Chapter Seventeen
Hawk knocked on Ethel’s door and stood back and waited. Within seconds, she answered.
“I’m so pleased you came,”
Ethel said.
This surprised him. He stepped over the threshold and quickly glanced around. “Where is she?”
“She’s upstairs. What happened?”
“It’s nothing. I’m going to go to her.”
Ethel nodded. “Dinner’s nearly ready. You’re invited.”
He would only stick around if Nikki wanted him to. Making his way upstairs, he glanced toward the closed doors. He didn’t have a clue where Nikki was hiding, so he took a quick guess, and to his surprise, he guessed right.
Stepping into the bedroom on his right, there was Nikki sitting on the edge of her bed. Her hair was still wet from the shower, and she continued to look straight ahead.
“Nikki? Baby?”
She looked up and frowned. “Hawk?”
He went straight to her, taking the seat right beside her, pulling her in close, and then kissing the top of her head. “It’s going to be okay.”
She didn’t touch him, just stayed perfectly still within his arms, and he didn’t mind that. All he wanted to do was hold her, breathe in that scent he’d missed.
Hawk couldn’t believe how royally he had fucked up. It wasn’t even funny. How could he have even thought for a second there was a chance of him ever being able to live without this woman? It was laughable.
He just held her.
In her moment of need, she hadn’t called the cops, her mother, or Darlene, not even Diana. He knew the last one wouldn’t have been much help but that was beside the point. She had called him, and that meant something.
“How do you know? Someone killed my ex-best friend and placed her in my trailer. Whoever did that knows where I live, and what’s more, they said I’m going to be next.”
She pulled back. “There’s more. I forgot to tell you but … there was a note attached to my windshield that looked exactly like the one on the table today.”
He frowned. He was aware of one more as well, but he hadn’t told Nikki about it, nor had Darlene. Someone was targeting Nikki.
“I told Darlene about it today, but she wondered if it could have been Diana messing with me? You don’t think she would have been that cruel, do you?”
He reached out and stroked some of her hair back. “I don’t know, Nikki. You tell me.”
He marveled at the fact she wasn’t even accusing him. After all, he’d given her that instruction what felt like weeks ago. Why had Diana still been in town? He’d not seen her and she certainly hadn’t caused Nikki any trouble. No, that had fallen to him, and the truth coming out.
“I don’t know. I don’t know if Diana would have done that. I don’t even know if she is capable of that. She must be, though, right?”
“I don’t know,” he said.
“Do we know what killed her?”
“I’ve got a few guys who are dealing with this,”
Hawk said.
Nikki gasped. “You’re not going to get into trouble, are you? I didn’t even think about that when I called you. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
Could this mean Nikki might forgive him? Was there even a slight chance of it? He didn’t know if this could mean what he thought it could, but instead of getting his hopes up, he pushed back her hair and looked into her eyes.
“No, nothing bad is going to happen. I promise. I can handle this.”
“What about Diana? Is she just going to be forgotten?”
“What do you want to happen? I can make it all disappear, Babe, or I can make the arrangements where we can get a gravestone or something.”
He watched as Nikki pressed her lips together, clearly thinking about the possibilities he had just given her.
“I want her to be able to rest. To go and see when I can. I know we didn’t have the greatest of friendships, but for a long time she was still my friend, or at the very least, I was still hers.”
He saw her lip wobble.
“Stop. Don’t. Don’t cry, Baby.”
“We argued and now she is gone. I wanted her out of my life, and now there is no chance of us ever making amends.”
The tears started to fall, and they broke his heart. Now he was getting even more pissed off, because whoever stole Diana away from her, whoever made Nikki cry and feel this way, was going to pay. They were going to answer to him.
He cupped her face. “I’m sure Diana knows that. I’m sure she does. I bet she wishes she could have done the right thing.”
He didn’t know Diana well. She always had an agenda at the club, and any woman who came with plans of snaring an old man, well, it rarely ended well for them. It was why Nikki had been so refreshing. She had come to the club for her friend but wanted nothing in return. That made her a precious gem. One he intended to keep. He had nearly lost her, and he wasn’t going to allow that to happen again.
“Thank you,”
Nikki said. “Can we … have a wake or a memorial, or a small funeral for her?”
“I’ll get everything arranged.”
“Thank you, Hawk. Thank you.”
She stared at him and he looked into her eyes. He wanted to kiss her so damn badly, but he also knew this was not the time or the place. Damn, those lips looked inviting, though. He held himself back. Especially since her mother called at that very moment and said it was time for dinner.
“I better go.”
