Page 76 of Hawk
“My pleasure. They’re almost finished, then Adam and I are going to take them out front to burn off some energy before dinner.”
“We’ll be back,” Colton told the group as Matthew and Anna returned to their seats.
Zeus followed Matthew and sat beside him before placing his head on the boy’s lap. I knew Zeus was sensing his anxiety, and I hoped his presence would calm Matthew. With a pencil in one hand, Matthew used the other to scratch Zeus’s head as Colton and I began to walk away. I was relieved they didn’t initially hate me.
As we walked out of the giant room into what appeared to be a dining room, I looked at Colton. He was smiling and glanced at me to say, “I think it’s fair to say they liked you.”
“I hope so.”
Just as we got to the doorway of the kitchen, he replied, “One day at a time.”
The kitchen was a bustle of activity as food was being prepped on every available surface. Sadie turned her head and smiled as we walked in. Violet was sitting at the table along the side wall, snapping beans into a bowl, and a few other women milled around with trays full of food.
“Can I help with anything?” I asked as Sadie approached us.
“I’ve got the corn left to get ready, then everything can go on the grill,” she answered, and I looked at Colton.
“I’ll go help Gunner get the grills fired up while you ladies visit,” he said.
Trusting he had my best interest at heart, I watched as he walked out a side door, leaving me alone with the small group of ladies. Sadie linked her arm with mine and guided me to the table with Violet. She took a seat, and I joined them as she started shucking corn.
“Have you decided where you want to stay?” Sadie asked, and Violet lifted her eyes to me as she continued to snap beans into a bowl.
“Not yet. I don’t want to be a burden on anyone,” I answered and began to remove the green husks from the corn.
“One thing you’ll learn about the Death Hounds is we put family first,” Violet said, and I hesitated with my response.
“I can imagine how much has been thrown at you over the last few days, but I promise, everyone here has demons, and no one is judging you,” Sadie explained, and I met her blue eyes. “I don’t know exactly what you went through or how you and Hailey got separated, but I know one thing. You have the same look a lot of us do in your eyes. That tells me you’ve seen and experienced more than most, and you’re probably on guard, even though you have no reason to be.”
“I think getting the ladies together for breakfast might be a good idea,” Violet remarked as her twin sister, Rose, walked into the room.
Rose took another seat at the table and asked, “What did I miss?”
“I was just telling Sadie and Stella that I think a ladies’ breakfast would be good for Stella. It would give her a chance to meet everyone and learn a little bit about us,” Violet told her sister, and Rose nodded her agreement.
“Skid already said they would be here in the morning, so I’ll get some pastries delivered. We can have coffee and sweets while we talk. Does that seem okay with you, Stella?” Sadie asked, and I nodded.
“I’d like that.” I paused before asking, “Does everyone . . . how did . . .”
Sadie, somehow sensing what I was trying to ask, began to explain. “Everyone ended up here for different reasons, but I think most of our stories are similar. We’ve all experienced some of the worst things in life, and together, we lift each other up. That doesn’t mean you have to unburden your soul but hearing that there are people who understand how overwhelming life can be seems to help.”
Rose looked across the table at me and said, “I don’t know your story, but I promise, I understand whatever it is you’re going through. I just joined the family last year, and it took a while for me to feel . . . comfortable. I was always worried someone was thinking bad things about me, or I allowed the voices to whisper into my ear how I wasn’t worthy of being a part of the family. I’m guessing you feel the same way right about now.”
I placed the ear of corn into a bowl, and just as I was about to speak, Hailey walked into the room. I smiled up at her as she took another seat at the table and, suddenly, I felt like I didn’t need to share too much in front of her.
Violet looked from her to me before she said, “Hailey, if your mom was to explain some of why she was gone for so long, would that upset you?”
“No, but she doesn’t have to share if she’s uncomfortable. I don’t need to know everything. I’m just happy she’s here.”
“It’s not that I’m uncomfortable. It’s just—”
“You’re feeling vulnerable,” Sadie added, and I nodded at her. “I completely understand how you’re feeling, and it will take time for you to relax. Come to us or seek out Hawk, but don’t feel like you have to open up about your past if you don’t want to. We share because it takes the sting out of the pain when we talk about it. And nothing you say is used for anything but support.”
“How did you all find each other?” I inquired, and the ladies around the table began to smile.
“For most of us, that would be the madman,” Rose answered, and my eyes grew wide at her admission.
Hailey reached out and touched my arm as she explained, “I know you and Uncle Devlin have some . . . issues, but he’s a good man. He helped find me, Rose, Violet, and a few other ladies. He brought us here, made us feel safe, and gave us the retribution we needed for closure.”
