Chapter Twenty-Six #3
Hawk stepped passed Lucky and glowered down at Desiree.
“You’ve hurt Lucky for the last time. You’re going away and soon, she won’t think of you at all, because she’ll be so happy with me, her real friends, and her niece that she won’t even spare you a thought.
You’ll be all alone in a cell, locked away where you belong, so you can’t hurt anyone ever again. ”
“That’s not happening. My father won’t let it. I know people.”
Mason took her by the arm. “They’re all going down with you.
Your father aided and abetted the murders of Lucky’s family.
And if I find the real reports on your mother’s so-called accidental death, he’ll go down for that, too, because covering for you only helped hurt others.
Maybe he loves you, or maybe he was just too afraid of what you’d do to him if you turned on him. ”
A mischievous smile made her look even more deranged. “I have dirt on everyone. No one can touch me.” She turned to Lucky. “Not even you, little sister.” Desiree yanked her arm free from Mason’s hold, grabbed the silver candle holder on the coffee table, and swung it at Lucky’s head.
Hawk swept his arm out to move Lucky out of harm’s way and grabbed Desiree’s wrist with his other hand, pulling it up behind Desiree’s back.
Desiree screamed. “You’re going to break my fucking arm.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“Huh,” Lyric chimed in. “I didn’t have death by candlestick in the living room on my Clue card.” She grinned up at her husband. “Slap the cuffs on her, baby, and get her out of here. She’s had enough attention. It’s time she rots in a cell and thinks about all she threw away by being petty.”
“You don’t know anything, bitch!”
Lucky got in Desiree’s face, covering her mouth with a punishing grip on her jaw.
“Shut up. You don’t get to talk to her like that.
The only thing that should come out of your mouth right now is a please, begging me to take care of your daughter, and thank you because you know I’ll make sure she’s happy and well and grows up to be a better woman than her mother could ever hope to be. ”
“Fuck you!” Desiree winced when Mason secured the cuffs on her wrists.
“Yeah. That’s what I thought. Even now, you treat me like the enemy when all I ever did was try to be your friend.”
“If only you could have been happy to be free, then maybe I’d have left you alone. You never appreciated what I did for you.”
Lucky stared up at Hawk’s solemn face. “She still thinks she did me a favor.”
Hawk saw all her pain and frowned, brushing his knuckles over her cheek, making her realize she was crying.
She met Desiree’s truth with one of her own.
“Do you have any idea what it’s like to be happy that your father is dead, your mother, and feel so guilty at the same time because your freedom came at a cost you weren’t willing to pay?
Do you know what it’s like to know that your little brother will never grow up to be the man you saw in your head?
Smart. Caring. Fiercely protective, even when the odds were against him.
Danny never did anything to anyone. He was a jokester, the one person who always tried to make me smile.
The one who always hugged me with all his strength. ”
Desiree deflated. “I said I was sorry about him.”
“But. You. Aren’t. Sorry!” Her hands fisted at her sides.
“You don’t care about anyone but yourself.
You twist up your convoluted feelings and lash out at even the smallest affront to your heart.
You want love, so you try to force it from Neil and steal it away from me.
You want me to yourself, so you kill my family.
Not because you love me, but because you want to control and hurt me.
You don’t even tell me I’m your sister. You don’t give me a chance to be that to you before you try to kill me.
You’re so busy blaming me for your own misery, you can’t even be happy that I found the love of my life. ”
“You don’t deserve it.”
“Right. Because I have it and you don’t.”
“Because you go around making everyone feel sorry for the sad girl.”
“Up until recently, my life was really fucking sad. Look at all the things I’ve endured. Hawk is the one thing I have that means everything to me. I’m taking you down to have a happy life with him. I would die for him.”
Desiree tried to come at her again. “Then die already.” She kicked out, trying to strike Lucky but Mason held her back. “I hate you!”
“Good. I hate you, too.” She let out a deep sigh.
“Get out of my home. You’re not welcome here anymore.
You can picture me here from your cell. Think of me with Krystal, with Hawk, with the kids we’re going to have, the life we’ll live, the happiness we’ll share.
You wanted me to be free? With you gone, I finally will be. ”
Mason pulled Desiree to the door.
