapter 6
     
    “I’m sending this to Deputy Director Connor.” Alan placed his glass in the sink.
    “Over my dead body,” Hunter growled.
    “If he wanted you dead, you would be. He knew where you were a year ago.” Alan held up the papers. “He obviously didn’t know about this, yet he still didn’t go after you. Now your disappearance actually makes sense,” Alan muttered.
    Under the table, Alexis placed a light hand on his knee. “He’s right. What if he can help us? This might be our best option.”
    He looked into her eyes and hated himself for what he saw there. For the pain he’d caused her. On one level what Alan said made sense. If Connor had wanted him dead, a trained sniper could have killed him a year ago, but it seemed he’d kept Hunter’s whereabouts a secret. He didn’t trust Connor, but if Alan thought he was giving up his information out of trust, Hunter could work that to his advantage. If he could set up a meeting with Connor he could finally get the answers he wanted.
    “I need to talk this over with Alexis.”
    His expression deadpan, Alan walked around the counter. He handed the bundle of papers to Hunter. “I’m starving anyway. I’ll be back in two hours… You can keep those pictures by the way.” He nodded toward the table and left through the back door.
    Hunter juggled thoughts in his head. They could run again, but chances were they’d be found again. And he couldn’t subject Alexis to that. He had the proof he needed to clear his name, but it meant nothing with people trying to kill them. Until he took care of Connor and Davis, they’d never be safe.
    “What are you thinking?” Alexis asked.
    “If Connor is on the up-and-up—and I’m not saying he is. But if he is, I might be able to give him enough information to build a case against Tom Davis. Hell, against Marcus Foster too.”
    “What exactly do you have?”
    “Davis blackmailed me into infiltrating Calero’s organization for a reason. Calero had photos, recordings and bank accounts incriminating Davis and Foster in all sorts of illegal dealings.” And Davis had been desperate to get that information and had no problem using Hunter to get it. Calero had been