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“I promise I’ll take care of you real good tonight, babe. Make up for leaving that pretty pussy wet and aching.”

I felt my face get hot. I don’t know why; he’d always said stuff like that. My embarrassment just made the cocky bastard grin wider. All beautiful straight white teeth and rugged good looks.

I slapped his shoulder. “You have a dirty mouth, Hunter King.”

“You love it.”

My face got even hotter, and he threw his head back and burst out laughing. The jerkface was even sexy when he laughed.

I shoved past and stomped to the door, though I wasn’t exactly angry—sexual frustration was a better word for what I was feeling—and peeked through the peephole.

I pulled the door open. “Hey Jude.”

“Lulu.”

He was obviously my minder for the day. I knew Hunter wouldn’t leave me alone, not with Pierce still on the loose. Jude walked in, gave Hunter a chin lift, then headed to the kitchen to get a coffee. I slumped down on the couch, disappointed I wouldn’t get to peel that suit off Hunter until he came home tonight. He powwowed with Jude for a bit then walked over to me.

“Gotta go.”

“Okay. Later,” I whispered.

His eyes flared a little then he kissed me, and not just a peck.

“Later,” he said against my lips and strode out.

“You want coffee?” Jude asked me from the kitchen when the door closed.

I snapped out of my horny stupor and turned to him. “Ah . . . no. I’m going to grab a shower while Josh is still asleep.”

A few hours later, I was feet up, curled on the couch reading. Josh was sitting behind my bent knees, watching his favorite cartoon, eating a sandwich, and Jude was talking on his phone. That’s when the one in the kitchen started ringing. I put down my book and went to answer it. Hunter never used this phone, and I’d never heard it ring before.

I put it to my ear. “Hello?”

“Lucinda Frost?”

I stilled. “Who is this?”

“My name is Tomas, I’m sure you’ve heard of me. I’m a friend of Hunter’s.” His voice was deep and rough and sent shiver down my spine.

Hunter had mentioned him last night. I knew he wanted Pierce in a bad way. I also knew Tomas and Hunter grew up in the same neighborhood, and that they had a connection because of it, though I thought friends might be stretching it a bit. “Sorry, Hunter’s not here.”

“Actually, it’s you I want to talk to. You and I have a mutual . . . problem,” he said. “I think you know what I’m talking about. I’d like us to have a chat.”

“I don’t think . . .”

“It’s really in your best interest to comply.”

“I need to talk to Hunter first . . .” I started.

“Hunter won’t be in on this conversation.”

“I don’t know anything . . .”

“Your aunt Sara, she’s visiting a friend of hers in Hudson, yes?”

The sudden change in conversation threw me off guard. “Pardon?”

“Small world,” he carried on. “I have a friend there as well. He likes meeting new people.” He let the unspoken threat hang in the air.