Page 33 of Hunter

Wolf turned and looked to see Anna handling the grill, waving a spatula around like a mad woman. “Oh, hell.” He slumped back in the chair as Ripper’s laugh moved over in that direction.

“Come on, Prez.” I laughed. “She ain’t that bad.”

Wolf grunted and turned back toward the kids. “Which is yours?”

“Adair!” I yelled, and a curly blond head turned in my direction.

Adair got to his feet and ran straight into me, almost sending my last precious beer flying. He crawled onto my lap and sat before looking at the cool bottle with wide eyes.

“Nope. You ain’t having any of this, or your momma will kill me.”

Adair stopped and a look washed over his face I wasn’t prepared for. “Momma?” he said, as if only remembering her absence. He looked around the backyard with such a panic that it made me set my beer down on the grass and grab him with both arms.

“Hey, little man,” I said, righting Adair before he fell straight off my lap. “Momma’s here. She’s—”

“You locked her up in the truck?” a voice cut me off, and I looked up to find an amused Jax looking down at me.

“You did what?” Wolf choked on his beer.

I sighed. “I was giving her time to cool down.”

“Yeah,that’swhat she is doing.” Jax shook his head, reaching into the cooler.

“What are you talkin’ about?”

“Girl’s eyes were all red and puffy, so unless she’s been crying with rage …” Jax tipped the bottle to his lips and grinned. “Cheered her up, though. Gave her my number.”

“Shit. She was crying?”

“Like a fire truck for a good half an hour from what I was told.”

I stood from my chair like it was on fire.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

She was crying?

Why the hell was she crying?

Adair clung to my neck as I turned toward the door. I only took one step before it banged open and Lamb filled the doorway with Pretty behind him, a girl curled up in his arms.

I was two seconds from pushing him and whatever drunk girl was passed out in his arms out of the way before I realized who it was.

Mallory.

Chapter Twelve

Mallory

Voices were bobbingin and out like I was under water, noisy but blurred, like radio static. A steady pounding echoed in the background like the rhythmic beat of a song, but the way my body felt heavy and limp was nothing musical.

I groaned, and the sound echoed in my head. Another sharp beat followed, and just like that, I was thrown into consciousness.

“Momma!” Adair roared in my ears, his blond curls stuck up in every direction. His beautiful green eyes were tightly closed with tears pouring over his hot red cheeks as he fisted the sheets.

At my awakening shuffle, he looked up and went quiet. It lasted all of two seconds before he burst out into blubbering tears and wrapped his arms around my neck, jerking my head. It throbbed, and I winced, but it didn’t stop me from wrapping my arms around him.

“Hey, baby,” I whispered, brushing back his unruly curls, twirling them around my finger.

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