Hello everyone! I hope you are doing well.

Here is a new chapter!

Enjoy!

*************

"I don't understand why I am standing here while Anna is inside," Hunter said with a growl as he paced the corridor.

Caroline shook her head and looked at her son with a raised eyebrow. Hunter closed his eyes and sighed in frustration. He plopped down on the chair outside the emergency room. "I can't believe that bastard banned me from being with Anna."

"Hunter, the moment you entered the room, you started bossing the poor doctors around. They were panicking and losing their focus. I respect the doctor for his bravery in kicking you out." Caroline said disapprovingly, her son was hot-headed and needed someone to knock him down a notch.

"But I need to be in there holding Anna's hand. She needs my support Mom. It is the first time she gets injured." Hunter said in desperation.

Caroline grabbed her son's cold hand and put it in her warm one. She smiled gently at him and said soothingly.

"I know Anna is new to our world, but she chose to be here and now she has to get used to this. I know it seems unfair and cruel, but it is the truth. We do our best to protect each other, but life is unpredictable, and we have to accept it."

"It is hard Mom. Anna wasn't born in danger, and she doesn't deserve to live in fear." Hunter said seriously.

"What are you implying Hunter?" Caroline asked looking at her son's blue eyes.

"After that, I am planning to grant Anna her freedom," Hunter said through his teeth.

"Just remember, it is not your choice to make," Caroline said with a gentle smile on her face. She knew her son's intentions were for Anna's benefit, but from her personal experience, they can be destructive. She just hoped her son will come to his senses before it was too late. His relationship with Anna was beautiful to be wasted.

The doors to the medical wing burst open, and Karen came running. Caroline stood up from her chair and embraced her friend in a comforting hug. Karen sobs were audible to Hunter, and he cursed under his breath. The woman was living through a similar nightmare she had the misfortune to experience years ago.

Caroline ushered Karen to a nearby chair and tried to soothe her worries. Both women tasted the bitter feelings of losing a child, and Caroline was the best one to understand the other woman's feelings.

Two hours later, a doctor clad in his white coat emerged from the emergency room and captured the attention of the present in the waiting room. Hunter rushed to his side and waited for the man's words with great anticipation.

"Miss Sanders is past the danger zone. She lost a lot of blood, which was very dangerous at some point in the operation, and we were faced with many complications. We were able to contain the situation, and now she is stable. The wound in her thigh was deep which made it the source of her blood loss. Also, she had two broken ribs and another two fractured. Fortunately, she doesn't suffer from any head injuries. You can be at ease; she is in good condition and just needs some time to fully recover." The doctor explained Anna's situation briefly.

"Is she awake?" Hunter asked eagerly, he was like a little kid waiting for his favourite gift.

The doctor gave him an apologetic smile and shook his head, "I am sorry, Mr. Salviatti. Anna's state is still under supervision. Like I explained before, she lost a lot of blood, and she needs time to recuperate. For now, she is resting and when her body is strong enough, she will wake up."

The doctor's words were like a bucket of ice-cold water. Hunter was no longer in the medical room. He was transferred back to a hospital room five years ago.

He was the same teenager who was covered in dirt and blood, standing beside his father listening to the doctor telling them the news that changed his life forever. What if the same thing happened now? What if the past will repeat itself, and Anna would be in a coma for five years? This time he won't be strong enough to survive. He would have nothing to live for.

"HUNTER!!!!" Caroline nearly screamed to get her son's attention. He was standing in front of her, but his eyes were blank and his mind seemed far away.

Hunter blinked twice and looked at his mother. He just nodded and went to sit on a nearby chair. Caroline gave her son a funny look and went to his side, "Hunter, what's wrong?"

"The doctor said Anna is still unconscious. We have to wait here until she wakes up." Hunter said with his voice emotionless.

"You can go and see her Hunter. She will feel your presence like I did years ago. I felt you were in the room every time you came to visit. I was trying hard to wake up and see you." Caroline said with tears brimming in the corner of her eyes.

Hunter roughly wiped a traitorous tear that slipped from his eye and hugged his mother tightly. He buried his head in the crook of her neck and inhaled her sweet smell. It was like a balm to his stinging wounds.

