Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
HAWK
It was only the dread, fear, and grief I felt that kept me where I was. That stopped me from acting on the rage coursing through my body.
Because I love you.
Love. Love. Love.
Chloe. My Chloe. My brave, beautiful girl had flung herself in front of me to protect me.
For the rest of my life, I’d never forget a moment of it. The way she sacrificed herself. The way she jerked twice as those bullets tore through her precious body. The look on her face when she realized what had happened. And the words she’d said to me before she closed her eyes.
Because I love you.
The blood.
God, the blood that poured out of her.
It was too much. Far too much for me to think she’d be able to survive.
My chest felt like it had been hollowed out; the only thing remaining inside were those words.
Because I love you.
This was my fault. I’d never forgive myself if she didn’t make it through this.
Even if she did, it would weigh heavily on my mind for the rest of my life.
I knew better. I knew people didn’t like me, and I chose to ignore that and be selfish.
I chose to pretend that perhaps I deserved a second chance at a happy life.
And now I was here, covered in Chloe’s blood, wondering if I’d not only destroyed my own life years ago but had cost Chloe hers as well.
It had only been by some miracle that at the precise moment Chloe and I had a gun trained on us, Kara had returned. She and her boyfriend saw what was happening from outside and had called the police.
So, it was only mere minutes after Chloe had been shot that an ambulance had arrived. Kara was still at the shop, dealing with the police, and had made a call to Chloe’s family.
I didn’t know how long I’d been sitting here, waiting for any news. I didn’t think too much time had passed, because I suspected Zane, Emme, Mia, and Kingston would’ve dropped everything to get here, but it felt like it’d been an eternity.
It was on that thought, the doors opened, and they walked in.
Almost everyone—the girls, the guys, and the parents—and the terror was written on each of their expressions. And the state of me, the blood covering my hands and my clothes, likely didn’t ease their concerns.
I stood as they came to a stop in front of me.
Kingston asked, “What happened?”
I shook my head, feeling numb all over. “He was there for me. It was… It was Dalton Hicks’s brother. He was seeking revenge. And Chloe… Fuck, Chloe threw herself in front of me when she realized he was going to shoot me.”
Emme gasped, Mia’s hand flying up to cover her own mouth. Kingston was clenching his jaw, and Zane asked, “Was she awake when they brought her in?”
“No. No, she lost consciousness at the store.”
“Where… Where was she shot?” he pressed.
I swallowed deeply, closing my eyes as I recalled the horrific scene. “Her arm, in the outer shoulder, and…”
“And what?”
“Her neck.”
“No,” Emme squeaked. “Oh, God.”
All the women broke down, the men doing their best to offer them some level of comfort.
Zane wrapped his arms around his wife, and on the surface, he appeared to be a pillar of strength. But deep down, I could see it. The haunted look in his eyes told me everything. He was no better off inside than those who were visibly distraught.
“Have you heard anything?” Taj asked. “Did anyone come out to talk to you?”
“No. Nothing yet.”
Everyone moved to sit, and I eventually did the same. The only sound that filled the room was the quiet sobbing of Chloe’s family and friends. Nobody spoke. There was nothing to say when her life was hanging in the balance.
At some point, Zane’s phone rang. He stood and moved to the opposite side of the room to take the call. All I could do was sit and stare at the floor or the clock, willing myself to remain put, to make sure Chloe was okay before I did anything else.
I’d glanced over in Zane’s direction at one point, saw him looking at me as he spoke quietly into the phone, and determined precisely what was going through his mind. I couldn’t say it was much different than what I was thinking—I was responsible for what happened to his daughter.
I returned my gaze to the floor, feeling such a heaviness inside as I replayed the scene in that cake shop over and over in my mind. How did I allow this to happen? What could I have done differently?
Everything just felt bleak. Dark. Lonely.
I might’ve been in this room with a dozen and a half family and friends of hers, and as wonderful as they all were, she was the brightest of them. Her personality was big and bold and so very sweet. And it was because of me that she might be taken away from them.
If Chloe survived, no matter how difficult or how much damage it’d do to my heart, there was only one thing I could do to make this right.
“Hawk?”
I looked up to see Harper had approached. “Yeah?”
“Would you… Why don’t you come with me? We can get you cleaned up, so you’re ready to see Chloe when they tell us she can have visitors.”
