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“I don’t give a shit,” he clipped. “He could have hurt her more.”

“Valencia, he needs to be held accountable,” I said, trying to calm the situation.

“What’s his name?” Hunter snapped at her.

I glared at him. “Hunter,” I snapped at him.

“Look, I didn’t come here so that you could be fucking rude and try to do something about it, I just?—”

“You expect me not to do anything?” Hunter’s nostrils flared as he interrupted her.

Valencia looked angry and we needed to focus on her. She didn’t need Hunter blowing a gasket.

“Hunt,” I said, standing up in front of him.

“She’s more important right now,” I said, hoping that it pulled him out of his angry outburst.

I gave him a look of, ‘let’s do this later’ and hoped he understood it.

“I’ll call you back.” Hunter hung the phone up, taking a few calm breaths.

I turned around to see Valencia hugging her legs looking at the fireplace.

“I don’t need you to save me, I just need… I didn't want to be alone” she said softly.

“It’s hard not to want to protect you, Mamacita,” I said, sitting by her, softly touching her legs.

“He put his hands on you. He hurt you and he deserves to pay for it,” Hunter said, sitting on the other side of her. “What if Beau wasn’t there? He deserves more than just getting his membership revoked and what if he’s doing this to other women?”

Valencia looked up, her lip quivered, and I braced myself for her crying. It was making me more murderous each time I saw that sad look in her eyes.

“His name is Maxwell Hollingsworth,” she said, looking over at Hunter.

“I’m sorry for how I reacted,” Hunter said, pulling her onto his lap. “But I won’t be sorry for keeping you safe. You don’t deserve to be looking over your shoulder wondering if he is there or anywhere near you.”

“We just wanna keep you safe,” I said, scooting closer to them.

“What if he saw it was me?” she shuddered. “What if he tells the world or worse, my boss?”

“You said your wig and mask were skewed, that doesn’t mean he saw you,” I said, with a false sense of confidence.

“If that happens, he can’t prove anything,” Hunter said, holding on to her tighter. “We can sick Easton on him. You don’t show your face, and unless he got a picture, he has nothing.”

I felt better knowing he didn't have a picture, and I hoped she did too.

“I… I hate him so much,” she said, burying her face in his neck. “How did he find me? There are so many clubs closer to him. Why Denver, and is this a coincidence?”

I hated that I didn’t have the answers for her. Looking up at Hunter, it looked like he didn’t either.

“We have his name and maybe I can get someone to look into him,” I said, wondering if this was the right idea, but one lookat her told me this was just the beginning of what I would do to keep her safe.

“I think that sounds good,” Hunter agreed.

She pulled away from Hunter. “I think that sounds good too, but please don’t do anything illegal. Last thing the team needs is for you to get arrested while trying to defend my honor and then we also get outed.”

“I won’t,” I said, not promising anything.

“I’m sorry I dragged you into this,” she said, looking so tired.

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