Hunter

I stared down at my woman, her thick lashes resting against her swollen, bruised skin, her beautiful red hair spread out on the pillow. She looked so fucking fragile, I fought the urge to scoop her up in my arms and take her out of here, to take her home, with me, where she belonged, where she was safe.

I stood and shoved my fingers through my hair, pacing the small room. Her words kept echoing through my skull, every soul-destroying, heart-breaking fucking word.

Pierce Carson had blackmailed and repeatedly raped her. Abused a young defenseless girl, his own stepdaughter.

I sucked in a sharp breath. The motherfucker was a dead man.

Shit, I felt like I was suffocating. I needed goddamn air. I strode to the door and pushed it open. Neco, Jude, and Van were still there. I caught my brother’s eyes, tilting my head to Lulu’s room, silently asking him to watch her, and strode down the hall.

I walked out the main doors, out into the dark parking lot, and rested my hands against the brick wall, breathing heavily, sucking back oxygen in an effort to cool the hell down. But nothing could do that, not now that I knew what Lulu had been through, what Pierce had done to her.

A roar exploded past my lips and I plowed my fist into the wall, slamming into it over and over again.

I couldn’t hurt the man who deserved it, couldn’t smash his face until he was so fucked up he was bloody and unrecognizable. But I had to hit something, needed to release the rage pressing down on me from all sides.

Someone grabbed me from behind and tried to pull me back, but I was too far gone. I shoved them off and kept on throwing punches. I was jerked back suddenly, and Jude threw me on my back.

Neco got in my face. “Calm the fuck down before security comes. You want them to kick you out of the hospital?”

“I’m going to kill him,” I growled.

Neco didn’t need me to elaborate. They might not have known the details, all that Lulu had been through yet, but they knew who had put her in that hospital bed. My friend’s face was grim as he dipped his chin. “We’ll get him, brother.”

I wouldn’t be happy until I heard Pierce’s screams of pain ringing in my ears.

* * *

“The insurance payout Pierce got when he torched that building was substantial, but he chewed through it within a year.” Neco watched me carefully, trying to read me, no doubt worried I’d flip the fuck out again. He’d been doing that the last two days, since my meltdown outside the hospital.

I clenched my fist and pain shot through my hand, a twisted reminder of the hell I planned to rain down on Pierce. If Jude hadn’t thrown me down when he had my fist would be pulp. My rage was still as strong—shit, stronger.

Neco shook his head. “Hunt, man. I need you to focus.”

“I’m listening.”

The guy didn’t look convinced. I didn’t blame him.

We’d discovered that Pierce had pissed away the money that came to him when he married Lulu’s mom—both the inheritance and life insurance she’d gotten when her husband died, then what she’d gotten from her parents when they’d passed. One bad investment after the other and living beyond his means had chewed through the lot. He’d had nothing left. In desperation, he’d torched one of his own properties and framed me, as a scapegoat and way to get me out of Lulu’s life. Before she ran, he forced Lulu to sign her trust fund over to him as well.

He’d quickly grown a reputation for bad business practices, for underhand tactics, as someone that couldn’t be trusted. Doors had closed. He’d screwed himself.

Elizabeth’s family had been keeping them afloat, giving them a generous monthly allowance, which was the only reason Pierce had stuck around I was sure . . . that and his sick obsession with Lulu. But now Elizabeth was sick, and wasn’t going to get better, and Pierce was MIA, so the family had cut him off.

It seemed Pierce had nothing left and nowhere to go.

“Drugs, right?” I knew from my time working with Pierce that he’d dipped his toes in those murky waters, but it had still only been small-time. I also knew the guy had serious delusions of grandeur. He’d wanted to get into bed with the big boys, but the big boys hadn’t been in the mood to play the field. Until recently.

“Word is, Pierce made nice with the right people, found a supplier willing to work with him,” said Neco. “He took this to Mendoza, made a deal. But Pierce didn’t make the delivery. One of his men took off with the shipment and cashed in, fucked Pierce over in a big way. Mendoza wanted what he was owed, or his money back with interest. Pierce didn’t have either.”

“He paid Mendoza anything?”

