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I nod a silent apology to Mr. Torrente. I know he hoped for more.
We shake hands, and he says, “You’re a good man, Mr. Hunter. It took balls to come see me. I owe you a great deal.”
“You’ve already repaid me, Mr. Torrente.”
“You may have your five minutes with Montez now.”
As much as I want to, I refuse. “I don’t think that’s what she needs right now.”
“You’re a better man than I am. Be good to my little girl,” he says with a warning in his tone.
“I will, sir.”
Driving away from her father’s house, Maria’s hand trembles in mine.
“Are you going to be okay?”
A small sob escapes her lips. “I think I preferred not knowing who my father was.”
“He’s just a man.”
She snaps her head around to me. “And a psycho drug-pushing killer.”
I smile. “Well, there’s that, too.”
She tries to hold back a laugh but it bursts through her pursed lips. “This is crazy.”
I can’t disagree with her, but I want to comfort her. “I don’t know if what we ever think of our parents is right. I thought my mom was Betty fuckin’ Crocker, and she turned out to be a psycho killer herself. At least your father was honest with you.”
“I just want to go home and hug my little boy.”
I smile, wanting to hug her little boy, also.
We pull into the driveway at my brother’s house. The hairs on my neck rise and my blood runs ablaze when I spot Harrison’s car. Maria’s fingers brush softly over my knuckles in an attempt to ease my anger, but it doesn’t work. I throw the car in park and leap from the car. Maria’s footsteps are right behind me as I burst through the door. She’s shouting at me to calm down.
Tori comes into the room and skids to a stop.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” I yell.
Tori holds her hands out in front of her. “Calm down. They’re out back, talking.”
I run a hand through my hair, gritting my teeth.
Tori looks at Maria. “Javier’s upstairs with Drew. I can handle this if you want to go up. I’m sure you missed him.”
Maria lifts on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek. “Please stay calm.”
I nod once but refuse to look at her, knowing there’s no way that’s going to happen. I have a ton of stored rage I never got to take out on Eduardo and Harrison is about to get the brunt of it.
Maria leaves, and Tori puts a hand on my arm. “Don’t go out there.”
“He shouldn’t be here.”
“He made a mistake, and he feels awful about it. They’re trying to figure it out, and it’s honestly not right for us to get involved.”
“Figure it out, Tor? He cheated on her — with a prostitute, no less.”
I don’t like the look on her face, because I know what’s coming.
