Page 5 of Hawk

“Christ,” someone muttered behind me.

“Oh, like you’ve never blown chunks after a fight, Noose.”Gunnar shoved Noose backward.Not hard, but enough that the younger man got the message.

“I’m a sympathy puker, all right?”the younger man grumbled.“Meant no disrespect.”Several of the remaining guys laughed and clapped Noose on the back as they passed.

Hawk didn’t even flinch at the mess near his boots.“It’s the shock, honey.Happens to everyone the first time.”He looked over his shoulder.“Gunnar, can you get a prospect to get her some water?”

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, which was pointless since my hand was as disgusting as my face.“I didn’t want to kill anyone,” I whispered, only for Hawk’s ears.“But they wouldn’t stop.”

“I know, darlin’.”I was surprised at the confidence in his tone, but as I looked up at him, he seemed sincere.Not like he was humoring me to get me to do what he wanted.“We’ll get to the bottom of this, but I believe Knight’s assessment.He’s never wrong.Besides, self-defense is a thing, you know?Ain’t no one here gonna judge you for defendin’ yourself.”

“But I stabbed him in the chest.Multiple times.”I emphasized the last part by jabbing my finger in the air.“And I’m pretty sure I broke the other guy’s windpipe after I broke his leg.”

I looked up to find all the men staring at me with varying expressions of shock, amusement, and something else I couldn’t quite identify.Hawk seemed to be fighting back a smile.

“Jesus,” Torpedo muttered.“How’d a little thing like you manage that?”

“I had six older brothers and a dad who wished I was a boy.It was learn to fight or be crushed by the weight of all the testosterone.”I wiped at my face, probably making more of a mess.The thought made me want to gag again.“I panicked.I just…” I sucked in a breath as my voice hitched.“I just wanted to get away.”

Hawk stood up and extended his hand to me.“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.I’ll see if we can round up a toothbrush for you.Might have to send one of the guys to get you a few things, but I’ll get you comfortable.”

I hesitated for a moment before taking his hand.His palm was warm and calloused, his grip gentle but firm as he helped me to my feet.The world tilted briefly, and I swayed.

“Whoa, there.”Hawk’s arm came around my waist to steady me.“Easy, killer.”

I nearly laughed at the nickname, but it came out more of a sob as the reality of what I’d done crashed over me again.I had killed someone.Twosomeones.I trembled so violently I could barely stand.

“I’ve got you,” Hawk murmured against my ear.“Just breathe.”He guided me forward, his large frame sheltering me from the curious stares of the other men.When I stumbled again, he simply lifted me into his arms and strode past the others toward another big warehouse in a field of them.I was vaguely aware of the other men parting to let us through, their voices a low murmur around us.Some of them looked impressed, others wary.I couldn’t blame them.

“Where are we going?”I asked, my voice small.

“Clubhouse first.Get you some privacy so you can clean up, then we’ll figure out what happens next.”His voice was matter of fact, and somehow that steadied me more than if he’d tried to be comforting.

The clubhouse, as he called it, was massive and surprisingly clean.The interior had an industrial vibe going on.Basically, there were steel posts and lots of concrete.Furniture consisted of several tables, couches, and chairs, none of which were in the best of shape, but didn’t look dirty.While the place smelled of beer and pot, it wasn’t disgusting or anything.

The place had twenty or thirty men, as well as at least the same number of women.Probably more.I heard the whispers as Hawk walked in carrying me.It was mostly the men, but the women picked up the lead of the guys, whispering among themselves.I caught snippets like, “Carrie, like the movie?”and “Batshit crazy” and “Tiny little thing to cause that much havoc,” and cringed.Great first impression, Carrie.Show up covered in blood and vomit on their property.And now I really needed to Google the movieCarrie,because there was obviously something I was missing.

Every fiber of my being screamed to hide my face, but there was nowhere to go except to bury myself against Hawk’s chest.I’d never been more mortified in my life.And the real shit of it was, now that I was coming down and I wasn’t so hyper-focused on simply surviving, I was very aware of the man who carried me.And, sweet God, he smelled good!The inappropriate thought made me even more ashamed.Maybe I was weak, like my father always said.If I was this distracted by a man when I should be planning my escape, then it made me weakandstupid.

“Jesus, Hawk.What’d you drag in?”A woman with platinum-blonde hair stepped in front of us, blocking our path.Her eyes were heavily lined with black, making the blue pop even more dramatically.

Hawk stopped, his grip on me tightening slightly.“Outta the way, Silk.”

“But who is she?”The woman, Silk, pointed a long, red nail at me.“And why is she covered in blood?”

“None of your business,” Hawk replied, his voice clipped.“Now move.”

Silk’s eyes narrowed, but she stepped aside, her gaze following us as Hawk carried me through the crowd.I could feel dozens of curious eyes on me, and I wished I could disappear.

“Sorry about that,” Hawk murmured as we headed down a hallway.“Club whores can be territorial.”

“Club whores?”I asked weakly, my shaking getting worse.“Why am I so cold?”

“Shock.Part of it.A hot shower would do you good.Maybe make you feel human again, yeah?”

I looked up at him and knew my eyes were wide and wild-looking because it was how I felt.My dad always said I could never hide my feelings worth a damn.He said it made me vulnerable, and I needed to learn to guard myself.Instead of disappointment when I met Hawk’s gaze, though, I saw only kindness and understanding.

He carried me up two flights of stairs, then down a long hallway.It looked like there were several apartments.Hawk took me to the end of the hall and set me on my feet long enough to open the door with a key.I thought he might invite me inside, but instead he picked me back up and carried me inside himself, going straight to the bathroom.

---