Neco shook his head. “Understandably, Mendoza is not happy and has his army turning this city inside out searching for him.”

I didn’t need to ask how Neco knew the details of Pierce’s financial history, or how he had the inside scoop on one of the scariest motherfuckers in this city. There was no Internet security system that the guy couldn’t hack into, and Tomas Mendoza was from our neighborhood. He was a little older than Van, but Tomas had been one of us.

Where we were from, what we’d grown up around? A blatant disregard for the law just came with the territory.

There were ties between us that would always remain, whether we wanted them or not. I didn’t like the way the man made his living, dealing drugs and peddling flesh, but those ties could also be useful. Neco had worked for him for a time, and when Nec decided on a career change, the relationship had remained civil. At the end of the day, we came from the same shitty streets, and that meant something to a man like Mendoza.

“Now he needs the painting to save his ass,” I said. Lulu had told us how Pierce thought she had it, how bad he wanted it. We’d assumed Robert, Pierce’s brother, had it all this time. Lulu had no idea where it was, and we had no leads, no clue to what had happened to it. Which meant Pierce was getting desperate. He’d obviously planned on doubling his money, selling privately as well as getting a fat payment from Union City Insurance. Now the asshole was wanted by police, which meant he couldn’t get into his bank accounts when, and if, the payment came through. We already knew what the motherfucker was capable of, but backed into a corner like this, shit, who knew what he’d try next.

“We need to find the painting before he does,” I said. He’d blow out of town faster than we could blink. I wasn’t letting him get away from me. “Maybe it’s time we brought Robert in. Asshole has to know something.”

Neco shook his head. “Robert and his wife have left the country. Extended vacation. Fucker knows his brother only has two roads outta this mess—a body bag or behind bars. Turns out Robert’s not as stupid as we thought.”

Fuck.

“You think Pierce is in deeper than we thought?” It wouldn’t surprise me if Tomas wasn’t the only one Pierce had breathing down his neck.

“Could be. I’ll keep digging.” Neco leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. “Maybe we should leave him to Tomas. Let him flush him out. The guy doesn’t like being made a fool of.”

I shook my head. “We keep looking.”

“Had a feeling you’d say that.” He held my gaze. “How’s Lulu?”

“As well as can be expected.” I’d left her and Josh with Zeke guarding them. I didn’t like to leave, but I didn’t want her to hear any of this shit. “She’s not saying much.”

“You’ve only had her home a day. Give her time.”

Everything was out in the open now. Neco, Jude, Zeke, and my brother, they knew why she did what she had, what Pierce did to her. And they were almost as hungry for the man’s blood as I was. “She’s not getting it yet, why she’s there, but she will.”

Neco dipped his chin. “I have no doubt, brother.” The guy’s phone started up in his pocket and he cursed when he checked the screen.

“Trouble?”

Neco’s eyes darkened. “With a capital R.”

“Ruby?”

My friend growled.

Our receptionist managed to get herself in a lot of shit, often, and it was Neco she called to bail her ass out. Me, Van, Neco, had all known her since she was in pigtails and had training wheels on her bike. She’d lived in the house right across from my best friend growing up. We’d all known her stepmother was a twisted bitch. So, we’d tried to look out for her, especially Neco. But he was still doing it now. He also let her get away with a lot of shit, shit anyone else sure as hell wouldn’t. Ruby seemed to enjoy taking advantage of that. Either that, or she’d made it her personal mission to make the guy fucking crazy.

“You need backup?”

Head down, busy firing back a text, he shook his head. “I got it. Go home to your girl.”

Thirty minutes later, I was at the door to my apartment. Unlocking it, I walked inside. The place was open, big. Van hadn’t needed me to spell it out, had worked out that I’d had enough of cramped, small spaces to last me a lifetime. It was a great apartment. Open, warehouse-style, but with two bedrooms at the back.

Zeke was sitting at the breakfast bar when I walked in. “You stayin’?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

Zeke gave me a chin lift, slid off the stool and left.

It was late. The place was quiet, light from the city washing the room with muted color. Zeke had been sitting in the dark, TV off, fully alert, all senses focused on keeping my woman and son safe. An example of why I’d trust any one of the guys at the agency with my life, as well as those I cared about.

