Page 27 of Hawk

Callum spotted my expression and shook his head with a deep chuckle. “Don’t worry, baby. You’ll be on the back of my bike as often as you want.”

“Yay!” I did a dorky dance to celebrate.

“The only woman who’s ever been there.”

My heart swelled, but my good humor vanished when we turned the corner around the house, and I saw the entrance to my studio.

“Fuck,” Hawk bit out, gripping my arm to pull me against his side. “Stick close, baby. I don’t want you out here in the open while I get a closer look.”

“Okay,” I whispered, my stomach in knots as I took in the damage to my beloved space.

The outside of my studio looked like it had been through a war zone. Someone had smashed the exterior lights, and glass and plastic covered the ground. My flowerpots were shattered, and the soil was dumped everywhere. The bushes were hacked apart, branches splintered and strewn across the yard. Spray paint stretched across the pale blue siding in jagged, angry letters I couldn’t even process yet.

But what stopped me cold were the scratches. Deep gouges were carved into the studio door. Unlike the paint, they couldn’t be washed away.

I barely registered when Callum pulled me against his chest. My whole body had gone cold.

“I don’t understand,” I whispered against his shirt. “Why would someone do this?”

“I don’t know, baby. But I’m gonna find out.”

The conviction in his deep voice kept my tears at bay. At least for now. “Thank you.”

“Stay behind me,” he growled, releasing me only long enough to stride toward the door. His shoulders were tight, his spine was ramrod straight, and his steps were deadly quiet.

I wrapped my arms around my torso and followed, careful to stay close. The back of my throat burned as I spotted the broken pot that had once held a lavender plant from my mother’s garden.

“They didn’t go inside.” Callum scanned the entrance with laser focus. “No damage to the lock. No breach through the windows.”

I pressed my trembling fingers against my lips. “They came here to do all of this without even going inside?”

“They probably knew I upgraded the security,” he explained. “Realized the bug was found and didn’t want to risk getting caught.”

“But they still did it. Because of me.”

He turned so fast I flinched. “No, this is not on you.”

“I should’ve?—”

“Absolutely not,” he cut in again, voice rising with a fury I hadn’t seen from him before. “You didn’t do a damn thing wrong. They came after you, Gemma. And they’re my fucking problem. Not yours.”

Any trace of the calm, quiet man I’d woken up beside had been stripped away. Something lethal simmered just beneath the surface, and for the first time, I wondered what he’d do to the person trying to destroy my life. If he’d kill for me.

My breath stuttered.

His eyes locked on mine. “We’ll burn this whole fucking town to the ground before we let anyone else be damaged because of this. You hear me?”

I nodded, unsure if I was more shaken by the damage or the intensity in his vow. A tiny flicker of fear curled in my belly, but it was quickly extinguished. Deep in my bones, I knew he would never hurt me or anyone who didn’t deserve it. But there was no mistaking the edge in his voice. Or the way his eyes had gone cold and flat when he looked at the damage.

All that fury was for me, making me the safest person in Old Bridge because Callum wouldn’t hesitate to destroy anyone who tried to harm me.

I was devastated, shaken, and exhausted, but I took comfort in knowing that no matter what came next, I wouldn’t be facing it alone.

The same couldn’t be said for my clients, though. Until the guys figured out who was doing this, they could still be at risk. And they didn’t even know it.

I turned slowly, taking in the wreckage one last time before whispering, “Should we call the police?”

His jaw tightened as he looked back at me. “No cops.”

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