My eyes dropped to my hands, my clothes. Everything was still covered in blood. “I… I don’t want to take her off yet.”
Harper nodded. “Okay. So, keep the clothes on. But let’s get your hands and your face cleaned up. You don’t want her to see you like this.”
Deciding she had a point, I stood and walked away to get cleaned up. Harper was there the whole time, talking softly and doing her best to be reassuring. If only I could’ve had that same mindset and been convinced Chloe was going to pull through.
We returned to the waiting area, where I slumped back down into a chair as the minutes ticked by.
Eventually, finally, the door opened. Two doctors entered the room and said, “Family of Chloe Cunningham.”
“That’s us,” Zane said, standing with his wife. “We’re her parents, and this is her family and friends.”
Everyone else stood and moved in close. I let them surge past me. I needed to know her fate, but they were the ones who’d been there long before me. They’d be there long after, too.
I held my breath.
“Mr. Cunningham,” the doctor began. “Your daughter suffered from two gunshot wounds, resulting in a lot of blood loss. She’s stable now, but she was very lucky.”
The air rushed from my lungs.
Stable.
She was stable.
And alive.
The doctor continued. “The wound to her arm, in the outer part of her shoulder, narrowly missed her brachial artery. Fractions of an inch, and there would’ve been a very different outcome.”
“And her neck? What about her neck?”
“Just a graze. It bled a lot, but no major damage to be concerned about.”
A graze.
The amount of blood had been tremendous. If anything, I thought that was the wound that was going to kill her.
“Will she have use of her arm again?” Kingston asked.
The doctor nodded. “Yes. She’ll likely need some therapy to rehabilitate it, but I suspect she’ll make a full recovery. I cannot stress enough how lucky Chloe was.”
“Can we see her?”
Holding his hands up, he said, “Yes, but not all at once.”
Zane and Emme took off behind the doctor while everyone else remained in the waiting room. I stepped back, needing to find the chair before my legs gave out on me.
Alive.
Alive.
Alive.
Blinking rapidly to stave off the emotions threatening to consume me, I hunched over, resting my elbows on my thighs, my face in my hands. Then I took several deep breaths.
Chloe was going to be okay. She was going to make a full recovery.
And I was going to do what was necessary to see to it that she stayed okay.
For a while, I sat there simply trying to get a grip on my emotions. Then I felt a hand on my upper back before I heard Ace’s voice. “You alright, man?”
I lifted my face from my hands and looked at him. Shaking my head, I answered honestly, “No. Not at all.”
“She’s going to be okay.”
“She shouldn’t be here to begin with.”
“Yes, that’s true. But it happened. And based on what I know of Chloe, what I suspect you also know of her, there wasn’t anything you could’ve done to prevent it.
Chloe’s one of the most determined women I know.
If she made up her mind to step between you and those bullets, nothing was going to change her mind. ”
Even if I knew he was right, it didn’t make it okay. “You’re right. But it doesn’t change the fact that someone was in her cake shop today with bullets meant for me.”
He studied me for a moment. “Whatever you’re thinking, Hawk, I suggest you get it out of your head. You’re not responsible.”
“I beg to differ.”
Realizing I could be just as determined as Chloe, Ace accepted he wouldn’t change my mind and let out a frustrated sigh.
“Hawk?” Mia called.
I looked up to see Chloe’s twin staring down at me. “Yeah?”
“My parents are back. Would you like to see her?”
“I… I can wait if you—”
“You can go,” she said. “You should go. She would want that.”
I took another deep swallow, nodded, and stood. When I walked into her room and saw her sleeping peacefully, I rubbed at the ache in my chest.
This beautiful woman had sacrificed herself for me, had been willing to die for me. I’d always felt it before, but there was no longer any question. I didn’t deserve her.
Moving toward the bed, I lowered myself into the chair beside it. My fingers curled around hers and squeezed. For a long while, I didn’t say anything. I just wanted a few more minutes alone with her. But I realized there were a lot of people who wanted to see her.
So, I said, “I’m sorry, sweetness. I’m so sorry for this. I should’ve protected you. It was my job to keep you safe, and I failed. I know you’re going to be okay now, though. The doctor says you’re going to fully recover.”
I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed her fingertips.