Page 45 of Her Passionate Hero

He took a step toward her, and she held her ground.

“Cariña, I told you I wasn’t leaving. Not this time.”

“Why?” she burst out softly, so her grandmother wouldn’t hear.

“I left part of me when I left you.”

They stood there staring at one another. Aliana didn’t know how to respond.

Her grandmother broke the silence. “I’m making waffles, with marionberry jam. I made the jam myself.”

“That sounds wonderful, Mrs. J. What can I do to help?”

“You could take out the trash.” Her grandmother pointed to the cupboard under the sink. Hunter bent to it and pulled out the trash bin.

“Is there anything else? Recycling?”

“Yes, that’s near the washer and dryer. The trash cans are under the carport.”

“Got it.”

Aliana watched his economical movements that had his muscles bunching under his gray T-shirt. As soon as he was safely out of the kitchen, she turned to her grandmother.

“When did he get here?”

“I called him in when I was making coffee this morning.”

“What do you mean, you called him in?”

“He spent the night in his car, watching our house.”

“Actually, I didn’t,” Hunter said as he came back in the door. He smiled, and Aliana remembered his smile from years ago. So white in his dark face. His dimples showed. She’d always loved his dimples. She shook her head to clear it.

“So you weren’t watching over us?” She felt let-down.

“I had to go search for Mateo, so I had one of my teammates watch your place. He’s a SEAL too, so I trust him.”

As soon as Mateo’s name was mentioned, Aliana couldn’t catch her breath. How in the world had Hunter found out about him?

“How do you know about…?” Her voice trailed off.

“You had some visitors yesterday evening. I think it was the Los Demonios’ version of the welcome wagon. We had a friendly little talk, and they mentioned that Mateo was looking for you.”

“They came here?” She took a shallow breath. “To my grandmother’s house?”

He came and stood in front of her, gently placing his hands on her shoulders. Looking into his warm brown eyes calmed her.

“I’m sorry Alia, but yes, they came here. We talked about that possibility yesterday, remember?”

“I was hoping you were wrong, stupid of me, wasn’t it?”

“Not stupid. Maybe naïve.”

“Don’t placate me. I screwed up, admit it. If I run around with my eyes closed while my home is blown up and my grandmother’s house is being watched, I’m useless. I can’t stand that. I need the truth.”

His warm brown eyes darkened. “Well, so do I. Why the hell didn’t you tell me that you’d been attacked?”

“Because I wasn’t supposed to.” Sakra, she didn’t mean to admit to so much.