Hawk (Ride with Me)

Chapter 20

Ruby

Getting out of the facility care where Mary lived was a lot harder than getting in. Hawk didn’t want any of the staff to see me leaving, Mrs. Clarence included. Since I know their schedules by now, I know they will find me gone sooner than he thought. I ran through the bushes all the way to the large gates. Since they were closed, I had to wait there for Hawk to arrive on his motorcycle.

In a smooth move that we could not have gotten any more perfect had we tried, he slowed down just enough for me to grab him by the arm and land behind him in the seat. He continued riding out, and the gates swung closed behind us.

That was ten minutes ago, and we are still going strong. I know that Hawk is on a time crunch since he needs to get back to his clubhouse.

Wrapped up in his hoodie, I try to relax and enjoy this ride for the short amount that it will last. I put my arms around him and let out a giggle. I hadn’t been out in fresh air while he’d been gone. The entire experience now feels so liberating. I wish I could ride like this with him forever.

At some point, as we head toward the bus stop he mentioned before, he puts a hand over both of mine that are around his waist. He gives them a squeeze, making my heart bleed in my chest.

I don’t want to part ways with him, not yet. But this is my only chance to get out of this entire situation alive. I know it in my gut that if I say no to this, if I insist on staying with Hawk, things will not end well for me.

While he continues riding down a long winding road, I realize with a start that tomorrow is my birthday. I have no idea where I’ll be. I don’t know what will happen with all my stuff at the apartment I was renting. I don’t know if this will work or if I’ll be alive for a long time to come.

I panic when I feel the bike slowing down. I didn’t even realize that Hawk pulled behind a large building. He taps my leg, signaling for me to get off the bike. I follow his directive, then stand next to it, with the hood pulled over my head, backpack full of cash strapped to my shoulders, a burner phone in my packet, and no idea of where I can go.

“After you use the phone I gave you, take the SIM card out.”

He waits for a second to make sure I understand what he’s telling me, so I nod.

“You take a rock and crush it, flush it down the toilet.”

I lick my lips nervously. “Okay.”

“You do not try to contact me or anyone else from your former life.”

My eyes fill with fresh tears. I can’t do this. Then I remember that my financial advisor is local.

“How am I going to call my money guy? He is from here.”

Hawk lets out a frustrated sigh. “Just be smart, Ruby. About everything. Don’t try to be anyone’s hero out there.”

“I won’t,” I whimper.

This is a lot harder than I would’ve expected. The worst goodbye ever.

“Be smart, Ruby,” he repeats. I swear I can hear anguish in his voice.

“H-how…” I stop to swallow around the knot in the back of my throat, then try again. “How am I going to find out how Mary is doing?”

He looks me dead in the eyes. “You won’t.”

It is the answer I was expecting, yet it hurts like nothing else ever has before.

“This is the bus station.” He points to the building behind us. “They offer trips all over the country. Pay with cash and give them a fake name. When they ask to see an ID, tell them you lost yours.”

I nod at everything he tells me to do, hoping that I will remember it when I actually have to do it.

“Have your cash ready now,” he instructs.

I take the backpack off my shoulders, then have to rest it on his bike to look inside.

“Just have some extra in your pocket. You don’t want to have to look in the bag for it with a bunch of weirdoes seeing you have all this money in there.”

I nod again before pulling out enough cash for a ticket and for spending money. Once done, I zip up the bag and throw it back on my shoulders.

Hawk hooks a finger into the kangaroo pocket of his hoodie. I will treasure it forever.

“You’re going to be okay,” he assures me, even though he has no way of knowing that.

“I hope you will be okay, too.” My voice comes out raspy from the effort I’m making not to cry.

“It always works out,” he smirks at me. “One way or another.”

His phone dings in the pocket of his cut. He pulls it out, and I watch as his eyes move over the text he received.

“You have to go,” I whisper when he looks back up at me. He doesn’t confirm it with words, but it is clear on his face.

I take a step forward and place a soft kiss on his lips. Earlier when we were naked, I told him that I thought I loved him. I don’t think I love him. I know I do, and I will carry this picture of him in my mind for the rest of my days.

“Goodbye, Hawk.”

His mouth lifts into a sad smile. “Goodbye, babe.”

I turn around and force myself to walk away from him. The heels of the boots he gifted me when we left that cheap motel all those weeks ago are now clicking on the pavement, reminding me with each step that this is the smartest solution to all my problems.

My heart is breaking into a million pieces the closer I get to the entrance to the building. I resist the urge to look back and see if he’s still watching me. I know he hasn’t left yet because I didn’t hear his bike starting.

The doors slide open as soon as I get close enough for the sensors to pick me up. I step inside, but instead of walking straight to the window where you can purchase the tickets, I find a dark corner by the bathrooms and press myself against the wall.

Panic sets in, and I have a hard time breathing. It all crashes into me at once. I am on my own once again, trying to figure out a way to survive. Except for the fact that this time I have so much more to lose. My financial stability has been yanked from under me, and I am losing the man I am in love with. Not to mention that I have people after me to kidnap and sell me into a sex trafficking ring.

I burst into tears, then try to cover my mouth with both hands to camouflage the sound of the sobs ripping from my soul. I don’t need to bring any attention to myself, but I do need a minute to let it all out.

I slide down the wall until my butt hits the floor. I rest my forehead on top of my knees and let the tears soak into my jeans. The backpack digs into my ribs a little, making it uncomfortable, but I am too distraught to care.