“Go?”
Nikki asked.
“Yeah. I just wanted to check on you, make sure you’re okay.”
He made his way to the door with every intention of leaving.
“You could stay,”
Nikki said. “I mean, my mom makes enough to feed a whole army. It’s quite shocking how much she makes.”
She let out a nervous chuckle. “And you rode here, and you’re doing all of these things.”
“I’d do them anyway for you, Nikki. You know that.”
She ran her hands down her thighs and got to her feet. “Then I’d like you to stay for dinner?”
“I’d love to.”
He was not going to push her into begging him. This was a bridge, a lifeline, and he was motherfucking taking it.
She offered him a smile, and then reached out to take his hand.
“Hold on?”
he asked, halting her as they were about to leave the room. “Just … out of curiosity, your mom, she’s a good cook, right?”
“Yeah, she is. Her food is amazing.”
Nikki giggled, and he’d take that sound. He’d take anything she could damn well give him, and then some more.
She still held his hand as they made their way downstairs, and he felt like punching the fucking ceiling. It felt so good to finally be holding his woman, walking with her again. He knew they were a long way off from making this good, but this was a start. It was much better than her shouting at him, and him being left out in the cold.
****
“You know, you should come,”
Darlene said a few days later.
Nikki looked down at her friend and boss. “Me?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t think I should.”
“Why not?”
“Because … I don’t know, it just doesn’t feel right.”
“Everyone is going to be there, okay? Hawk’s going to be there, all the club women are going to be there. It is Halloween, and you’ve got to have some fun in your life, and besides, look what you did.”
Darlene pursed her lips.
Today, Darlene had told her it wasn’t about having fun. This time, it was about just … doing, just enjoying herself, and creating a Halloween-inspired look. She had taken inspiration of the sultry, of the vampires, and created her a very sensual and sexy look.
The red of her lips were dark, almost as if she had sucked blood hours before, rather than recently. She hadn’t used any makeup that was going to last longer than a day. Darlene had said she could use some of the costume stuff, but she was holding back on that for when it was absolutely necessary.
“I’m surprised Hawk hasn’t invited you to this party,”
Darlene said.
“Why would Hawk invite me?”
“Oh, come on. I know that man is smitten with you. Stop even trying to pretend he’s not. He is all over you, and I for one think it is cute and adorable, and did I mention cute?”
“Yeah, you did,”
Nikki said, smiling. She just couldn’t help it.
In her moment of need, when she had been terrified, the only person she had thought to call was the one person she knew above all else she could trust. Hawk.
He still hadn’t asked her about the Halloween party.
“See.”
Darlene gave her ass a little swat.
“I don’t know.”
The rule was, she wasn’t supposed to go to the club. “He hasn’t asked.”
“Well, I’m asking, and I am allowed to bring friends to the club. You’ve got to be on your best behavior and the rules that are in Vegas are the same as the club.”
“Huh?”
“What happens in the club stays in the club. So, what do you think? Are you game to come and party with us on Halloween?”
Nikki sighed and turned back toward the makeup and started to pack each item away, sanitizing it, washing it, getting it all prepared for tomorrow.
“Sure, I’ll have to talk to my mom first. I don’t want to leave her alone in case she has plans for us.”
Darlene let out a squeal. “Hell, yeah, that is what I am talking about. We’re going to party.”
She let out a booming voice, and Nikki couldn’t help but laugh at her friend. She looked so excited.
This was unexpected. She was used to her friend being serious and making her jump through hoops. She wasn’t used to her friend being so open, so friendly, so … different.
“You’re happy today,”
Nikki said.
“Yeah, well, it’s nearly Halloween, we’ve got a full list of booked clients, and that makes me happy. The recent snowfall was not a doom on you of signs to come, as it’s already melting. I know there is more snow on the way, but it’s the season, you know. Halloween is around the corner, which means candy, and sex, and more candy. Also, it has felt way too long since I’ve been able to party, and I really, really, really, really want to party.”
Nikki laughed. She couldn’t help it.
“I work my ass off all year round. I’m happy to miss the other holidays and vacations and parties because work takes priority. It always has and always will. But I am not willing to miss Halloween, through to New Year. There is just something special about it, you know?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I had no idea you were into Halloween.”
“Are you not?”
“In all honesty, I can’t stand the horror. I’m kind of … afraid of the dark, you know?”
“You are?”
“Yeah, it’s insane and stupid, and so childish. I know that, but it is something that happened when I was a kid, so…”
She didn’t want to delve back down memory lane. Her mother had already remembered the time she had been locked in a closet. She never thought she would have to console her mother on a memory. It was so strange.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Nah, I don’t. I never went out or got dressed up.”