“You should thank me, then,” Desiree bellowed.
“I thank Hawk for rescuing me from you. He saved me. He loves me. He’s all I need.”
Lyric slammed the door in Desiree’s face before she could spew anymore hate.
Hawk pulled Lucky into his arms. “You did it.”
“She did it. All of it. And now she’ll suffer the consequences.”
“Do you want to be there when Mason locks up Sheriff Collins?”
“No. But I would like to talk to him once he’s behind bars. I think it would be better if I can’t get my hands on him.”
Hawk’s fury showed all over his face. “I’d like five minutes alone with him, myself.”
She fisted his shirt at his waist in both hands.
“He let it all happen. All of it. I suffered and he just stood back and did nothing. Oh, he gave my dad a warning, but that was too little, too late. That didn’t stop anything.
He knew I was his and he just turned his back on me to save his own ass from the fallout of revealing that secret.
All he had to do was arrest my father. To do his fucking job!
” Tears streamed down her cheeks, even though she was so, so numb inside.
Hawk simply held her, letting her take whatever time she needed to settle her head and heart.
“I’m going to go down to the station and give my statement to Jase.” Neil put his hand on her shoulder.
Hawk stiffened, but didn’t bark at Neil to keep his hands to himself like he probably wanted to.
She managed to lift her gaze to Neil. “I hope you get a chance to finally spend some quality time with your daughter. She’s an amazing kid.”
“Yeah, well, she’s got a kickass aunt who loves her. Whatever happens next, I hope you’ll stay in her life, even if I’m in it.”
“I’m not mad at you. You did what you thought you needed to do at the time. You’ve paid the price for it. More than you should have by missing all these years with Krystal. I know you can’t get them back, but you deserve a chance to be the father she needs and deserves. I think you’ll be great.”
The parole officer smacked Neil on the back. “Come on. I’ll follow you to the station and make a statement on your behalf.”
Neil squeezed her shoulder. “I missed you like crazy.” He glanced at Hawk. “And I know that ship has sailed, but I’d really like it if we could be friends again as well as being family for Krystal’s sake.”
“I’d like that.”
Neil looked like he might lean in and kiss her on the cheek, but thought better of it when Hawk let out a little growl. Then he left with the parole officer and she was left with Hawk and Lyric.
“Can I get you something?” Lyric asked. “A shot? A cupcake? A whole sheet cake maybe?” She snapped her fingers. “Ice cream?”
Lucky found half a grin. “I’ve got everything I need right here.” She hugged Hawk closer.
He tightened his arms around her. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I think I’ll leave you two alone. Mason can drop me at our cabin before he hauls in your sister and throws the book at her.”
Lucky reluctantly stepped out of Hawk’s arms. “Thank you for coming. I know it’s a lot when you’re carrying that baby.”
Lyric rubbed her hands over her baby bump. “I’m good. And I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. That was an epic takedown. I never saw some of that coming.”
“You and me both.” Lucky raked her fingers through her hair. “I still can’t wrap my head around it all.”
“She’s probably the most ruthless woman I’ve ever met.” Rage rolled off Hawk in waves.
She felt the same way. The second it receded, she’d think about something else she’d learned today and it would boil again.
They saw Lyric to the door.
Hawk stepped out to talk to Jase and Mason before they left.
She stayed in the quiet house staring out the back windows at the green pastures, tall trees, and fat clouds floating in a sky so blue it didn’t seem real.
Her heart ached with sadness for a sister she’d thought was a friend, for a niece who lost her mother, for an ex who’d done the wrong thing for the right reasons, and for herself.
A girl who had one father who abused her and another who let it happen.
She had a mother who enabled and ridiculed and a stepmom who unknowingly pitted one daughter against the other.
She hadn’t heard Hawk walk in, but she knew it was him the second he touched her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and pressing his hands to her belly. “Did you mean it when you said you want to have kids?”
“Yes. You said you wanted them, too.”
“I do. I want it all with you.”
She let her head fall back on his shoulder. “Sounds perfect.” She turned in his arms and looked up at him. “Is everyone gone?”
He nodded.
“Good. Then take me to bed and make me forget everything except the way I feel when you love me.”
“I love you every second of the day.”
“I know. Show me.”
