Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 137310 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137310 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
Hugger felt his throat get scratchy on the inside.
Normally, Big Petey pulling the dad act didn’t bother him. He was a good man, he had a big heart, he cared about his brothers, and he cared about Hugger’s ma.
Now, though, it was ticking him off.
“Big Petey—” he started.
“Don’t,” Pete sighed. “Just don’t, son. Promise you, if you do, you’ll regret it.”
“It’s not what I want.”
He said it even if he didn’t mean a word of it, but he wanted to.
It was a mistake because it opened a door Hugger took pains to keep firmly closed.
Pete waltzed through that door and laser focused on him. “I’m glad we’re talkin’ about this because I never got a lock on it. What is it you want?”
Hugger told him the truth. “Nothing.”
That was when Big Petey started to look mad.
He didn’t hesitate to explain why.
“You know it would gut her to hear you say that.”
Pete was talking about his mother.
“It’s the best way to live life. Have no expectations, get no disappointments. She showed me that.”
“Bullshit,” Pete clipped. “She had no choice. But she gave everything so you would.”
Now Hugger was getting mad. “You don’t know what we were. You don’t know what we had.”
“I knew Jackie,” Big Petey shot back. “I knew the feeling she had for you. And I know that woman in there, whose world lights up just ’cause a woman opens the cage she closed around herself just enough to color in a book, and that same woman prepares a spread on the fly for a bunch of men she barely knows and gets off on it, is a woman your mother would be doin’ cartwheels is in your life. She’s into you, Hug, don’t fuck that up.”
“We’re on a mission.”
“You can’t multi-task?”
“Shit is real, Pete.”
“When isn’t it?”
Hugger didn’t answer that because it would prove Big Petey’s point.
“Call Rush and call Tack,” Pete commanded. “And I’ll talk to Eight.”
With that, they were done, Hugger knew because Pete left him on the balcony.
8
TAKE THE RISK
Hugger
The next morning, Hugger stood on the balcony sipping coffee he made and staring straight at the assholes who were back enjoying a Saturday morning latte at the coffee spot in the courtyard.
He heard the door slide open and twisted to see Diana, her hair in a messy knot at her crown, some loose drawstring shorts hanging on at her hips, and a cropped babydoll tee tight at her tits that shared she was a fan of the Diamondbacks. It was the first time he’d seen her with no makeup.
She was just as gorgeous as she was with it on.
Christ.
It was like she was trying to torture him.
“You’re awake,” she noted.
He nodded and tipped his head to the courtyard. “We got company.”
She did an annoyed side-eye and stuck her tongue out like she was gagging.
Fuck him, her cute was as hot as her hot.
Totally torturing him.
“Gotta use the can,” he told her. “You can stay out here, but don’t get anywhere where they can lay eyes on you.”
“You didn’t already—?” she began.
“You said not to invade her space. And I agree. She needs her space.”
Soft hit her expression. “Hugger, just knock on my door, and if I’m sleeping, just go through.”
“Been holdin’ it a half hour, babe. Can we discuss this after I drain my bladder?”
She bit her lip and nodded.
He went inside to take care of business, returned to the balcony to see her sitting on the light-blue cushions on the couch of her patio furniture, her bare feet up on the white coffee table, a mug of joe in her hand, so he went to the pot to warm up his before he joined her.
He sat in an armchair at corners to the couch.
“Sleep okay?” she asked.
He slept shit.
She was right; he was too big for her couch, even with the back cushions off.
And he was too close to her, lying in her big king bed all alone.
But it was what it was, and it was going to stay that way.
“Slept great,” he lied.
“Liar,” she whispered to her mug before she took a sip. She looked to him after she swallowed. “You seen Suzette?”
He shook his head.
“She’ll come out when she senses you’re out here.”
“Yeah,” he muttered.
Her gaze drifted away. “I’m gonna talk to her today about protective custody. I forgot to mention yesterday that Dad told me he spoke with one of the cops who was keen to look after her. He also said the FBI wants to talk to her—”
Hugger sat up straight. “Say what?”
Her eyes darted to him. “He said the FBI wants to talk to her.”
“Why?”
She pulled her shoulders forward but said, “Babić is a bad guy and probably doesn’t curtail his felonious activities solely to the Phoenix Metropolitan Area.”
“And what would Suzette know about that shit?”
“I don’t…” The importance of what they were discussing dawned on her, and she sat up straight too, taking her feet from the coffee table. “Oh shit, Hugger,” she whispered. “When Dad said it, I didn’t put it together.”