Page 61 of Hawk

“Hawk!” Diesel said in his angry dad voice. “Let him go.”

I did as I was instructed and let him fall to the parking lot with a grunt. “Happy?”

Cortez was bloodied and smashed and still he found a smile. “Don’t matter no way, white boy. We don’t do business with snitches, period. Your bitch is ours to do with as we please the moment we find her.”

Those words hit me in a way I hadn’t expected, and pure rage pulsed through my whole body. My vision blurred and the only sound I heard was my own damn blood rushing through my veins. “Then I guess it doesn’t matter,” I said eventually, and pulled away from Maverick and Rebel. “You should’ve kept your fucking mouth shut,” I said to Tomas before I lifted my leg and brought my foot down on Cortez’s face where it landed with a sickening crunch.

“That’s your final answer?” Diesel folded his arms and stared at Tomas, waiting for him to respond.

Tomas shrugged. “We don’t do business with snitches. Period.”

“Then we don’t have shit else to talk about.” Diesel’s words came out slowly. Deliberately. His gaze never left Tomas’s face so that he knew that whatever came next was his doing. “See you around.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Laura

“Mr. Palmer, I set the alarm on your phone myself last time you were here, so there’s no reason that you keep forgetting to take your medicine.” The seventy-year-old didn’t like to be told what to do, and a regular regimen of pills was the ultimate dictator. He was one of the ER’s frequent fliers, a lovely man, but stubborn as a mule. “You can’t just decide not to take your pills.”

He flashed his most charming smile my way. “But I feel good.”

“Yes, now you do, because your meds are working. But you weren’t so good when you were brought in here earlier.”

“Yeah, okay. Fine. I won’t ignore the damn alarm, but only for you, Laura.”

“I’ll take it,” I answered with a smile, and patted his hand before I left him grumbling in the room.

“Laura, there you are!” Eric was in the hall waiting for me with wide eyes.

I signed heavily. “I don’t have time for this.” I turned away from him in frustration. He was never this interested in me when we were together. Not that he’d been a bad boyfriend at first, he was sweet and attentive, but once we became exclusive, he’d grown bored and his eyes—and dick—began to wander. He grabbed my arm to stop me from walking away and I whirled around with fire in my eyes. “Let me go!” I shouted the words loud enough to draw attention from the passing hospital staff.

“Fine.” He released me and took a step back, but he leaned in. “Just take this,” he said, and shoved a two-inch thick folder at me. “It’s proof that your boyfriend isn’t who or what you think he is.”

“Give it up, Eric.” I rolled my eyes and pushed the folder back at him. “I can see right through what you’re doing, and honestly, it’s starting to get old. You’re jealous and making up stories.”

“I’m serious, Laura. This isn’t about us, this is about you being in constant danger because of him.”

“Different men bring different types of danger,” I said. “At least Hawk isn’t deliberately trying to hurt me.”

His temper flared but he tamped it down quickly. “Fine, I’m an asshole and a jerk, but I’m serious. This guy is into some serious shit, and you need to stay away from him.”

“Right.” If only he’d put forth this much effort not to cheat on me, things might’ve been different. “He’s been protecting me.” Why in the hell was I explaining anything to him?

“I’m being honest, Laura. He’s into all the bad shit, trafficking in drugs and people, selling guns to bad guys, and even murder for hire. It’s all in here. Don’t take my word for it, just look at it and come to your own conclusion.” His expression was so damn earnest that I almost believed him. Almost, but not quite. “Take it. Please.”

“Fine, but don’t come back here again. And don’t call me or find me.”

“He’s going to be arrested any day now, and if you’re with him, that won’t look good for you. Or your career.”

I snatched the folder from him and snarled. “Don’t act like you give a damn about me or my career, Eric.”

My hands trembled as I walked away from Eric and my mind instantly thought about all the things he’d accused Hawk of doing and being. Just like last time, my mind answered. He had accused Hawk before and I believed him instinctively and I hurt him.

***

I’d gotten off work early, I was supposed to wait for Hawk, but after Eric’s visit I was so mad I needed to get out of the hospital, so as soon as I clocked out, I headed to my car.

I didn’t even bother to change out of my scrubs because I was too damn eager to see what was in the file. Not because I believed Eric, but because I wanted to give Hawk a heads-up if the police really were after him. Inside the relative safety of my car, I inhaled a deep breath and slowly let it out as I opened the folder.

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