Page 42 of Her Passionate Hero

He opened the door, and it was night and day. Except for the absence of a window, it looked like a high powered executive office. The desk was sleek glass and steel. There was a marble bar inset in wood-paneled walls. The floor was slate. There was a small conference table over to the side, and the seats all looked like leather. Hunter looked over at LL, who had an enthusiastic grin.

“Pretty swanky, right?”

“I’ll say. You’ve moved up in the world.”

“It pays to make a good impression. You wouldn’t believe what kinds of fools I have to deal with. One look at this office and they immediately realize I know things they don’t. They listen and fall into line.”

It wasn’t a bad idea on LL’s part.

“What’s your territory up to?”

“Took down The 15th Street Gang, The Machine, and took over El Fuego.”

“What happened to Herman? I can’t imagine you and he are co-managing the Las NuevasEspadas unless of course, he got a lot prettier since I last saw him, and your tastes have changed.”

The air in the room turned ominous. “You know, sometimes you’re not as funny as you think you are, Man, you hearing me?” LL said.

“Got it. Now I know where the line is drawn. You still with Rita?” She and LL had a son before Hunter had left to join the Navy.

“Yeah,” LL smiled. “You remember Lorenzo Junior? Well, we have five more kids now. God’s blessed us.”

“Lorenzo in the life?”

“Damn right. He’s learning how to handle the girls. They love him.”

If he was anything like his father, Hunter didn’t doubt it, but it still made him sad. He couldn’t be any more than seventeen. What kind of life was he living, handling a bunch of prostitutes?

“I see that look. You think you’re all that because you’re a SEAL?”

Hunter stilled.

“What, you didn’t think I would keep track of my boy? You came in second in your BUD/S class. What was your problem? I expected first.”

So had Hunter. Still pissed him off that Dalton had beat him.

“How d’you find out about that?”

“I told you, we’ve been busy. For a while, we did a little credit card fraud, so we had a hacker. I had him look you up.” Hunter didn’t like the feel of that, he’d have to put Dex on the case.

“LL, I’m not judging how you’re raising Lorenzo.” Hunter paused. “Scratch that, maybe I am. Don’t you want your son to have something better? Something outside of this life?”

“Look around you.” LL waved his arm. “I’ve made something of myself. What more could the kid ask for? He’s loving it. He’ll have a great life.”

“Or end up in prison or dead. You know you have a huge target on your back.”

“Quit your preaching. That’s not funny. You know I like it best when you’re funny. Or when you have information. So be funny or give me information.”

“How about this, you give me information, and I take down Los Demonios for you?”

LL looked at him, sizing him up. “Is this shit they say about SEALs for real?”

“We have our moments.”

“Damn, you should have never left. You and I could have ruled this city.”

“Again, you’re not hearing me. I looked it over, the odds were I would be in prison or dead. Where is our old group, LL?”

The man got quiet and sat back in his chair.