"I don't want it to happen again, Mom," Hunter said with his words muffled.

"Anna will wake up. Her injuries are different than mine. We are not the same, do you understand?" Once Hunter nodded against her chest, Caroline continued speaking, "you need to believe that son. Don't let dark thoughts enter your mind. Come on, let's go in the room." Caroline said gently and extended her hand towards Hunter to take it.

The steady beep of the machines was the first thing that greeted them when they entered Anna's room. Karen was sitting next to her bed while holding her hand. Caroline walked to the other side of Anna and kissed her forehead in a motherly gesture. She looked up at her son and nodded at him to come closer.

Hunter's legs were refusing to cooperate with him. He was desperate to see her, but at the same time, he was afraid of the view that would greet him.

With heavy steps, he made his way to Anna's side. He stood frozen in front of her bed. Her face was sickly pale with imminent dark circles under her eyes. Her thigh was bandaged heavily along with her ribs.

Hunter went closer and touched her face lightly. She looked the epitome of innocence. How could anyone have the ability to torture her? Anger started brewing inside him. He felt the inner beast inside him waking up and surfacing slowly. He inhaled deeply and pressed a kiss on Anna's cheek.

He turned with a new purpose in his mind and walked to the door. "Where are you going, Hunter?" Caroline asked her son. She didn't like the look in his eyes and was afraid he would do something rash.

"I am going to where I am supposed to be. Stay with Anna and if she wakes up, send one of the guards to inform me."Hunter said with a cold voice and left the room.

"He is going to Lucca," Karen started looking at the teenager retreating form.

"Tell me about it. Hunter is the replica of his father. They have the same way of thinking. He won't stop until he avenges Anna." Caroline sighed and prayed her son won't do anything foolish.

"I can't say the bastard doesn't deserve what's coming to him." Karen shrugged and fixed her gaze on Anna's pale face. Caroline didn't comment on the usually soft-spoken woman since she knew her condition now was delicate and wouldn't accept any form of criticism.

*****************

Upon his entry to the dungeon in his grandfather's mansion, Hunter could hear the screams coming from the cells. He looked at the guard standing at the front door and asked with his deadly voice "where are you keeping Lucca Ignacio?"

"He is in the holding cell number four, sir." Without delay, Hunter strode to the indicated room. The guard opened the door without uttering a word. Hunter stepped in the dimly lighted room and took in his surroundings. Lucca was tied the ceiling, his body hanging in the air with nothing supporting his weight.

"Hello man," Aiden said and walked from the shadowed corner where he was standing.

"What are you doing here?" Hunter asked eyeing Lucca who appeared unconscious at the moment.

"Did you think I will let the big prize for you alone? He messed with a Black, and he will receive what's coming to him. I need my share also. By the way, Matt would like a turn as well, but at the moment, he is busy with the guys at the airport." Aiden said as he came to stand next to Hunter.

"You are the one who put him in this state?" Hunter inquired.

"Yes, I needed to let off some steam, and he was the best candidate at the moment."

Aiden said with an evil glint entering his eyes, and then his voice turned gentle as he asked: "how is Anna doing?"

"The doctor said she is stable for now, but she didn't wake up yet," Hunter answered his friend and grabbed a large mug full of cold water, without blinking twice he splashed it on Lucca's face.

"Now it is time for me to let off some pent up anger," Hunter said with a sadistic smile gracing his handsome face.

The unconscious man woke up with a startle and wriggled against his restraints. He blinked several times to adjust to the room's light. When his eyes landed on Hunter he smiled at him and said arrogantly.

"How are you, my old friend?" Lucca pretended to think hard, then continued in a mocking voice. "How inconsiderate of me to ask you this, of course, you are not well since your beautiful girlfriend is lying on a hospital bed."

Without hesitation, Hunter aimed two bones crushing blows towards Lucca's ribs. The man screamed in pain, and it took him several minutes to steady his breaths. Hunter moved closer to his face and spoke.

"I advise you to stop testing my patience because I have none at the moment. Now, I will ask questions, and you will answer them without lying, and believe me, I will know if you even consider deceiving me."