I keyed in the code, activating the security alarm, pulled off my shirt on the way to my room, and flung it on the back of the couch. Hand on my bedroom door, I pushed it open. The bed was empty.

A rough exhale blew past my lips and I jerked my head from side to side, cracking my neck, tension running thought me. I got it, I did, I understood that she needed time, probably a lot of it. But fuck, I wanted Lulu. Needed her. Just needed to hold her in my arms. Reassure myself that she was mine, that she was safe. Make her believe I would never let anything happen to her ever again.

I went to the spare room and pushed the door open. Shit. Total fucking gut punch.

Lulu was on her side, facing in. Josh’s small body was pressed into her front. Her arm was wrapped around the kid, nose buried in his dark curls, like she’d fallen asleep breathing him in. I’d never seen a more beautiful sight in my life.

I’d meant what I said to her. Josh was mine. I didn’t give a fuck who made him. He was part of Lulu and that was the only part that mattered to me. I only wished my own father had felt that way. Things could have turned out a lot different if he had. Instead, he’d seen me as the physical embodiment of the hell my mother had been though, of his own pain, of the destruction of his family. He’d looked at me every day and seen the man who had hurt his wife.

And I’d paid for it.

My hand automatically went to my forearm, to the pitted scars left from his cigarettes. There were scars all over me. But when I was a kid, the deepest had been the kind you couldn’t see.

He’d nearly broken me.

I scrubbed my hands over my face. This whole fucked-up, fucking awful situation was history repeating itself. Lulu had no idea about that part of my past, the way I came into this world, and now wasn’t the time to tell her. But if anyone knew what that little boy needed, it was me. And I was going to make sure he got it. That he never felt anything but wanted.

I knew how to do that. Raul had been one hell of a role model. He may have walked the wrong side of the law, but he’d also been more of a father to me than mine ever was. He’d shown me what a real man looked like. Had taught me that being someone’s dad wasn’t about the blood running through your veins. It was the person that stepped up when you needed them most. The person that gave a fuck.

Lulu and I used to talk about kids, how many we’d have, names, shit like that. I’d wanted that, all of it with Lulu, and fuck, seeing the two of them now, I realized I could have it.

God, I wanted her back in my bed.

That wouldn’t happen tonight, though. She’d been separated from her son, and it’d been hard on both of them. She needed to be close to him right now.

But she was also used to it being just the two of them. That’s not how it was going to be anymore. I’d lost three years, three years that I should have spent with the woman I loved. My woman had suffered, been violated, afraid, had brought a baby into this world all on her own. I should have been there with her, protecting her. That time had been taken from the both of us.

So yeah, I was also done waiting.

I felt restless, like I was coming out of my skin, being separated from her, even if it was only by a goddamn wall. I needed her back where she belonged, in my arms, underneath me.

But both Lulu and Josh needed to settle in. I had to give her that time. I just had to wait a little longer.

Then I was taking her back, all of her, and I was never letting go.

Lulu

I woke to the smell of coffee, quiet sounds coming from the kitchen.

Had Hunter come home last night? Or was Zeke still here? I hadn’t known what to make of the man Hunter left with us. He’d been polite, quiet, extremely intense. He’d also been observant. When he wasn’t watching us, with those dark-as-night eyes, he was prowling around the room, looking out windows, and watching the ground level door to Hunter’s apartment through a camera on his phone.

This made me nervous as hell, to the point I was jumping out of my skin at every noise, every honk or shout from the street. In the end, I’d taken Josh to bed and buried my head under the covers.

Josh wriggled, huffed out a breath, and then went limp again. I waited a few minutes, but he was still out, cheeks rosy, thick dark lashes resting on his chubby cheeks. I leaned in, buried my nose in his soft hair, and kissed him good morning. Easing back the blankets, I climbed out. I was still bruised and had a few aches and pains, but nothing a couple ibuprofen couldn’t fix. Outwardly, I’d be good as new in a couple of weeks.

Inwardly . . .

Well, I wasn’t thinking about that. If I didn’t think about it—what had happened to me, to Hunter, what Josh and I were doing here in his apartment—I’d be just fine. I was an expert at not thinking about things.

