Page 82 of Savage Guardian

Grimm’s dark red eyebrows shot up his forehead. With a knowing grin, he drawled, “Good luck there, brother. She’s been storing up plenty of venom for you. Call me if you need me to drag your broken body out of there.”

Hawk saluted Grimm with his middle finger and a glare.

With that, the large ginger hauled Carrie toward a dark blue town car with a familiar detective standing beside it.

Shaking off the sudden surge of nerves, Hawk entered the clubhouse, greeting his brothers with chin nods and back slaps and promises to share a beer when he had time.

He knew Odin would want to talk with him, but Hawk couldn’t worry about that right now. He needed to get to Fae. So, striding across the common room, he headed to Fang’s room, where Fae had been staying.

His heart in his hands.

This time, when the knocking started, Fae didn’t even bother hoping.

Apparently, she should have, though.

Without waiting for her response, the door opened. Just like when he arrived on the scene to rescue her, Fae blinked, disbelieving her eyes.

It must be a fluke in the reflection on the window.

Desperate and yet scared, she looked over her shoulder toward the now closed door.

He’s here.

“Hawk?” she rasped, her voice lost somewhere between the inability to breathe at the sight of him and the ball of need lodged in her throat.

“Has Liz been in to see you today?” he asked, nearing her, his large frame tense.

Spinning to face him, her breath caught at the full sight of him.

The first thing she noticed was he looked tired. His longish blond hair was swept back from his face, as though he’d been running his hands through it. His beard—which was usually trimmed and silky looking from his beard oil, looked ragged. Beneath his beautiful gray eyes were dark circles that did nothing to take away from his rugged good looks.

He was dressed as per usual in faded jeans, black motorcycle boots, but instead of his kutte, he was wearing a black leather jacket over a black button down.

Even when he looked like shit warmed over, he was still gorgeous.

Unfair.

And what was more unfair was the look in his eyes.

He looked…haunted. But there was something else there, as well. Something warm, deep, intense. Her stomach flipped at that look, her heart filling with a hope she only just conquered—at least she was foolish enough to think she had.

“Fae?” he said, concern lacing his voice. Oh! He’d asked a question. What was it?

Nodding to give herself time to find words, she finally answered, “Yeah. Nothing broken, and might need a few pain pills for the whopping headache, but other than that, I just need sleep. Though, if I sleep any more, I’m going to turn into Rip Van Winkle. All they keep telling me to do isrest.” She snarled that last word, hating all the babying. She was a grown ass woman, and she was tired of people telling her she needed to sleep, to recover, when all she wanted to do was leave. But with a club of large, bossy men and three bossy women between her and the door to the outside, she was stuck until they let her leave.

She was a goddamn prisoner of goodwill. Ugh. Fae knew she was being unfair—those men and women had befriended her, saved her, and were concerned for her. They cared about her. Which was something she hadn’t felt in a long time. Yes, her dad loved her, but he wasn’t present in her life anymore. She’d come to Vegas with Carrie and Jimmy, but she might as well have been alone. She was always alone. She was used to it. But…she’d found her people. Tessa, Skathi, Liz…and even Daisy, who was more a filter-less side character than an actual friend. And then there were the men: Grimm, Trouble, Odin, Fang, and Hound. They’d been in and out, asking about her, making sure she had everything she needed. They were tight-lipped about what happened at the warehouse, and what they did with Special Agent Tyler, claiming it was club business.

They’d also been tight-lipped about Hawk, not even speaking his name around her, like hearing his name would make her do something crazy. Like scream…and then cry. They weren’t wrong, though.

And now, here he was.

“She going to prescribe something?” Hawk inquired, his gaze intent on her, watching her every expression as if waiting for her to turn into a pumpkin.

“No. Over the counter will work just fine. Besides that, she’s not here anymore. She hightailed it the moment Trouble showed up.”

Fae wanted to ignore the curling desire in her belly at the smirk on his face.

Hawk snorted. “No surprise there. Those two have a heavy past….”

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