Page 86 of Ice Cold Liar

The Impala hit the back of his motorcycle and sent both the bike and the driver hurtling into the air.

A fourth guy might have crashed into a bush.Eb stopped looking for him as the Impala screeched to a stop right in front of Eb and the biker who was clutching his bleeding hand and sobbing.

“Holy hell,” Hunter exclaimed with possible admiration as he stepped from the darkness.“Did I just see that?”

Steam came from the hood of his Impala.Eb was pretty sure he had to blink away tears.My baby is bobbing and heaving and…steaming?

The door flung open.

“It was more than ten, for the record,” Hunter announced.“That’s why it took me longer to get to your side.They kept coming and coming, like ants crawling out of a mound.I think we got swarmed by the whole gang.”

Naomi’s head popped over the open door.“You good?”she called out.

Goodhad nothing to do with how he felt.Steam still rose from the hood of his Impala.And the prick with the bleeding hand and nose had suddenly stopped moaning.Probably because he’d seen Naomi, too.The guy used his uninjured hand to reach for the knife he’d lost earlier—when Eb had shot a hole through his hand.

The prick was intent on hurting Naomi.So Eb stomped his injured, heavily bleeding hand.

The creep’s pain-filled howl filled the night.

Then Eb stomped on the other hand.

“Savage,” Hunter rasped.

Oh, he could show the guy savage.But first… “Naomi, I told you to leave.”

She slammed the door.Rushed toward him.Almost seemed to be about to hug him, but then she stopped and put her hands behind her back.“Pretty sure we covered that I had a distinctinabilityto follow orders?—”

Henry bounded from the back of the house.Of course, Henry bounded out.He raced forward.Went right to Naomi’s side.His tail thumped as he sniffed her, and, satisfied, he proceeded to plop down beside her.

“Henry!You were supposed to stay!”Naomi cried out.

So they both had that problem with following orders.Interesting.

“Donot!” Naomi suddenly snapped as if she’d read his mind.“I am not your pet to stay where you command.”She scratched Henry beneath his ears.“And Henry is myfamily!”She slid her hand beneath his collar.Tickled him with her fingers.“I told him to stay back because I wanted him safe.”

“Imagine that.Giving an order because you want someone to besafe.Earth-shattering idea.”

She’d crouched to pet the dog, and she glared up at him.“Sue me for saving you.”

Saving him?Saving?—

“We have an easy dozen gang members who are down but not out completely,” Hunter informed them before Eb could choke out a response.“The lover’s quarrel can wait.We need to know exactly how they found us.Now.”

Eb was still stomping both of the big guy’s hands.He also had his gun aimed at the man’s forehead.

Huh, maybe his current pose was the reason Naomi hadn’t gone through with the hug he was sure she’d intended.

She came back to save me.

That meant she didn’t hate him, right?She’d driven his car at gang members who’d been intent on runninghimover.That had to be a positive sign.If she’d hated him, surely, she would have just let the guys roll forward and crush him beneath the wheels of their bikes.Correction, try to crush him.

Eb could have handled them, of course.But, it was still sweet that she cared.

“Who’s a good boy?”Naomi questioned in her sugary-sweet voice.Her fingers fluttered under Henry’s collar once more.

“You told him to stay somewhere, and he didn’t,” Eb pointed out.“That’s hardly a good?—”

“Oh, no.”Horror sharpened her voice.

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