Kimber’s insight shouldn’t have surprised him. His sister was a smart cookie. “Exactly. So I’m going to protect Kata.”
“I know that’s how you feel.” She lowered her voice. “But you have to tread a bit more carefully. You heard her, right? She already thinks the marriage was a mistake and doesn’t want to be bullied by you or anyone.”
Yeah, it wasn’t a surprise. Kata had been fighting him since just after they’d hit the sheets. She needed to know him better, be reassured, fall for him. Their first full day of marriage had begun inauspiciously, given that Kata hadn’t remembered they’d married at all. Since then, everything had become a shit storm. Knowing she was in danger made him really edgy.
“If you want to keep her happy and keep her in this marriage, you can’t run her over like a semi,” Kimber argued. “Dad did that for years to Mom. Look where that landed them.”
Hunter recoiled. “Amanda and the Colonel have nothing to do with Kata and me. I’m not giving up on this marriage without a fight.”
“You’re a goddamned idiot. Mom and Dad’s breakup has everything to do with your behavior. Get a clue. All this pushiness is going to bite you in the ass. Unless you want to watch Kata walk out the door, back off.”
“DO you know anyone who would want to kill you?”
Detective Montrose’s voice jerked Kata’s attention away from Hunter. What were he and his sister bickering about, while Deke and Tyler tried to edge close enough to hear? She was chewing Hunter a new one—and predictably, he wasn’t backing down. Kimber hadn’t given any indication that she disapproved of Hunter’s choice of a wife, but ...
Kata looked away. It didn’t matter if his family didn’t like her. She and Hunter weren’t going to be married long enough for her to care about their opinion. But Kata had to admit that she already liked Kimber. And the sight of Hunter taking a verbal lashing from his very pregnant baby sister made her smile. That he’d stand still and listen said something good about him. Certainly, Gordon would have never tolerated this kind of dressing down from any female.
The fortyish detective pushed his sunglasses up his nose, looking both fried in the hot late May humidity and annoyed at her lack of attention. “Ms. Muñoz?”
“Sorry. You asked about people wanting to kill me? Yeah. Like I said, I’m a probation officer, so there’s probably a list. I think you already wrote down Cortez Villarreal’s name. He’s my top suspect and one of the Gangster Disciples. There’s a warrant out for him already.”
He flipped back through his notes. “Right. I’ll see if we’ve picked him up.” The detective jerked his cell phone from his waist and punched a few buttons. “Boudreaux there? I’ll wait.” Then he looked at her again. “Anyone else who might want you dead?”
She mentally scanned through her caseload. No one else stood out. “I don’t think so.”
“A family member? A frenemy?”
No doubt, her stepfather disliked her, but Gordon had never been violent, just a manipulative jackass with a coal chip for a heart. She shook her head.
“Former lover?”
The only one who had any reason to be pissed at her was Ben, but he hadn’t been jealous that she’d married Hunter, just annoyed that she’d refused him more sex. He’d apologize in a day or two, as he always did when they fought. Despite having been a soldier, Ben wasn’t much of a fighter. “Definitely not.”
Montrose jotted a note. “You said you’d never seen your attacker before. You’re certain?”
“Positive.”
“Any chance he could be associated with Villarreal?”
She shrugged. “I guess. When this guy arrives at lockup, they should check him for ink.”
The detective nodded. “That’s the easiest way to tell if he has any street affiliations. The suspect should be there now. I’ll ask as soon as—” Suddenly, he turned his attention back to the phone. “Hey, Armand. You got a Cortez Villarreal in there? Would have come in on a warrant.” A moment later, he cursed. “You don’t. Talk to me about that perp who just came in for attempted murder, can you check—” The detective scowled. “What do you mean?” Then he flinched in shock. “Fuck! When?” The detective closed his eyes and sighed. “Keep me posted.”
“What is it?” she asked impatiently, her stomach knotting painfully. “Did he get away?”
Montrose flipped his phone shut and hesitated. “Do you have anywhere to go? That’s safe, I mean.”
Home. A hot shower, then a nap in her own bed sounded heavenly . . . but Hunter’s earlier warning and the detective’s sudden jumpiness made Kata rethink that. “What happened?”
“The man who tried to kill you today was stabbed within ten minutes of hitting his cell. Inside job. Professional.”
Kata started to shake. “He’s dead?”
Nodding, Montrose ripped off his sunglasses and stared with grave, dark eyes. “Whoever is after you went to great pains to clean up his loose ends. He means business.”
Hunter was right; this attack hadn’t been random. In fact, her assailant had admitted that he was doing a job. Someone had hired him—then, once he’d been caught, snuffed him before he could talk to the police.
“They haven’t ID’d your would-be killer yet. He had no ink linking him to the Gangster Disciples or anyone else. That doesn’t mean anything, but maybe your murder would have been his initiation or . . .”