Time loses meaning while I sit on the floor of this bus station. I cry until I can’t anymore, then decide to take the bull by the horns and do what Hawk told me to. Buy a ticket to a place as far away from here as possible.

The cell phone in my back pocket also reminds me that I need to call my money guy to ask him about how I can get access to it without leading anyone to my destination. It’ll be interesting explaining this one to him.

I wipe at my wet cheeks, deciding that I can do this. I’ve done it before with much less. So what if I have to start over in a new state? At least I’ll be alive, right?

My head hurts a little when I look around me, and I almost jump out of my skin when I notice someone watching me intently. The man is incredibly tall and equally wide. He wears a fancy suit, his head is bald, making his dark skin glisten in the neon lights above us.

I get up from the floor and try to recompose myself. Going to the bathroom is not an option since I don’t want to be in there by myself. That would be like inviting trouble.

Pretending like I didn’t notice him looking, I pull my shoulders back, and, with my head held high despite my blotchy from crying face, I start walking toward the ticket counter.

“Excuse me, miss,” the man calls after me, his voice sounding very deep, to match the massive size of him.

I ignore him and continue walking. As a last resort, I am prepared to scream the place down.

“Miss, just a word, please,” he insists.

I walk faster, now regretting the fact that I stopped in the back when I first entered the building. Hawk told me I was smart, and that I would be able to do this, but it hasn’t even been an hour yet, and I messed it all up.

With the ticket counter in sight, I almost run across the width of the train station, wondering why it is so incredibly big. I’ve never needed to take the bus like this, but I was under impression that bus stations were smaller than train stations.

I groan in frustration when I notice there’s a small line to buy a ticket, but I am prepared to cut in, even at the risk of making them mad. Just as I attempt to do that, I am yanked back with such force, I almost face plant when I bounce against a hard body.

“We need to talk with you, miss,” the same man from before growls into my ear. “We are not here to hurt you.”

I open my mouth to scream, but it’s as if he can read my mind. His paw like hand covers my entire face in an attempt to stop me. I start struggling to get out of his hold, amazed that none of the people standing in line for tickets tries to help me. If anything, they are literally looking the other day, pretending like I am not being kidnapped right from under their noses.

The man starts walking backward, dragging me with him. I try to loosen my body and become dead weight in his arms, but that doesn’t seem to affect him at all.

Before long we are outside the building, and I want to cry again. My eyes desperately look for Hawk, praying that he hasn’t left yet, that he is here to save me yet again. But all I see is a dark luxury SUV that’s parked right in front of the entrance.

The back passenger door is conveniently open, and the man dragging me outside throws me inside of it with no ceremony. I land against the soft seat, ready to jump back out, but it is too late. The door slams shut behind me, and I hear the child lock being engaged.

“Let me out,” I yell at him when I see him getting into the driver’s seat.

“Miss Santiago.”

A different voice addresses me, and I jump out of my skin, with my back pressed against the locked door. I am just now realizing that I’m not alone in the back. A man is sitting next to me, a look of compassion mixed with amusement defining his handsome features. He seems to be a little older, older than Hawk at least, and he exudes this air of power. There is a warning in his eyes, sending me signals that he doesn’t tolerate hysterics.

“Who are you?” I manage to ask. My voice sounds raspy from crying and also from pure fear.

He leans over and grabs something from a small refrigerator that’s tucked at his feet.

“You should have some water.” He offers me the small bottle of the clear liquid. I have a hard time believing that it’s only water in it. Getting drugged is not on my list of things to do today.

I take the bottle from him, but I don’t open it.

“You got guts,” he smiles at me. “I like it. You remind me of someone I used to know…”

And now he looks sad, but it passes so quickly, it’s almost as if I imagined it.

“If that’s all you wanted to tell me, the kidnapping part was a little over the top,” I tell him in a haughty tone. It makes me sound a lot more confident and braver than I normally am.

The man who grabbed me from inside, who also happens to dub as the driver of the vehicle he threw me in, lets out a loud laugh.

“I like her, boss,” he speaks from his seat, looking at us through the rearview mirror. “You’re right. She is a little like Arlene.”

I swallow hard, unsure of what’s happening. This has got to be the weirdest kidnapping attempt in history. Actually, it is not an attempt since he succeeded into taking me from inside the bus station.

“Maybe you two can discuss this after you take me back to where you took me from.”

“That’s not possible, Miss Santiago,” the guy next to me chuckles. The sound of his laughter is not as loud as his driver’s.

“Why not?”

“Because we’re trying to save you. And if you go back, you will be taken within minutes.”

I lick my lips nervously. “But you took me, too.”

“We did,” he agrees. “But we’re the good guys.”

I stare at him, at a loss for words.

“Who are you?”

The man gives me a polite smile. “My name is Devereaux, and you’ve already met Malone.” He points toward the driver. “We’re here as a favor to someone.”

“A favor?” I ask with incredulity.

He just shrugs. “I hate owing people anything. And just giving them money is not enough in this instance.”

I shake my head as I look from him to the guy driving, then back again.

“So you’re here to help me?”

I hate how hopeful I sound.

“We will give it a try,” he smiles at me. “For Hawk,” he adds.

My mouth goes dry, and my heart threatens to jump out of my chest.

“For Hawk,” I repeat.