Page 66 of Wife Number One

Scythe and his alter ego, Vincent, weren’t to be fucked with.

One of the cops, Howard, cleared his throat. “Do you think the women will be ready to go soon? I know this is a lot, but we do have to move on to other jobs. If you want us to escort you to the morgue we need to leave now.”

I snorted. “If we want you to escort us? Do we look like we need your help—”

War elbowed me. “What my VP here means is, he’ll go get his own fucking jacket, and while he’s there, he’ll make sure Kara and Rebel and Fang are ready to go, because we take the threat of murder very seriously, and any extra bodies to help keep one of our own safe is welcome. That’s what you meant to say, right, VP?”

I made no effort to hide the roll of my eyes. “Sure, boss. Whatever you say.”

I was fucking cold though, so I did as I was told, like a good little second-in-charge, and strode right through the living area where everyone was still gathered around Kara.

“Hawk,” her small voice called out.

I ignored her and practically ran the last few steps to my bedroom, slamming the door closed behind me.

My dick was fucking hard again.

And all she’d said was my name.

19

KARA

Ijumped at the slam of Hawk’s bedroom door and then quickly glanced over at Queenie.

She smoothed her hand down the back of Hayley Jade’s head and gave Hawk’s door a dirty look. “There’s babies asleep here! I’m going to kill that boy if he doesn’t learn some manners.” She cringed in my direction. “Sorry, honey. That was insensitive.”

I didn’t answer, just stared at my daughter, who’d been curled up on Queenie’s ample lap, her head resting on the older woman’s chest since I’d come to.

I didn’t even have space inside me to be upset that another woman was yet again doing a better job of soothing my child than I could. All I could think about was my sister. Someone hurting her. The pain and fear she must have felt that grew until it felt like my own. Panic threatened to overwhelm me, and I had to gaze around the room, at the familiar faces, and remind myself that for right now at least, we were safe.

But Alice…

I focused on Hayley Jade harder, taking in the curve of her back and the golden blond of her hair. “You used to hold her like that when she was a baby,” I said to Queenie.

She paused for a second and then nodded. “I guess I did. Held a lot of babies this way over the years. Yours. Bliss’s. Rebel’s.”

“But not your own?”

She shook her head. “Naw. I’m happy to be the honorary Mamaw, but having any of my own wasn’t in the cards for me.”

There was a slightly wistful tone in her voice, and I felt bad for asking.

I knew all too well what it felt like to be reminded you didn’t have the family you’d hoped for.

Hawk came out of his room, a cream hoodie beneath his Slayers’ club jacket. He had his boots on and his helmet in his hand.

His gaze met mine, and I quickly turned away.

Despite everything that had happened since, his bedroom was a reminder of me standing there, obeying his commands to watch him come.

I wanted the earth to swallow me up whole.

It was hard to tell with the scruff along his jaw and cheeks, but for a second, I thought maybe Hawk was blushing too.

But then he turned to Fang and acted like I wasn’t even in the room. “Cops want Rebel and her sister down at the morgue for a viewing of the Jane Doe they found. War wants you, me, Ice, and Aloha to escort them.”

Rebel glanced up, her eyes filled with tears. “I can do it. Kara doesn’t need to be the one to go.”

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