The Hunter (Orion the Hunter) by J. D. Chase Read Free Book Online Page A

imagined him.  Angel said nothing but she nodded slightly, as if to acknowledge my reluctance to share that information.
     
    I reached into my purse and then passed her the card that I had found underneath the bouquet.  I heard her gasp as she read the salutation on the envelope.  Her eyes flicked to mine and I shrugged.  She quickly pulled out the card and read the message, and I watched her face cloud over in confusion.  “What the hell …” she said eventually.  The tension lifted slightly when I mentioned my suspicions that Travis must have sent the flowers.  Angel chuckled as she passed me another cocktail.
     
    “So you know that whoever sent them works in the building, but you don’t know for sure whether it is the mystery man, right?” Angel asked, twirling her blonde hair around her finger, as she often did when she was deep in thought.  “Although, it would fit, wouldn’t it?  If he was in the elevator as you think he was, he would have seen your celebration after your meeting with Norman & Wilde - one that you thought you had performed in secret.”
     
    I nodded as the pieces continued to fall into place.  It had to be him! I sipped the cocktail, feeling the liquid warm my throat.  I felt myself relaxing, probably due to the effects of the first cocktail.  Just then, Angel’s phone rang and she switched it off without looking was calling. 
     
    “Angel, that could be important!” I said, but she just ignored me.  Her head was on one side and she was still twirling her hair. 
     
    “We need to find out who this phantom is,” she said eventually. 
     
    “Well, actually … I think I might have discovered his identity,” I admitted, waiting for her predictable reaction.
     
    “What?” she shrieked.  “Who?  How?” She bounced up and down on the sofa as she spoke before grasping my shoulders and looking me straight in the eye, as if willing me to speak. 
     
    As I told her about my conversation with Clark, her baby blue eyes grew wider and wider and her grasp on my shoulders grew tighter.
     
    “Ouch,” I said, rubbing my shoulders, when I had finished.  Angel released her grasp but her eyes remained locked on to mine.  I waited patiently for her to absorb all that I had told her. 
     
    “Lucas Hunter?” she said quietly, after a few moments, almost to herself.  “If he owns that building, then he must be loaded, yet I have never heard of him.”
     
    “Why would you?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Surely you don’t know all the rich men who live in New York!”
     
    She raised an eyebrow at me before her questioning continued. “How old would you say he is?”
     
    I thought for a second and closed my eyes.  “I don’t know.  At first, I thought he was much older than me.  But when his angry expression softened, I realized that he couldn’t be more than a few years older than me.”
     
    Angel’s inquisition continued.  “So, around thirty?  Without waiting for my reply she snatched up her phone and began to dial.
     
    “Who are you calling?  You can’t tell anyone about this, not even Chad.  No, especially not Chad.” I cried, hearing my voice going up at by least an octave.
     
    “”Don’t be stupid,” she shot back.  “Of course, I’m not calling Chad.  As if he would have any idea who Lucas Hunter is.”
     
    “Then who -” I stopped, suddenly realizing who Angel would call to find out more about anyone of significant social standing or financial means.  This was confirmed a moment later.
     
    “Hi, Mom,” she purred.  “Oh, I’m good, really good.  You?” 

They chatted for a short while before Angel got to the point.  “Mom, do you happen to know anything about a Lucas Hunter?  All I know is that he owns the Orion Building where Issy’s office is.”
     
    I finished my cocktail, whilst trying to eavesdrop on Angel‘s call, suddenly realizing that I did want to know more about this gorgeous, sexy, unnerving and, let’s