Darlene clapped her hands together. “Then it’s official. I will be doing your makeup, and getting you ready for Halloween. No exceptions, I insist.”
Nikki chuckled. This was a lot of fun.
“You got it.”
After agreeing to let Darlene take care of her makeup and look, she finished cleaning and then headed out for the night. Darlene said her good night, and Dan was already waiting for her.
When she got to work this morning, the town was so busy as it was having one of its artisan markets, and that meant not many available parking spaces. She had no choice but to make her way around back to the parking lot. Her car was parked under one of the lights.
Getting to her car was easy. It didn’t matter that it was dark, with just the glow of a few streetlamps. It wasn’t dark, dark. It was just nighttime. Nothing bad was going to happen.
But her heart started to race, and she felt that horrible sinking feeling clawing up inside her, threatening to get out. She wanted to scream but stopped herself. There was a lot she wanted to do, and yet she held herself back. She felt so sick to her stomach. What the hell was wrong with her?
Then she felt it—the strangest feeling in the whole world, as if someone was watching her. At first, she stayed tense, not even daring to move. What was the point in moving? She didn’t even have the guts to close her eyes. It wouldn’t have mattered it was dark.
Nikki heard the rustling, and then she didn’t know why it mattered, she had to run. She needed to get to her car. It was like a horrible sixth sense where she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Nothing made sense to her. The panic had started to build and she wanted to scream, to cry. Instead, she ran to her car and was pretty sure she heard footsteps following her. The person who killed Diana was here, had to be, and now they were going to kill her.
She got to her car and knew they were getting close. She heard them, felt them, and then, as someone touched her arm, she let out a scream and couldn’t help but close her eyes.
“Nikki, Nikki, it’s me, it’s me.”
She opened her eyes, and sure enough, there in front of her was Hawk.
“Hawk?”
she asked.
“Yeah, what’s wrong?”
he asked. “What’s the matter?”
She threw her arms around him, so pleased to see him. Her heart was threatening to explode out of her chest.
“How long have you been here?”
“Just a minute. I came to the salon, wanted to make sure you had gotten home safely. The shop was closed, and I knew you were afraid of the dark, and I wanted to check on you.”
He frowned as he looked at her.
Nikki knew she must have looked like a lunatic.
He glanced around the parking lot.
“It’s fine. I think I am going insane with what happened to Diana. I thought I heard someone, and I was so sure someone was watching me. I don’t know.”
“Watching you?”
Hawk asked.
“It’s stupid. That’s all. You know, that sixth sense you get when you’re about to be in danger. At least, I think that’s it. I don’t know.”
She cringed. “It’s nothing, and I think I’m going a little crazy, because I thought I heard someone chasing me, and yet you’re here, so technically, I did.”
He smiled at her.
“I’m going insane,”
she said. “Maybe it’s all this Halloween stuff.”
She took a deep breath. “It’s fine. Of course it’s fine.” She released a light laugh. “Thank you.”
“I want to drive you home.”
“Hawk, you don’t have to do that. I’m fine. My car is here.”
“How about I follow you? My bike is back in front of the shop. You can drive me to the front, I’ll grab my bike and follow you.”
Nikki tilted her head to the side. She didn’t want to tell him she still had that horrible feeling someone was watching her. Her mind was playing tricks on her. There was no one there. It was all in her head and she needed to get her shit together.
“Sure. Do you want me to call ahead and let Mom know you’re coming?”
she asked.
She saw how much Hawk enjoyed her mother’s cooking last night.
“She’s cooking again?”
“You know, I didn’t realize how much of a bad liar you are,”
Nikki said. “You heard my mom say she had every intention of making chicken parmesan.”
“Did I? Huh, I don’t remember.”
Nikki rolled her eyes and climbed into the passenger side of the car. There was still that feeling. While Hawk climbed in beside her, she tried to look around the parking lot to see if there was anyone waiting for her. Was she supposed to die tonight?
Whatever it was, she trusted this feeling. It had gotten her out of a lot of problems growing up, especially where her mother was involved. She lost count of the number of times she made it home, only to stand outside a few feet away looking at her mother’s door, and knowing she shouldn’t go inside. She would later find out her mother had been visited by some bad guys, or she had a client, or something had happened.
She learned to trust her instincts, and right now, her instincts were telling her to stay the hell away from this parking lot. Someone was out there, and they had every intention of killing her. Who? She didn’t know. That was still a mystery to her.
It could be anyone.