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Eb swallowed.He took a step back.But her sensual scent followed him.Had his nostrils flaring as he tried to pull in more of her intoxicating scent.Intoxicating?Hell.Do not lust after your dead partner’s wife.
Yeah, right.
Do not lust after the woman who murdered your partner.
That should have been an easy enough rule to follow.Unfortunately, Eb was a bit twisted on the inside and the truth of the matter was that he’d always lusted for Naomi.From the very first moment he’d seen her dancing in that fountain, he’d wanted her for himself.
He and Hudson had spotted her at the same time.Eb had planned to introduce himself.To talk to the woman with the beautiful laugh and the carefree spirit.
But…
Tragedy had struck.Eb’s sister had needed him.He’d left Vegas without ever meeting Naomi.
And Hudson had wound up married to her.
Eb swallowed.“Crowds aren’t really my thing.Never cared about fitting in with them.I’m more the loner-type.”He glanced over his shoulder.Some guys were picking up Ivan’s bike.Inspecting it for damage, but most of the crew—including Ivan—had gone back inside.That was a win, for the moment.“He worked with your hus—with Hudson,” he corrected.“Ivan did.I’m in town to close out some old cases.Talking to him was on my to-do list.”Total lie.Hell, Eb wasn’t even officially with the CIA any longer.His departure was need-to-know info.Naomi did not need to know about it.
“Why the hell would the CIA care about a small-town thug like him?”she asked.
“Because Ivan isn’t small town.I told you, he’s Bratva.”Had she missed that part?He turned his head back toward her.“He has connections you wouldn’t believe.Just because he surrounds himself with local talent, it doesn’t mean Ivan can’t be an international player.”
That should terrify her.Or, at the very least, give her a pause.
“He’s an international pain in my ass, that’s what he is.”
So, uh, yes, she was not scared.Not of Ivan.Not of his gang.Was she not understanding basic facts of life?Maybe he needed to break this down even more for her.“Mess with Ivan, and he will hurt you.”
“Iwillhurt him.”
Eb laughed.
She glared.
Oh, wait, had she been serious?“You’re five-foot-five.He has to clock in at six-three.”Because he and Ivan had been eye-to-eye.“Pretty sure he could bench press you with one arm.Andoneof you will stand zero chance against him and his crew.So I don’t know who the hell this Henry is…”Probably a new lover, when Hudson is cold in the ground.“But he’s trouble.You need to forget him.If he’s cast his lot in with Ivan’s crew, you don’t want that kind of trouble in your life.”Naomi had plenty of trouble to handle on her own without adding bonus content to the mix.
“I’m not leaving Henry.I think he’s in that bar.Probably in Ivan’s back office.”
What, was Henry like…Ivan’s accountant or something?Might make sense.A good accountant could make dirty money vanish?—
“If he’s not in the back office, then Ivan must have him stashed at his home.”She shimmied around him.Yanked open the door to her truck and hauled out a bat.A baseball bat.
He blinked at her.“Uh, slugger?Just what are you planning to do with that?”And, yes, this makes you seem extra murdery, sweetheart.
“Whatever needs doing.”
He raised his eyebrows.“A little birdie told me that the DA only recently decided to drop the charges against you.”He paused.“You really think going into a bar, swinging a bat, won’t make the DA rethink his idea that you’re innocent?”
She dropped the top of the bat to touch the ground.“First, the DA doesn’t think I’m innocent.”
Neither do I.
“He just doesn’t have enough evidence to prove I’m guilty.”
That’s why I’m here.I’m looking for evidence to lock you away.
“But I don’t think he’ll really care if I break a few doors at Ivan’s place.Not like the DA and Ivan have some fantastic relationship.”She lifted the bat.Moved to stroll right past him.
Sighing, Eb wrenched the bat from her and tossed it into the bed of the truck.When the bat hit, it made a loud clang.