Page 19 of Hawk

“I miss you, too, Mom. Oh, hey, let me show you something.” I lifted the necklace Mary Ellen had given me and held the pendant in front of the phone. “This was Mr. Thompson’s necklace. He never took it off. Mary Ellen gave it to me. Isn’t that sweet of her?”

“That’s very nice. Are you still liking your job?”

“I really am. It’s my favorite job I’ve had so far.”

We chatted for a while until she had to leave to meet her friend Deborah at the mall. After we hung up, I decided I’d rotted long enough. My house wasn’t going to clean itself, and since I was the only one who lived here, guess who had to be the one to do it?

When I told Seph she had to move, she gave me the side-eye and huffed, but she did as I said and hopped up.

It took me longer than it should’ve to get everything done because I kept stopping to go outside and play with the dog. But by dinnertime, my house was sparkling clean, and I’d worn her out throwing her favorite ball.

I decided against cooking in my perfectly-clean kitchen and instead ordered delivery. Then Seph and I got comfy on the couch again to rewatch my movie.

About forty minutes later, someone knocked on the front door.

Seph sat up at attention, staring at the door, waiting to see if it was a threat or not.

“Don’t worry, sweet girl. It’s just my dinner.”

I hurried to the door and almost pulled it open without looking—but luckily, habit kicked in, and I checked the peephole first.

That wasn’t the food I’d ordered fromBo Thai. That was my worst nightmare, standing right there on my front porch.

His beard was longer, and it looked like his hair was too. His dark eyes were still beady and hateful, and I wondered one more time how I’d ever found him attractive. He lifted his big hand to bang on the door again, and I instinctively flinched back. I’d seen the damage those hands could do up close and personal.

I double-checked the lock as quietly as possible and used trembling fingers to lift the chain and slide it into place. Shit. Had I locked the back door when Seph and I came back in the last time?

He knocked again, harder this time, and I rushed across the room to check. Thank God I did because I’d foolishly left it unlocked. I flipped the deadbolt and came back to the front to look through the peephole again.

I couldn’t see much, but it was enough to tell he was getting agitated. I leaned my forehead against the door and closed my eyes.

What the fuck is he doing here? How had he found me?

Bang! Bang! Bang!

He pounded on the door much harder this time, and I jumped back, staring at it, waiting for him to bust through.

“Mika, I know you’re in there,” he yelled in a booming, angry voice. Something in the way he sounded set Seph off. She rushed to the door, barking and growling.

“Good try, but I know you don’t have a dog. Do you think I haven’t been paying attention?”

“Idohave a dog in here, so just go away, Butch!” I yelled back.

“I don’t think I want to do that. Now open the damn door!” He banged on it again, even harder, and Seph ran from the door to the front window, sticking her head behind the curtain to get a look outside while barking fiercely.

“What the fuck? Where did that bitch come from?” Butch yelled. I guess he’d seen Seph in the window. She did look ferocious—and she could be if the situation called for it.

I rushed to the couch and grabbed my phone. I should’ve called 911, but what were they going to do about a guy knocking on my door? The police in Vesper didn’t know anything about Butch or his biker gang, so they wouldn’t understand how dangerous he was.

So I called the one person Iknewcould help me.

Hawk

The Vesper County Rodeo and Livestock Show wasn’t exactly an exciting event from a security standpoint. There were some people who’d had too much to drink, which meant a couple of fights had to be broken up, but for the most part, all we had to do was monitor the animal holding pens to make sure no one tried to make off with a prized bull.

It was a week-long event, and for the most part, we’d only had a couple of guys on site at any one time, but because the rodeo dance was tonight, we had all hands on deck. I was standing by the arena watching the pairs roping competition when my phone rang.

I answered the call without checking the caller ID, putting it up to my ear so I could hear it over the noise of the rodeo.

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