Page 75 of Shattered King

I dreamed of Hunter making pancakes with Josh.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Hunter

I walked into Raul’s strip club, Stilettos, Lulu’s hand in mine. Van close on our heels. As much as I wanted to protect her, from every-damn-thing, she was right, my girl was strong. She’d proven that time and again, and she deserved to know whatever we found out tonight.

I looked down at her. She was busy scanning the room. I’d brought her here several times before, when we’d first started seeing each other. I’d wanted to introduce her to the man I considered my father, and just like back then, none of this shocked her, something that had surprised me at the time. Now I knew why. Thanks to Pierce, she’d been exposed to a lot of things at a young age, things that she shouldn’t have.

The place was busy for a Wednesday afternoon. Cassie was on stage and smiled when she spotted us, then her eyes dipped to Lulu and the smile vanished. Cassie and I had fucked around a few times. I thought she knew the score. But going by that look on her face, she and I needed to have a chat.

I turned away from her when I spotted Raul walking toward us. Like the last time I’d seen him, I noticed his suit looked a little big, hanging off his tall frame. He’d lost weight over the last few years, hair more gray than black now, but he was still an imposing man. No one messed with Raul. He looked after his girls and had more connections than anyone I knew.

Which was why we were here.

He grinned when he saw us, gray eyes sharp. When he reached us, he pulled Lulu into a tight hug.

“Good to see you again, girl.”

Lulu smiled. “You too, Raul.”

He gave her another squeeze then let her go and waved a waitress over to get our drinks. “Beers?”

“Yeah.” I wasn’t in the drinking mood, but Raul was family, he deserved our time, and I as happy to give it. Van asked for a beer as well. Lulu asked for a soda.

“Just my usual, darlin’,” Raul said to the waitress, then we headed across the club to his table in the back beside the stage, where he could keep an eye on his place but also stay relatively out of sight.

I slipped off my jacket, and we took our seats. The drinks arrived a few minutes later. We shot the shit for a while, touching base, as was expected. Usually, I didn’t mind this; I was as fond of the old bastard as he was of Van and me, but not today.

Lulu scooted across the bench seat and stood. “Be back in a sec. I’m just going to use the bathroom.”

I watched her walk away, couldn’t take my eyes off her.

“How’s your girl doing?” Raul finally asked, tilting his head in the direction Lulu had gone.

I sat forward. We’d talked briefly a few days ago, and I’d filled him in on pretty much everything, asking him to put feelers out.

“Good as can be expected. She’s been through a lot, more than most could handle and still be standing. More than anyone should have to go through on their own.”

“She’s strong as hell,” Van added.

“And now they have you looking out for them.” Raul sat back. “The boy, he yours?”

I held Raul’s gray stare. “In all the ways that count.”

He nodded, giving me a look I felt right behind the ribs. “Good. Bring him around. Kid needs to meet his nonno.”

“I’d like that.” I took a sip of my beer, anything to avoid the fucking sappy feelings I had going on at having this man’s approval, at him calling himself Josh’s grandpa. I knew Raul would support Lulu and me 100 percent. I didn’t need anyone else’s approval for shit, but it felt good all the same.

Van cleared his throat. “What do you have for us, Raul?”

Just like that, he was all business. “I know for a fact Pierce’s man, Derek Alton, has skipped town, and he won’t be back if he knows what’s good for him. Not sure who else Pierce has on side, if anyone. I can’t imagine him earning that kind of loyalty. Especially since Pierce has more trouble than just you boys. Tomas Mendoza, for one. From what I hear, he’s bought himself a spot on Tomas’s hit list. But he isn’t the only guy that Pierce fucked over.” He took another sip of his drink. “He owes a lot of people a lot of money.

Van cursed. “We’ll get Zeke and Neco to double their efforts.”

Raul shook his head. “If that fuckwit had half a brain he’d be in Mexico by now.” He tapped his fingers on the table. “But if he left the city, or tried, I’d know. Fucker’s obviously found a hole to crawl in.”

If I had my way, he’d already be rotting somewhere, like the piece of shit deserved. I would fucking find him, no matter what it took.