Page 83 of Hot Momosa

Male laughter echoed from the front room. Leo had returned, but I couldn’t tell who he’d brought with him.

“Daddy!” Gunnar’s little feet slapped on the hardwood floors.

“What’s wrong, buddy?” Leo asked.

“Mamma scared me.” Gunnar stopped crying for half a second. “Who are you?”

“I’m your Uncle Gabe.”

“Gabe?” The color drained from Artie’s face. “You have to help me. He’ll kill me if he finds me here.”

“Dahl? You there?” Leo alternated between calling for me and talking to the child. “Dahlia?”

I wove my way around three excited poodles and one terrified man. “I’ll talk to them. Stay here.”

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