Page 27 of Hawk

She gripped both of my arms and gave me a surprisingly hard shake. “No! You will call him right now or I’ll pin you down and do it myself.”

“Kristy,” I began with a tired sigh.

“No. What if those assholes are waiting for you at home and you show up alone and too tired to be cautious?”

“Fuck,” I groaned. “Fine.” This phone call would probably delay my date with my bed by an hour, at least, but Kristy was right.

“Laura, hey. How was your day?” The smile in his voice was like a donkey kick to the gut.

“It was long and exhausting, but the end was a little exciting,” I began, and told him what had just happened.

“I’ll be right there. Wait for me inside the hospital.”

Make that two hours.

Chapter Thirteen

Hawk

“You didn’t have to make sure Kristy got home safely, but thank you for thinking of her.” Laura smiled up at me, and that one simple act of human kindness made me feel like a fucking superhero.

“Of course. She’s your friend, and I wouldn’t let anyone go home alone after that.” I wasn’t completely certain that Laura was the target, even though it was most likely, but seeing Kristy home was just the right thing to do. “Ready to go up?”

She looked up to her house and then back to me before nodding. “Yep. Beyond ready. I’m so damn tired I’m not sure I can make it up the stairs.”

“I’m happy to carry you,” I offered with a teasing smile, even though my hands itched to touch her, to hold her again.

She laughed. “As appealing as that sounds, I haven’t showered off my day yet, and then I threw myself against a car, so I’m pretty gross.”

I wanted to tell her that it didn’t matter to me, but that would be fucking weird, and things were already strange enough. She was in a vulnerable state and the last thing she needed was my confused shit piling on top. “Suit yourself.”

“I will.” She was stubborn as hell, and I liked it about her. Nothing was easy, but I was more than up for the challenge.

“Stop,” I called out, and gripped her arm.

“What the hell, Hawk?” She frowned at me, but my gaze was fixed on her front door, which hung open.

“Your door,” I whispered. “Get behind me.”

She sucked in a breath to argue with me, but I gripped her arm tighter.

“Don’t,” I warned. I pulled out my gun and climbed the last three steps that led to her porch, kicking the door open and leading with my gun. I went from room to room to assess the damage and check for any intruders, but the oddest fucking thing hit me. “Come in,” I told her.

I kept my gaze on Laura as she walked in, expecting the worst, but her face morphed into the same shock I was sure I still wore. “What the shit?” She turned to me. “Why bust my door and not take anything or destroy anything?”

That was the damn question, wasn’t it? But I knew men like this. I knew their minds and what fueled them. Anger. Vengeance. Retribution. “Just to fuck with you.” And this would fuck with her mind nonstop, wondering if something was missing or if they’d be back when she least expected them. “You’re staying with me.”

“What? No, I’m not.”

“Uh, yeah, you are.” There was no fucking way I would let her stay here alone. “No one knows where I live, and I can keep you safe. Plus, my door locks.”

“Hawk, listen to me. I will not be run off from my own damn home.”

I got in her face so that she couldn’t see anything but me. “And I’m not letting you die on my watch.”

She sucked in a breath, her chest heaving beneath her scrubs. “No. Just… no.”

“And if they come back when you’re in a deep sleep like you no doubt will be? Or how about when you’re vulnerable in the shower? I can stay tonight, but what about tomorrow night? We don’t know what they’re up to. This might just be the start.”

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