Hawk picked her up bridal style. “Whatever you need, sweetheart.”
He set her down in the middle of the bed before he peeled off her shoes and socks, then attacked her jeans and panties.
She’d barely taken a breath when he pulled her shirt over her head and let it sail over his shoulder, while his free hand undid her bra and pulled that off, too.
She had no idea where it landed because he leaned forward, licked her nipple, then took the tight bud into his mouth.
He sucked and laved at it until she was moaning before switching to her other breast, giving it the same attention while he fondled the other, pinching it between his warm fingers.
She slid her hands down over his shoulders and back up, raking her fingers through his dirty blond hair, then grabbing his shirt and bringing it up and over his head.
He pressed kisses down the center of her chest, placing one long kiss over her heart before he sank lower, kissing her down to her mound, then licking her clit.
“You make me feel so good.” She wasn’t thinking about anything but him and the way he made her feel. Everything else could wait. She needed this. Him.
“Love you so much.” He drove his tongue into her.
“You taste so good.” He hooked his arms around her thighs and pulled her closer to his mouth so his tongue could dive deeper.
He thrust again and again, taking her higher and higher until he replaced his tongue with one finger, then two filling her up.
He sucked her clit, starting off softly, then ramping it up the way he pushed and pulled his fingers inside her, hitting that bundle of nerves that sent her over the edge.
He kissed his way back up her body to her mouth and devoured her with so much passion he stole her breath. He reared back and undid his pants, letting loose his long, thick cock.
She took hold of it and stroked him, once, twice. He shucked off the rest of his clothes and crawled back to her, but when she put her hand on his shoulder and lightly nudged, he fell onto his back beside her and pulled her over him.
She straddled his hips, her hands planted on his chest, and stared down at him. “I meant what I said. I want a really happy life with you.”
“Anything you want, it’s yours.”
“I just want you.” She sank back onto his cock, taking him into herself and loving him with everything she had to give.
He took her nipple into his mouth, licking it, while he held her other breast, brushing his thumb over the pebbled peak.
She rode him slow and sultry at first, loving the feel of him filling her up, stroking her most sensitive flesh.
Pleasure rippled through her, swelling along with the tempo she set, igniting shared moans and desperate kisses as the crescendo crashed over them and ecstasy had them wrapped up in each other’s arms, panting out their breaths and whispered words of love and devotion.
Hawk held her in his protective embrace like he’d cocooned her in his love.
Exhausted from all the drama and revelations, she fell into sleep, safe in his arms. Every time she stirred awake, her mind swamped with the past and what would become of all of them in the future, Hawk was there to distract her yet again.
He made love to her like it had been days, not mere hours since the last time.
He lavished her with pleasure and promised that everything was going to be all right, so long as they faced it together.
When the morning dawned, crisp and fresh, she found herself warm and sated in her lovers arms, ready to face whatever came their way.
Hawk made her coffee and breakfast while she showered and dressed for the day. When she emerged into the kitchen, he was a sight, standing by the stove, flipping an omelet for her, bare chested, hair tousled by her fingers all night, a pair of black joggers barely hanging on to his hips. Gorgeous.
“How did I get so lucky?”
He hooked his arm around her shoulders, drew her close, kissed her lips like he had all morning to do it, then replied, “That’s my line. I don’t think I could be any happier having you here with me.”
“And I’m never going anywhere. You’re stuck with me.”
“Good. Because I’m never letting you go.”
She went up on tiptoe, kissing him on the tip of his nose. “We missed dinner. I’m starving.”
Hawk plated their food and led her to the dining table.
She took her seat and looked up at him. “Tell me.” She could see he had something on his mind.
“Mason and Jase want us to come down to the station to give our statements. The sheriff wants to see you before he’s transferred.” Hawk cupped her cheek. “You don’t have to see him if you don’t want to.”
“I think I do, one last time, otherwise I’ll have all this stuff locked up inside me. I never got to tell my dad off for what he did to me. This time I have a chance to unload and I’m going to take it.”
Hawk gave her a firm nod, then sat and ate his breakfast while she plotted what she wanted to say and how she wanted the visit to go, fortifying her resolve that she wouldn’t let sentiment get in the way of the justice she deserved.