Page 62 of Torn In Two

He knew it too. Prick.

Something passed in the air between him and me. Something hot and needy that had me shoving my hands in the pockets of my jeans so they weren’t strangling the erection growing behind them.

“I really hate you,” I muttered to him, tugging Kara along with me.

He grabbed my arm, hauling me in so quick I hit his chest. We were pretty much the same height, so his gaze was impossible to look away from.

Until it lowered to rest on my lips.

He breathed out slowly, dragging his gaze back up to meet mine, and whispered words meant only for me.

“Except we both know you don’t hate me at all, Hawk. And that when I come to your room tonight, it’s going to be unlocked.”

20

HAYDEN

With my body relaxed for the first time in months and a secret smile playing across my lips, it only took another hour to perfect the sauce I’d been working on all day. Then one more to turn it into a triple batch so I had enough to feed an entire clubhouse of bikers.

I loaded all the sauce into reheat-safe containers then into my truck, whistling as I drove home to the Slayers’ compound with delicious, spicy scents filling the cab.

Queenie leaned on the wall outside, her thick legs encased in the brightest neon-green leggings I’d ever seen, a matching cropped top thing that I had no name for, and a jump rope hanging from her fingers.

“Working out?” I tried to be friendly because she was one of the few people here who gave me the time of day.

Her chest heaved with puffed-out breaths, and she clutched my arm dramatically. “Working out? Sugar, I’m having a goddamn medical episode here. Isn’t that obvious? That rope is trying to kill me. I’m minutes from death’s door!” She caught sight of the bag full of pasta sauce and straightened. “Oh! Is that what I think it is? Please tell a starving woman you’ve brought carbs.” She waved her hand around, trying to waft the scent from the bags into her nose and inhaling deeply.

I grinned at her. “I have cheese too.”

She put the back of her hand to her forehead and let her knees wobble. “You’re saying all of my favorite words right now. If there’s garlic bread, a girl might just pass away.”

I leaned in and opened the bag wider so she could see the long loaves of bread and container of garlic butter I’d brought home from the restaurant.

She made the happiest of noises and shoved me toward the kitchen. “Get to cooking, good-looking.”

I left her to finish her workout and trotted into the kitchen, finding Kara and Hayley Jade sitting at the small round table in the corner. Though the Slayers’ kitchen was quite large and industrial, nobody really ate in here, everyone preferring to sit on the couches or tables in the common rooms.

Kara glanced up and smiled, but her expression was tired and tinged with worry.

I dropped my bags onto the countertop and wandered over to them, fitting my hand to the back of her neck and squeezing it reassuringly because I wasn’t sure if kissing her in front of her daughter was okay.

I waved at the little girl. “How was school, Hayley Jade?”

She beamed at me happily, her teeth all shiny white and cute and tiny.

“She had a great day,” Kara said for her. “She brought home some new art, and we did some homework earlier. She’s learning the letters H, I, and J this week. Aren’t you, sweetie?”

Hayley Jade nodded.

“That’s awesome. They’re some of my favorite letters. Especially that H. All the best people have H’s in their names. Did you know that? Like, H for Hayley…and H for Hayden.”

She giggled and then made a range of pointing motions, trying to explain something with her hands.

Kara squinted at her. “I don’t know what you mean, honey. Can you try again?”

Hayley Jade’s shoulders drooped, guards coming back into her eyes and her smile fading away. She picked up her fork and poked at the mac and cheese in front of her.

Kara and I both watched her for a minute before Kara tried again. “If you don’t like that mac and cheese, it smells like Hayden has brought something else home for dinner.”

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