I grabbed some clothes from my bag. They’d been here when Hunter brought us to his place, after they’d released me from the hospital. But they’d been in his room.

I chose not to think about that either or why he’d had them put there.

When Hunter announced we were staying with him, I didn’t fight it. What was the point? Not only had he made his mind up, one I knew from experience was not easy to change, but it was the safest place for us. Hunter wouldn’t think twice about hurting someone to protect us. I wasn’t so stubborn I’d put my son as risk just so I could guard my heart. Besides, my heart was already compromised. Irrevocably. It had been since the first moment I saw him.

It would make leaving harder, but I’d made up my mind. I’d run from Pierce, to protect myself and my son, to escape the toxic world he’d pulled me into. I didn’t want any part of that world. Never again.

Hunter had never left it.

So, when the time came, I’d leave. It was for the best, for all of us.

Ignoring the way those thoughts churned me up inside, and satisfied Josh would stay asleep, I eased the door open and slipped out of the bedroom and into the bathroom next door. This was our first morning at Hunter’s, and I wanted to make sure my son didn’t have a chance to feel unsure about his new surroundings, or wake up alone again, wondering where I was. So, I needed to be quick.

The bathroom was big, bigger than any I’d had in my line-up of shitty apartments. It was also really really nice. White tile walls and floor, big glass-enclosed shower you could easily fit two people in. Nope, not going there. There was also a full bath, and a more than decent vanity. I stripped off my PJs, turned on the shower, and climbed in. I decided thinking about Hunter, naked, lathering up with his body wash—that I was currently using—wasn’t something to dwell on either.

I quickly washed my hair, rinsed off, and stepped out.

I hung up my towel and dragged on black yoga pants and my worn AC/DC T-shirt. Finger combing my hair, I stared at myself in the mirror. I looked like shit. Bruised, still a little swollen. I’d looked like this once before, after Pierce was through with me that last time . . .

I quickly turned away, couldn’t look at myself like this. I looked like a victim. I didn’t want to be a fucking victim, and I sure as hell refused to feel like one anymore.

Josh was gone when I opened the bedroom door. I knew he couldn’t have gone far, but panic seized me, firing through my veins. I jogged back toward the living area. The place was huge and open. The only other rooms were the bathroom and bedrooms. Hunter’s room was larger, longer, and the wall formed a sort of hallway. The living room was set up directly in front of me, and across from that was the kitchen. I rounded the corner, the only corner in the vast space, and came to a screeching halt.

Josh stood in the kitchen in his green dinosaur PJs, his nighttime Pull-Ups hanging low on his little booty, making the pants sag at the back, with his thumb in his mouth. His head was tilted back, big blue eyes round and locked on Hunter.

Hunter was looking down at my son, and I watched as a grin lifted one side of his mouth. That grin made my belly do funny things. Then his big body folded smoothly, coming down, so he was crouching low, and his smile got bigger. “You hungry, Josh?”

My son continued to stare at him then, finally, he nodded, soft curls bouncing.

“Do you like hot chocolate?” Hunter asked.

More nodding, then a small smile lifted the corners of my baby’s mouth around his thumb.

Hunter’s chest expanded with his sudden, sharp, indrawn breath. And I watched, holding mine, as he reached out and brushed his thumb over the back of Josh’s chubby hand. “I’ll take that as a yes, my man.”

Josh popped his thumb out, and the grin got bigger. “Pop Tarts.”

Hunter broke into laughter, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Hunter laughing was something to see. Something goddamn spectacular. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen him laugh, the last time I’d heard that deep, sexy rumble.

“Is that what your mama feeds you?”

My face heated when Josh nodded his head again, the little traitor.

Josh moved closer, leaning against Hunter’s knee.

Hunter brushed his hand over my son’s hair. “I think I can do better. What about pancakes?”

I decided now was as good a time as any to open my mouth, instead of standing there like an idiot. “Um . . . yeah, he loves pancakes.”

Josh turned to me, and Hunter’s head came up. He rose to his feet, gaze sweeping me from head to toe and back. I swear I felt it, felt it like he’d reached out and ran his hands over me. “You should still be in bed resting. I can watch Josh.”

