Page 9 of Witness Protection

Chapter Three

Two days.

Hawk finally understood how Sophia must have felt being held captive in her own home. Being holed up forty floors from the city streets, with no end in sight, was making him more stir-crazy by the hour.

“Will there be a funeral?”

He turned to find Sophia standing in the bedroom doorway, her hair wrapped up in a towel. Talking with Sophia had been a balancing act of truth, white lies, and finding the right words to not upset her. “Anything public wouldn’t be safe. We’ve talked about this.”

“So, what happened to him then? Was he dumped in the trash?”

The cleaning crew would have disposed of all the evidence, including bodies. He wasn’t prepared to tell Vasily’s daughter that there would be no body to bury. It was the world they lived in, one of violence and sin. “It’ll all be handled. Nothing for you to worry about.”

She came over and sat on the arm of his chair. The cityscape lit up the night sky, disguising the fact it was past ten in the evening. From their vantage point, the views were stunning. He could sit and stare for hours—he had been.

“What’s going to happen, Hawk?” Her whisper sounded like a worried child.

“Just a little longer. I want to keep off the radar for at least a few more days.”

“And then what?”

He’d love to know. A huge responsibility had been thrust on him the moment Morenov was assassinated. Hawk couldn’t just drop Sophia off on her doorstep and wish her well. As long as the killer was loose, he’d want his witness dead. Either in a week or a year from now, at some point Sophia would pay the ultimate price.

The mansion was the only place he’d called home. Both their lives were in a toss-up, but he had to keep control, had to convince her that he knew what the fuck he was doing.

“Then we start over.”

She shifted on the arm of the chair, pulling the towel off her hair. It unraveled over her shoulder, still damp from her shower. The scent of strawberries perfumed the air. She’d given him a list of must-haves that he’d picked up for her. “I’m not sure I’ll know how to do that. My father never let me do anything for myself. It’s going to be a harsh wake-up call.”

“I’ve seen you give your dad’s crew shit before. Hell, I can hardly get you to listen to me. You’re tougher than you think.”

She shook her head. “I don’t feel very strong right now. There’s so much on my mind. It’s overwhelming.”

He rested a hand on her knee. She wore an oversized t-shirt as her pajamas. “Now’s not the time to worry. You’ve been through a lot. Just try and rest.”

“What will you do after?”

“I’ll have to get work. Probably contracts.” He shrugged. Hawk didn’t have much time to worry about himself when Sophia’s life was in danger.

“Where will you go?” she asked. “Are you staying at home?”

He smirked. She was too damn cute. “Like you said, my boss is dead. It’s not my home anymore.”

Sophia frowned. “Of course, it’s your home. You’ve lived there my whole life.”

“It’s different now. I’m not family. I’ll have to go my own way.”

“No, Hawk. You can’t leave me. Everyone’s gone. There’s no one left.” She slid down off the arm of the chair onto his lap, then wrapped her arms around his neck. “Please don’t leave me.” The heat of her whispered words lingered on his neck.

Holy shit, he was in a hard place.

This wasn’t some fucking fairy tale where everything would go back to normal once the dust settled. Her father was a major kingpin with a lot of enemies. Sophia may be his daughter, but Hawk was nothing—just another hired hand with a price on his head. Once she was safe, he’d have to start a new life away from her.

“You’re just emotional. Trust me, you’ll be fine.”

She pulled back and scowled. “I’m not emotional. I’m broken. You’re all I have.”

He exhaled, deciding now wasn’t a good time to argue with her. She’d been through the wringer, so he’d humor her tonight. Hawk pressed her head back to his chest and gently brushed the hair off her face.

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