"Let's move to our first question, how many times Anna begged you to stop hurting her?" Hunter asked as he grabbed a baseball bat from one corner of the room.

"I don't remember, but I believe she did it once. She is a strong girl. I am surprised she is...." Before Lucca could continue his sentence, Hunter hit him on his right arm with the bat.

The sounds of bones shattering and Lucca's screams were like music to his ears. They were replacing the sound of Anna's scream.

"Come on man, I answered your question correctly. Why did you hit me?" Lucca said in pain.

"And who said I need a reason to hit you? Try to answer wrongly, and I will shot you. Now, it is time for the second question, who is Alex?"

This time Lucca laughed out loud until tears formed in his eyes. "Excuse me, but I couldn't help but laugh when the fool's name is mentioned. He is a lost boy who his parents were murdered by your family. He was seeking revenge, and I used it in my benefit."

A scowl formed on Lucca's face as he spoke his next words.

"but the fool betrayed me at the last minute, something about loyalty to your girlfriend since she is his friend or...." Once again a blow from Hunter's bat interrupted Lucca's chattering. This time it was aimed at his leg.

"Maybe Nina will agree to come down here. I heard it was a long time since she practiced her skills." Hunter expressed his thoughts out loud and was satisfied when Lucca's eyed widened in horror.

"No, not Nina, she is a crazy woman. The chick can kill with her heels." Lucca grunted.

"Very well, I think my company is enough for the moment. We shall move to the third question."

Thirty minutes later, Lucca was a mess with his body covered in blood. His face was nearly unrecognisable. Hunter threw the bat and went to a sink in the room to clean his hands. Aiden, who was silent until now moved to his friend's side and offered him a clean towel to dry his hands.

"Thank you Aiden," Hunter said and took the towel.

"What do you plan to do now?" Aiden asked.

"I don't know. First, I will go and check on Anna. You can stay here and have fun with our guest. You can do anything to him you desire, just keep him alive."

One of the guards came into the cell cutting their conversation. He looked at Hunter and said:

"A call for you from your father, sir." Hunter nodded and took the phone from the guard who left the room immediately.

"Don't kill Lucca Ignacio." Those were the first words Damien said to his son.

"And may I ask why?" Hunter asked his father.

"The head of the Ignacio family called. They are the only ones who can deactivate the bomb. We can't even get access to the jet. They are asking for Lucca's head in exchange for your grandfather's life." Damien explained the situation curtly.

"But letting Lucca go would be a foolish move. Maybe we can find another way to do this. Order Jason to find a way to gain access to the Don's plane. Also, what guarantees do you have that it is not a new trick?" Hunter reasoned with his father, because letting Lucca go was absurd. The vile man deserved to die.

"I am ordering you to prepare the transfer of Lucca to his father. Don't argue with me, Hunter. And I think I am smart enough to know trickery from the truth. Am I clear, Hunter?" Damien spoke in his stern voice making sure his son understood who the boss was.

"Yes, sir," Hunter spoke through his teeth and ended the call without waiting for any more words from his father. He knew his father won't let it go and would punish him for it later, but at the moment, he didn't give a damn.

"I think our plans are canceled," Hunter said with an angry voice and threw the phone against the wall shattering it on the spot.

"What do you mean?" Aiden asked in confusion.

"Father called and ordered the transfer of Lucca to his father's headquarters."

"WHAT!!!!" Aiden nearly screamed in shock.

Hunter closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

"those were the orders. You know we have to follow them. Can you assure he is transferred safely? I am sure by now, the guards have the instructions you need to follow during the producer. I will be damned if I participate in setting this man free." Hunter requested.

"You got it, man. I will make sure everything is in order."

Hunter nodded at his friend's words and patted his shoulder in appreciation. He moved to Lucca and looked him in the eyes.

"This time you were lucky, but beware I won't spare you shall you think of harming me or my family in the future. Mark my words Lucca Ignacio, this isn't over."

With those words, Hunter walked out of the cell with a new destination in his mind, "Anna's room." It was time he checks on her and be by her side. The chapter of Lucca Ignacio was over for now, and hopefully forever.

