18. Hawk
18
HAWK
D éjà vu was the weirdest fucking feeling. I didn’t believe in all that woo bullshit, spirits and past lives and reincarnation or whatever, but catching Kara after she fainted, hauling her into my arms, and carrying her into the clubhouse had a definite sense of “been there, done that.”
The very first time I’d met her had been much the same.
Only she’d given me a broken nose before she’d passed out.
At least that was intact this time.
“Get out of the way,” I hollered, Kara’s limp body in my arms. “Stop fucking gawking at her and clear off that couch so I have somewhere to put her.”
Ice jumped to his feet and swept a couple of car magazines onto the floor, while kicking at one of the kid’s toys that let out a protesting squeak as it met his boot. “Fucking hell, man,” he mumbled. “What did you do to her this time? ”
If looks could kill he would have been dead on the spot.
He shut up fast and scuttled back, making way for me and the crowd who’d followed me inside.
In my arms, Kara stirred, her lashes fluttering. She blinked a few times in confusion, her pretty brown eyes completely freaked out. “What happened? Where am I?”
“You fainted. I caught you. Now I’m carrying you inside the clubhouse.”
She tried twisting, getting her bearings, and then stared up at me in horror. “What? No! Hawk, put me down. I can walk.”
I tightened my grip on her. “Put you down so you can pass out again? Yeah, I don’t think so.”
“I’m too heavy,” she protested.
I paused at the edge of the couch and stared down at her incredulously. That was what she was concerned about? “Woman, do I look like I’m fucking struggling?”
She averted her gaze as I lowered her to the couch, settling her gently on the cracked leather cushions. Fuck. Those things were so damn old. I should have had Ice get her a blanket or something first, but it was too late now.
I knelt beside her, taking note of the lack of color in her cheeks, the clamminess of her skin, and the too-fast breathing. Fuck. She was going to pass out again if she kept that up. I reached for her, needing to get my fingers to her neck so I could time her pulse.
She cringed away.
I froze but didn’t back off. “I just need to check your heart rate, Little Mouse. Then I’ll leave you be.”
Her bottom lip trembled slightly, but she nodded, and I pressed my fingers to the creamy softness of her skin .
I frowned at the sluggish blood that pulsed beneath my fingers, but it wasn’t the worst I’d felt, by any means.
“Is she okay?” Rebel asked, hovering over me.
“I’m fine,” Kara whispered. “I’m so sorry for all the trouble—”
“I need some pillows.” My gaze landing on Ice. “Go to my room and get all the pillows off my bed.”
To the younger man’s credit, he did exactly what I said this time without giving me any of his usual smart-assery. He came back with two pillows encased in the silky black linen I liked. I lifted Kara’s feet and shoved the pillows beneath them to keep them elevated.
I racked my brain trying to remember the other things you were supposed to do when someone fainted.
Loosen clothing.
I flushed hot at the thought of peeling off that too-tight little T-shirt that could barely contain her tits. Of removing the ugly gray skirt that seemed like it had been made from a flour sack or something of equally cheap material. Despite its shitty quality, it did nothing to hide the curves of her hips that would be perfect for holding on to while I fucked her from behind.
She was fine. I wasn’t loosening any clothing.
Except maybe the denim currently strangling my erection.
I pushed back onto my feet, twisting so no one noticed I was getting hard. Fucking hell. This day had been one extreme to the other. Couldn’t get hard for Amber. Then getting hard over the church mouse, of all people. It was probably me who needed a doctor.
I let Rebel and Bliss take my spot, fussing over Kara, and slammed my way into the kitchen. Without thinking about it too much, I opened cupboards, rummaging through each one, searching for where we kept the tea nobody drank.
I slammed a door shut, frustrated when it was full of spices and herbs instead of the stuff I was searching for.
The kitchen door opened, and Rebel came in, pausing as I shut another door too hard and the crack of wood on wood bounced around the room.
Rebel raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything, walking to the cupboard where we kept glasses. She took one out and then moved to the sink to fill it with water. “Sorry to get in your way,” she said quietly. “Kara just wanted a drink.”
“Yeah, I figured as much,” I answered. “Found it!” I pulled out the tea which was likely stale because who knew how long it had been hidden away in the back of that cupboard.
Might have been five years. Since the last time I’d seen Kara drink it.
I studied the package for an expiration date.
Rebel’s stare was intense enough for me to notice even though I wasn’t looking directly at her. “What?” I snapped.
“That’s Kara’s favorite tea. Peppermint and chamomile.”
“That’s why I’m making it for her.”
“How did you know that?”
I shrugged. “Just do.”
“I didn’t even know that until last night, and I’m her sister.”
