Page 27 of Her Passionate Hero

“She hadn’t been eating. She’d lost weight, but she was wearing so many layers of clothes, nobody noticed. They had to hospitalize her.”

“Ah shit, Mamie.”

“According to Magda, it just made her more of a target at school. But there is good news, mi hijo, she won a big poetry award and got a scholarship. She got to go to Arizona I think. Anyway, she got out. She came back because her mom got sick. She’s a good girl. She takes care of her mama.”

“Her mom’s sick?”

“Alzheimer’s. Aliana had to eventually put her in a home. For a long time, though, she was living with Aliana, but now that she is a vice principal, she can afford a place.”

“She’s a vice principal?”

“Yes, at Bertrum High School.”

His Alia had come a long way. But then he thought about her having to take care of a mother who was slowly losing herself and his heart ached all over again for her.

“Why isn’t she talking to the cops?” he asked.

“This is the first I heard about it. You need to find out. In the meantime, I’ll tell the girls in the club about the latest developments.”

Holy hell. “Mamie, stop with the book club already. I’m going to take care of everything. What gang is after her? Is it LasNuevas Espadas?”

“Velma doesn’t think so. She’ll know more on Saturday when you get your cake.”

God, there was no stopping his grandmother.

Chapter Four

“She doesn’t want to see you.”

“You need an alarm system. You didn’t even turn on the porch light,” Hunter chided the older lady.

“You have screwed the cat. Aliana is resting. Seeing you upset her. You here will make her more so. I cannot let you in.” He saw she was leaning heavily on the doorjamb. He hated seeing the strong woman looking so frail.

“Babička, who’s at the―?” She was smiling until she saw him, then she shut down. “Hi, Hunter, what are you doing here?” He winced at the bruising on the side of her face and arm and the bandage on her neck.

He couldn’t very well throw Mrs. J under the bus and say she invited him. “I wanted to know about your conversations with the police.”

“Yes, what about them?” her grandmother asked, looking up at her.

Aliana threw Hunter a frustrated look.

“I’m taking care of everything,” she told both of them.

“Hunter can take care of everything, you’re tired. The doctor said you still need more rest, Láska. He doesn’t want you to go out of the house until Friday.”

“I’m fine, Babička,” she stroked her grandmother’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go inside and sit down. I’ll just have a few words with Hunter before he leaves, okay?”

Mrs. Jankovic frowned. “We should invite him in. I made Marlenka honey cake,” she said stubbornly. He had to admire the woman for sticking to a plan, but he hated how Aliana looked like a trapped kitten. She didn’t know if she should run or try out her sharp little claws.

“That sounds wonderful, Mrs. J.”

“I’ll go get it,” her grandmother said. She was clearly relieved that he had gone along with her efforts.

Aliana smiled at her grandmother. “I’ll serve it. You go to the parlor, I’ll bring it out to both of you.” As soon as her grandmother turned around, Aliana fixed him with a fierce stare. Apparently, she was going with the kitten claws.

He laughed. “I’m going to help Alia,” he called out to the older woman as she slowly started to make her way to another room.

“You’re such a gentleman,” Mrs. Jancovik called out over her shoulder.