Page 40 of Her Passionate Hero

He was shoved from behind. He’d been expecting it, he didn’t budge. Some things never changed. “Tell us your name,” the young guy demanded again.

“Is LL still running things?” On his trips up to visit Mamie, Hunter had learned his best friend had wrested the leadership from Red Blade.

The oldest guy eyed him up and down. “Just because you know a name, doesn’t mean shit. L.A.P.D. sends in people all the goddamn time. Give us a name.”

Now he was getting somewhere. No way was he going to talk to anyone but the highest ranking person in this little group.

“Hunter Diaz. LL knows me.”

“Well, you better be one hundred percent sure that’s true before we give him a call. Otherwise, this conversation ends with you dead. Understood?”

“Just call the man.” Hunter was sick of the posturing.

The man whipped out his phone and sent a text. The phone rang in less than a minute. He looked up at Hunter in surprise. “LL wants to talk to you,” he said, handing the phone to Hunter.

“That you Hunter? For real?”

“Yep.”

“Still a talkative bastard.”

“Yep.”

“Got to ask you a couple of questions to make sure it’s actually you, understand? Need to take precautions.”

“Understood.” LL had always been smart, that’s why he wanted to talk to him.

LL laughed. “If this is you, you’re still the same. So, what did you do when you left?”

“Enlisted in the Navy.”

“What name did you call your grandmother?”

“Mamie.”

“What was the last thing I told you?”

“You’d kill me if I ever showed my face again.” Hunter remembered it like it was yesterday. LL had been pretty serious. But then again, LL had been his best friend, and that counted for something. As mad as he was at for Hunter leaving, he respected him too.

“So, asshole, why the fuck did you return?”

“Need a favor.”

LL laughed. Kept laughing. Hunter wasn’t surprised. Even as a boy, LL always liked a challenge and had a quirky sense of humor.

“Okay, now that we’ve established you’ve got the balls of a bull, tell me why I shouldn’t have my boys kill you?”

“First, you’d want to do it yourself.” Hunter was taking a calculated gamble. But he knew people, and he knew LL.

“Truth.” LL was still laughing.

“Second, I can do you a favor.”

“I’m listening.”

“I’m going to do some damage to Los Demonios.”

LL started laughing again. “How much damage?”