I glanced up over the top of the box of teabags, an uncomfortable awkwardness settling over me. Why the fuck did I know this was Kara’s favorite tea? Rebel’s scrutiny was pissing me off. “Well, maybe if you were a better sister, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, huh, shrimp?”
The insult had the desired effect. She stopped worrying about why I knew Kara’s favorite drink and snatched it from my fingers. “You’re such a prick.”
“I’m well aware.” It irked me to watch Rebel make the tea I’d found and carry it out to Kara, but her having it was the main thing.
Kara took a sip from the steaming mug and glanced up in surprise at her sister. “You remembered it was my favorite.”
Rebel glanced over at me and opened her mouth to say something.
I cut it off before she could announce it to the whole fucking room. “I’m going to talk to the cops.”
I shoved the door open with my shoulder, and it was only when the cold early evening air hit my bare skin that I realized I still didn’t even have a shirt on. Fucking hell. I’d been so focused on Kara I hadn’t even noticed until she was out of my line of vision.
War glanced over at me when I approached the little huddle he had going on with the two cops, as well as Aloha and Ratchet. He frowned at the way I was rubbing my arms. “Go get a hoodie or something.”
But there was no way I was going back inside and having everyone stare at me because Rebel had blabbed about me finding tea for my patient.
That’s what Kara was. Someone I took care of because nobody else here had a scrap of medical knowledge or interest. Nothing more .
Despite the fact I’d let her watch me jerk my dick until I’d come all over myself.
That had nothing to do with her, and everything to do with making someone else feel as shitty as I had in that moment, after realizing I’d fucked up my GED.
Rebel was right. I really was a prick.
“I’m fine,” I told War.
He rolled his eyes and pulled off his jacket, handing it to me. “I know you love your abs, but you can’t go down to the morgue like that. Put it on.”
I shoved it back at him. “I’m not going to the morgue.”
War raised an eyebrow. “The cops need Kara and Rebel to go down there and ID the body. You think I’m letting them go down there unprotected with Kara’s whack job of a husband hunting her down?”
I screwed up my face. “Send Fang!”
War narrowed his eyes at me. “Why are you fucking arguing with me about this, asshole? I am sending Fang, as well as you, Ice, and Aloha. If that really is Alice dead on that table, then it means someone is really pissed off about them leaving. Kara just became our number one priority, and she doesn’t go anywhere without protection.”
I gawked at my prez. “Are you joking? She’s not even one of us!”
He straightened his shoulders and lowered his voice. “She’s Rebel’s sister. She has a child who has been through hell and back. And she’s a woman in danger. That’s enough for me. If it’s not enough for you, then fucking say so now and let me know you aren’t the man I thought you were.”
I glared at him, his words sinking in with stabbing accuracy. “Well, now who’s being an asshole? You didn’t have to call me out like that.”
He grinned and slapped me on the back. “You didn’t have to argue when we both know I’m always right. So put the fucking jacket on already.”
I shoved it back at him again. “I ain’t your old lady. And I ain’t your boyfriend. I ain’t wearing your jacket. Scythe would probably put a knife through my kidney if he saw me walking around in that.”
War sniggered at the mention of his partner. “He probably would.”
Like Rebel and Fang, War and Bliss had the whole polyamorous thing going on with two other guys. I tried to keep my nose outta the details, but some of them had been too hard to avoid.
Like War fucking one of the guys as much as he fucked Bliss.
We’d come to terms with that eventually.
But it didn’t mean I wanted to wear another guy’s jacket and definitely not War’s because his boyfriend was psychotic at the best of times, and I hadn’t been exaggerating when I said I was worried I might get stabbed.
Scythe and his alter ego, Vincent, weren’t to be fucked with.
One of the cops, Howard, cleared his throat. “Do you think the women will be ready to go soon? I know this is a lot, but we do have to move on to other jobs. If you want us to escort you to the morgue we need to leave now.”
I snorted. “If we want you to escort us? Do we look like we need your help—”
War elbowed me. “What my VP here means is, he’ll go get his own fucking jacket, and while he’s there, he’ll make sure Kara and Rebel and Fang are ready to go, because we take the threat of murder very seriously, and any extra bodies to help keep one of our own safe is welcome. That’s what you meant to say, right, VP?”
I made no effort to hide the roll of my eyes. “Sure, boss. Whatever you say.”
I was fucking cold though, so I did as I was told, like a good little second-in-charge, and strode right through the living area where everyone was still gathered around Kara.
“Hawk,” her small voice called out.
I ignored her and practically ran the last few steps to my bedroom, slamming the door closed behind me.
My dick was fucking hard again.
And all she’d said was my name.