“I want that, too. Give her a kiss for me and maybe I’ll see you later tonight.”
“You may not come home?” Hunter asked.
“I’ll try my hardest, but there’s a killer out there, and before he strikes again, we need to figure out who he is.”
“Well, be safe. Hope to see you later. Bye.”
* * * *
“So what do you think of Hunter and Seno?” Ellie asked Unc. He held her gaze and he looked unsure.
“I hate to say it, but they’re nice. They’re also big guys filled with muscles, so I suppose they’ll keep you safe.”
She smiled. “All four of them are big guys with muscles, Unc.” She took a sip of her wine.
“When do I get to meet the other two?” he asked.
“Well, Justice is working with some other detectives and, I think, the Feds in regards to the murder investigation.”
“Feds?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s pretty intense. I worry about him. This person who has killed these women, and apparently Luke Phillips, may have Renaldo. Hunter just told me about it on the way over here.”
“Well, thank goodness you weren’t with Sentinel when this person attacked. You could have been killed.”
“I know. It’s scary. But I’m safe, Unc,” she told him, covering his hand with hers.
“You sure are. I’ll protect you and be here for you like always.” She smiled as Hunter returned.
“Important call?” she asked.
“It was Justice. He said hello.”
“Oh, is he coming here?”
“No, he’s going to be working late. He sends his love, oh, and a kiss from him to you.” Hunter leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. Unc squeezed her hand and let go. She blushed as Seno came back.
“Are you guys just about ready to go? Mace said he’ll be home in fifteen minutes from work.”
“Great.”
“You’re leaving so soon?” Unc asked.
“We’ll come back another time. We’ll bring Justice and Mace so you can meet them, too,” Ellie said and then stood up.
Unc gave her a hug and a kiss and then shook Hunter’s and Seno’s hands.
“You take good care of her. Or else.”
She chuckled, but Hunter and Seno held Unc’s gaze a moment before they escorted her out of the restaurant.
“So Unc is kind of intense, huh?” Seno asked her as he opened the passenger side door of the truck and helped her hop up into the cab. He was sure to caress his palm over her ass as she got in.
“Intense? No, not really. Did he seem intense?” she asked.
“Only when he threatened us before we just left,” Hunter stated and then chuckled as he got into the driver side of the truck.
“Well, he’s the only semifamily I have left. He and Uncle Brian were best friends. They were partners before retiring from the police department. I think he’s extra protective of me since Uncle Brian died because he felt obligated to care for me. He felt like he failed Uncle Brian because he wasn’t there to protect him. The three of us did a lot of things together. I had no one. No family except for Uncle Brian and Unc, so when he died, it was devastating for both of us. We helped one another get through it, and he’s been my rock. I owe him so much.”