Page 34 of Her Passionate Hero

“Guess you’ll be driving,” he said to the guy in the passenger seat. “I want you gone. Tell this guy Mateo to leave these women alone.”

Tattoo boy laughed. “You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

“No, he doesn’t know who he’s dealing with,” Hunter chuckled. “Just pass the message along. Now you two ass-clowns, pick up your guns by the muzzle and hand them to me.”

“But―”

“Do it,” the guy in the front seat said.

Hunter collected the two small caliber guns, then backed away from the car. He watched as the tattooed guy got out of the car and went to the driver’s side so he could take over driving.

“Mateo is going to be pissed,” he said as he passed Hunter.

“Tell Mateo I’m already pissed, so we’re even. Now get the fuck out of here.”

He watched as the car took off down the street at a much faster speed than when it arrived. Damn, the license plates were missing.

Yep, he definitely needed backup.

He put the three extra guns in the trunk of his grandmother’s Buick. Sitting in the car, he pulled out his phone.

Dalton was number one on his speed dial. They’d been through BUD/S together, but hadn’t ended up on the same team. Hunter was lucky, he’d always been on Black Dawn, Dalton had been assigned to a team which had eventually disbanded. Though they hadn’t been on the same missions together, they’d remained close, even during that miserable final year Dalton spent with Cindy. And the tragic ending that ripped at Hunter’s guts whenever he thought about it.

He blew out a breath through clenched teeth and whispered a quick prayer up to heaven. Then he called Dalton.

“Hey. Wondered when you’d call.”

“Now. I’m calling now.”

Dalton chuckled. “Whatcha need?”

Hunter loved that. No question in his mind, he was going to help Hunter out.

“Did Gray say anything?” Hunter asked.

“You’re kidding, right? Our lieutenant reveal any personal information? Hell, we could waterboard him, and he still wouldn’t tell anyone your favorite fingernail polish. You still like to wear hot pink, right?”

Hunter appreciated Dalton’s teasing. The man knew something was up and was trying to make him relax.

“Fuchsia. They call it fuchsia. We need to work on your metro-sexualness.”

“So, what’s up, Diaz?”

“I’m up in East L.A. Gang territory. There’s a new gang who has its sights set on an old friend.”

“Aliana?”

Hunter didn’t know how to respond.

“You talked a lot about her in BUD/S. I can’t imagine anyone other than your grandmother who would have you going back home.”

“Yeah, it’s her. They blew up her townhome last night. She’s lucky she escaped with her life.” Hunter heard a cabinet closing over the phone.

“How soon do you need me there?”

“How soon can you get here?”

“Just give me the address, I’m already packing.”