Page 5 of Tempt Me

“That would be fucking creepy. But I bet Bear was cute as a kid. Natasha likely was, too. Even if something goes wrong and their kid turns out fugly, they’re going to love it.”

“But everyone’s going to like those older two more.”

“That’s more about their personalities, not their looks. If they were ugly but funny, we’d still like them, right? The girl sounds like she’s coughing up a hairball whenever she says my name. That shit makes me laugh. Her looks have nothing to do with it.”

Indigo nods and leans back. He falls silent, and I assume he’ll remain that way. Instead, he asks, “Don’t you have a guy that follows Hunter around?”

“I have a few of them actually.”

“Where the fuck was he when she got mugged?”

“He drives a dumpy car while she has that slick Mercedes. His clunker needed to warm up. By the time he caught up to her, she’d kicked the guy’s ass.”

Indigo nods. “Seems like you need to hire better people to follow her around.”

“True, but I want people who are loyal to me in a way that money can’t buy. These guys know what I’ll do to them if they fail.”

“Did you do that to the guy whose car didn’t start?”

“No, I was too busy hunting down the guy who mugged Hunter.”

Indigo nods, allowing a smile when he thinks of the street justice I handed out.

“Why doesn’t she hire her own security?”

“She might after the mugging. If her mom was in town when it happened, Suzanne would likely have a team on Hunter’s ass twenty-four-seven.”

Indigo and I finally stop dicking around at the diner and head to the farm. The sun is setting, creating a golden hue along the dense woods and white farmhouses. This place used to have only a few homes. Then, more and more foster boys grew up and stuck around. They got married, had kids, and built houses. Now, we have our own community located in the basin outside Banta City.

Not all Backcountry Kings members live at the farm. Bear has a big house in a quiet suburb. Our club brother Sync has a rambler not far from Bear’s place. Siobhan lives blocks away from them both. If I can ever nail things down with Hunter, we’ll likely want to live in the same neighborhood as our friends.

After arriving at the ranch, I check the time. Hunter will be starting her shift at Verge Casino soon. I have a guy tailing her as usual. He’ll send a photo when she leaves her condo. Sometimes, the only way I know Hunter still exists is from those men’s “proof of work” pictures.

After checking in with Aunt Fred, I get roped into a basketball game. Carys watches from a lounge chair with her big belly uncovered for the world to see. Pork Chop, Scarecrow, and Claw challenge Golden, Indigo, and me.

Tonight, a couple of new foster boys watch us play. They take sides, rooting for Golden since he’s a ham and makes them laugh.

Though I try to pay attention, my mind is distracted by how Hunter played basketball in high school. I remember when she explained her private school was filled with short white girls. She claimed to be a subpar player. I smile at the memory of her laughing at her poor skills.

“Focus, motherfucker,” Golden growls at me when I miss another shot. “Get your head in the game.”

Golden and I are tight, but he also drives me fucking crazy. His big mouth and insatiable dick often smother his good qualities. Some days, I can barely tolerate the blond pretty boy. That’s why I grab the basketball from Indigo and try to deball Golden with it.

Golden dodges my throw and sneers. “Eat shit, man.”

“No wrestling!” Carys yells out. “I want to watch my man get sweaty. You two wrestling like pigs doesn’t rev my engines.”

Aunt Fred’s older daughter is nearly ready to pop with her third kid. Pork Chop is fucking psyched about having a daughter after two boys, eight-year-old Hicks and six-year-old Hudson.

As Golden shoves me aside and returns to the game, I find myself staring at Carys instead of playing basketball. Finally, I walk over and squat next to her lounge chair.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Carys asks in a tender voice as if she’s channeling her mom. “Has the lack of sex broken something fundamental in your fat head?”

Carys laughs at her own words and then grunts and holds her belly. “I need to be more careful. I’m afraid I’ll laugh too hard and accidentally give birth on the lawn.”

“Is that a real concern?” I ask and frown at her round belly. “I don’t want to be in charge of catching it.”

“If my daughter comes flying out, you better not let her fall on the dirty ground. That kind of lazy behavior won’t wow Hunter.”

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