Page 71 of Hawk
“I agree,” Colton remarked as he walked back into the room with a swagger in his step. I felt a blush push up on my cheeks as he walked behind me.
He placed his hands on my shoulders and used his thumbs to stroke my neck as Hailey spoke. “I was just telling her that she needs to give herself grace. Both of you may have a . . . tainted past, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a future.”
He leaned over and kissed my cheek, whispering, “She’s right.”
I turned my head and was face to face with him. Slowly, I pecked him on the lips, and he smiled before giving me a wink.
“I took some of your brother’s stash, so we can smoke before we hit the road,” Colton said, and I looked at Hailey to gauge her response.
She clapped her hands together and smiled. “That’s what I’m talking about.”
“You’re okay with me smoking?” I asked as she and I stood from the table.
“I’ve used it for a few years to help with anxiety and insomnia, so I’d be a hypocrite to have a problem with you doing it. Besides, almost everyone at the compound smokes, so you’ll fit in perfectly.”
I wasn’t sure but followed Colton and Hailey onto the back porch. Jacob joined us quickly and said, “One of the prospects is on the way to get your Jeep. Gunner said it’ll be safe at the compound until we get back. They’re having a small cookout tonight and wanted to make sure you were coming.”
Colton took my hand into his, and I looked up into his soft blue eyes before responding, “I’d like that.”
As the four of us stood on the balcony with the lake shimmering in the background, I almost pinched myself. It seemed like a dream to be here with Hailey, and seeing how happy she was with Jacob gave me hope that maybe Colton and I could find our way to happiness.
I just prayed all the demons from our pasts stayed buried where I left them, or there could be hell to pay.
Chapter 23
Hawk
The ride away fromPierce Bluff was like a dream. Stella was on the back of my bike with her arms wrapped around my waist, and in the rear-view mirror, I could see the enormous smile on her face. She had her head turned to the side and I glanced to see Hailey on the back of Jacob’s bike, facing her mother. They both seemed overjoyed, and I, along with Jacob and the rest of the Death Hounds, would do whatever it took to keep them that way.
The sidecar on Jacob’s bike held Zeus and Jasmine, and both dogs had their tongues stuck out as the breeze washed over them. Zeus’s ears stood straight up, and Jasmine’s floppy ears flapped in the wind. Hailey reached over and rubbed the top of both dogs’ heads as we passed through the small downtown of Pierce Bluff. The only stoplight turned red and we both slowed to a stop.
“Why don’t we take the long road to the clubhouse?” Jacob yelled over the loud machines, and I gave him a chin lift as the light turned green and we took off again.
The long road took us about thirty minutes longer to traverse instead of the direct road leading from Pierce Bluff to Portstill, but I loved taking the long way around. We turned off on a connecting road about a mile before Skid and Grace’s cabin, and I made a mental note to get with him that evening to discuss what he discovered about Lucian.
I feared from his reputation that there were skeletons in Lucian’s closet, and if anything he’d gotten involved in could cause harm to Stella or Hailey, he would have not only Devlin to deal with but the Death Hounds also. Both ladies are family now, and we don’t hesitate when it comes to those we love. If someone needed to disappear, we would gladly do it and not lose one second of sleep.