“I’m fine. Really. And sorry, I thought he’d stay asleep while I showered.”

That stare turned intense, stayed locked on me. “You don’t have to apologize. I told you, I look after what’s mine.” His gaze flicked down to Josh then back to me. “I meant it.”

Shit. It was too damn early in the morning for this. But Josh broke the moment when he walked over to me, lifting his arms to be picked up for his morning hug. I leaned over automatically, to lift him into my arms, and groaned, my bruised body telling me I needed some drugs ASAP.

Josh’s face crumpled. “Mama?”

“I’m okay, baby. Mama’s okay.”

His little hand curled into the side of my yoga pants, hanging on tight. Goddammit. I ran my hand over his hair and fought back the angry tears threatening to escape. Ever since I opened up to Hunter, told him what happened to me, I’d been on the verge of falling apart. I hated it, hated how helpless and weak it made me feel.

Hunter prowled toward me. Yes, prowled. All long legs and sinewy strength. His hands went to my shirt, and before I had a chance to open my mouth, he lifted it high enough to check out my fading bruises. He knew my body was bruised but he hadn’t seen the damage for himself.

He cursed under his breath, fingers whisper soft, brushing over my abused skin before his gaze lifted to mine. And what I saw, right then, that Hunter would make Pierce suffer if he caught him. And I was glad of it. It was sick and twisted, and screamed of double standards. I didn’t want any part of what Hunter did to make his money. Josh would never be brought up in a world of violence, where breaking the law every day to make a living was okay. I didn’t know exactly what Hunter did, but I’d seen him in action, more than once when he worked for Pierce. I knew what he was capable of. And after being held at the agency, the things Ruby said, I got the feeling, legitimate business or not, things hadn’t changed a whole lot. Still, I’d stand happily by and watch him beat the shit of that asshole if he ever got the chance.

“Couch, babe.”

His low, rough voice slid over me, giving me happy shivers. I was powerless against it. So damn weak.

“Josh can help me make breakfast, right, buddy?”

Josh smiled again and let go of my leg. Hunter reached down, swung him up into his arms, and carried him to the kitchen. My son’s hand went to Hunter’s shoulder, flat against his plain black T-shirt. The sight just about had me crying all over again.

Pull it together.

Hunter came right back with a glass of water and a bottle of ibuprofen, and put them on the low table in front of me. “Coffee?”

“Thanks.” Josh was still in his arms, eyes locked on the man holding him. I knew my son, which meant I knew he wasn’t afraid or worried. This was confirmed when one of his little fingers inched up the side of Hunter’s neck and started tracing the ink there.

I was speechless, and with the double whammy of heart and belly flutterings I had going on, I was on the verge of stroking out or something. Josh had never warmed to someone so quickly. Ever.

Hunter sat him on the bench beside him and I watched the two of them make pancake batter. Well, Hunter made it while Josh splattered it all over the place with the spoon he was “stirring” it with. Neither seemed fazed. I couldn’t take my eyes off the pair of them. They both had dark hair and blue eyes. When they grinned or frowned, I thought they looked similar, didn’t they? Or maybe I was just trying to see something that wasn’t there.

I let my gaze travel over Hunter. Over his inked biceps, straining the fabric of his T-shirt. My fingers itched to touch, feel how hard they were, feel them flex under my fingers. I continued my perusal, over his broad shoulders, down to his lower back, where I knew my name marked his skin. A shiver worked its way through me. I still remembered when he’d gotten it. How special, how loved I’d felt. It seemed like a lifetime ago. It was a lifetime ago.

I dropped my gaze to his lean hips. A chain hung from one of the belt loops of his jeans, disappearing into the back pocket. It drew the eye to his perfect ass, the way the faded black denim hugged it to perfection. His thighs were solid, legs long. He was ruggedly beautiful. Fiercely masculine.

I wanted him.

Would always want him.

I slammed on the brakes. That was something else I wasn’t going to think about. I was going to live in the moment. For now. At least until it was safe for me and Josh to move on with our lives, or until Hunter woke up and realized he’d made a mistake having us here.

Before the reality of possibly of raising the son of his enemy sank in.