Page 99 of Hawke

Once my shaky fingers snapped the strap into place, Hawke snarled as he saw the men from the sedans coming out of their cars at the other end of the ally. I snaked my arms around him feeling the vibrations in his chest. Then I heard his deep, gravelly voice speak straight into my mind.

“Hang on.”

Oh, that’s new!

“What about Bram!?”

Hawke didn’t answer. Instead, the tires skidded along the surface of the murky, stagnant water as he pushed the throttle. When the tires finally got traction on the cement, we saw more black sedans gathering near the exit, blocking our escape. Hawke rolled the throttle toward him with a tight grip. The veins in his hands looked blown, as if they would burst at any second. The roar of the engine echoed through the alley, but that didn’t override my enhanced hearing. Guns were being pulled from holsters.

“You said you wanted some adventure in your life,”his voice echoed in my head.

“Yeah, something a little more on the controlled side!” I yelled back.

He laughed maniacally as I squeezed his body tighter. When I glanced back up at the black sedans, I saw Shane emerge in slow motion from a limousine behind the barricade in a perfectly tailored gray suit that was offset by a glossy black tie.

His gelled blonde hair gleamed in the light, and the intensity of his stormy blue eyes made me feel like he was looking right through me. His gaze narrowed, and his lips pursed together tightly, a clear sign of disapproval.

I looked away, no longer afraid of what Hawke was going to do. I was ready to be away from the man who’d traumatized me for years.

Feeling my distress, Hawke growled and gripped the handles, driving straight toward a car covered with a tarp. I readied myself for the impact, but instead of smashing into it, we hit a ramp, launching us onto the car and over Shane’s vehicles.

Hawke lifted his hand off the handlebar to flip him the bird. I bit back a giggle, watching Hawke’s fanged smile. Shane showed no emotion and watched us land perfectly on the road away from him.

Despite that smile, I could feel the tension in Hawke’s back as we rode. We rode out of town and continued on with no sedans behind us. No one followed, and that worried me, but I was relieved at the same time. It was an odd feeling, but the pit of my stomach wasn’t up in arms about being in danger.

Hawke didn’t speak, and I could feel his anger radiating. I also felt his guilt that he hadn’t sensed them coming, his regret for not staying, and his fear that they would follow. It was best that I didn’t speak, because what could I say?

“Bram will meet us in a secure location. Try to relax,”his voice growled through my head.

My lower lip trembled, unsure of what emotion I should be feeling.

It was back to grumpy Hawke. The Hawke that tried to keep his emotions inside. I used to hate it, but with this new bond flowing between us, I could at least feel what he was feeling. I felt his love for me, and that was enough to keep my thoughts of abandonment away.

Now I was only fearful that Shane would somehow get between us. That he would take me away, or worse, hurt Hawke. Once we went back to the Iron Fang, we would both be protected. Or would we bring danger back with us?

My arms and legs ached from how hard I was holding on to Hawke as we rode until sunrise a few hours later. I should feel tired, but my adrenaline was at an all-time high. I didn’t want to sleep. I wanted to watch and wait for Shane to drive up with his men and find them trailing behind us.

“Talk to me, Sunshine,” Hawke interrupted my worries. His hand landed on my thigh, giving me a squeeze. “I know I’ve been quiet, but I‘m trying to calm my wolf so he doesn’t… Well, go back and murder the bastard now.”

“I’m just scared he’ll come back,” I yelled over the roar of the engine.

His shoulders moved as if he was laughing. “You can talk through our minds. Our bond is solidified now. I can hear your thoughts; you can hear mine. I can hide mine a bit more than yours though–”

“Wait,” Isaid inside my head. “Have you been reading my mind all this time?”

He sighed.“Just since we left the apartment. But yes. You are a very loud thinker, Dede. But I am glad to know you think my cock is delicious.”

I groaned and lightly pounded my forehead against his back.

“And, I want to know more about this, Chad.” He growled. “I want to know all of what you went through because it seems you’ve left a lot of information out.”

“I don’t like to talk about it. Besides, I feel like a lot of it’s being erased.”

Hawke tapped his thumb on the handlebars.“What do you mean?”

“The painful memories, they don’t seem as painful anymore. Like, they’re fading away.”

Hawke hummed, scratching his beard.“I believe Journey has gone through something similar. But I want to know. I want to know every bastard that has made you feel uncomfortable, so I have a nice long list to take out my anger on.”

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