*************

Pain was what greeted Anna when she regained consciousness. She blinked several times to adjust her eyes to the blinding lights above her head. Her head was throbbing terribly that it nearly brought her to tears. She felt a weight near her right hand. She looked down to see Hunter's head resting beside her hand on the bed. With great difficulty, Anna lifted her hand and ran it through Hunter's smooth black hair.

Hunter steered from his slumber and opened his eyes. His eyes widened in shock and a big happy smile graced his face. He straightened in his chair and brought his hands closer to Anna's face and lightly touched her cheek just to make sure it was real and he wasn't dreaming.

"Oh my god! You are awake!" Hunter said in wonder and leaned over to kiss Anna's cheek. He was yearning for this moment, and finally, it was here and he was living it.

"Did you think you would get rid of me so easily?" Anna spoke in jest but flinched at the end of her sentence when pain exploded in her abs.

"What's wrong?" Hunter asked alarmed.

"Pain, it is all I am feeling right now," Anna said with her voice strained.

Hunter jumped from the chair and went searching for the doctor. He didn't find Anna's doctor in his office which made his frustration escalate. He was going to call another doctor when his Uncle's weary face came into his view.

"Thank god you are here, uncle. Anna is in so much pain, and I couldn't find Dr. Nelson." Hunter sighed in relief.

"Of course you won't find the poor doctor. He treated Anna's wounds, then came into the operation room to assist me with Alex's operation that was so complicated. He was nearly asleep by the time we finished. He was going to come and check on Anna, but I sent him home and called for another doctor who would take the night's shift. Now, let's go so I can see Anna." Hunter nodded and led the way.

Edward did a throughout check on Anna and gave her painkillers that will help ease her pain. He also changed her bandages and wished her early recovery. With instructions to Hunter to keep an eye on her and made sure she eats something, Edward left the room to rest for the night.

"What do you want to eat?" Hunter asked Anna.

"Something light would be good for now," Anna replied with her voice a bit stronger than earlier since the pain was nearly gone. Hunter nodded and left the room. He went to the mansion's kitchen and started working on a bowl of chicken soup. It took him about thirty minutes to finish it.

He put the bowl of soup with two pieces of bread and diced strawberries in a tray and carried it to Anna's room. He helped her to sit on the bed and placed the tray on her lap.

Anna looked at him and smiled, "I am sorry for disturbing the housekeeper at this time of night."

Hunter gave her a funny look and shook his head. "You offend me, Anna. Did you forget I am a great cook, again?" Hunter asked with his brow raised.

Anna laughed at his expression and said gratefully.

"Thank you, Hunter, Thank you so much for everything." Hunter gave her a gentle smile and grabbed the spoon to start feeding her. Anna didn't protest and opened her mouth for every bit Hunter offered to her.

She didn't realise how much she was hungry until the aroma of food attacked her nostrils, and the delicious food invaded her tasting buds.

When the tray was empty, Hunter put it on the bedside table and helped Anna to lie back on the bed. He grabbed her hand and continued caressing it. He was going to do anything in his power to make sure Anna would never close her eyes apart from in her sleep.

"How are you?" Anna asked her boyfriend.

"Why would you ask me such a question? I am good. You were the one injured, or did you forget?" Hunter evaded answering her question.

"Hunter, your face tells me you are so tired. When did you last sleep?" Anna asked.

"Since the day you were kidnapped. I can't close my eyes if you are not safe. You were in danger, Anna. You were far away from me, and I could never live if something happens to you." Hunter said honestly.

"Nothing happened to me. See, I am alive and breathing. Don't stress yourself over me. I promise nothing like this will happen again." Anna tried to reassure Hunter.

"Don't worry. I will make sure nothing like this will happen ever again." Hunter murmured and kissed Anna's forehead.

"What did you say?" Anna asked confused.

"Goodnight Anna, you need to sleep so you can recover." Hunter ignored Anna's question and tucked the covers tightly around her to assure her warmth.

"Stay here," Anna whispered. She was starting to feel dizzy the effects of the painkillers were taking a toll on her.