Page 22 of Hawk

“I think so, yeah.”

“Okay, just let me get your ex’s details and a rundown of what happened tonight for my report. That way, we’ll have a record of it if we need it later on. There isn’t much else we can do since he’s gone, but I’ll have our patrol cars drive by throughout the night just to keep an eye on things.”

After I gave the officer the information, Hawk stepped out on the porch with him, and I went to the window and looked out. They talked for a minute and then shook hands before Hawk came back inside.

“Okay, let’s let your girl out of the bedroom.”

I grabbed the treat bag and passed it to him. “I think you should be the one armed with the treats.” Then, just to be safe, I grabbed her leash and slipped into the bedroom. She was standing at attention, facing the door.

“Look at you, such a good girl. Let’s put your leash on, and you can come meet the hot guy who came to rescue us.”

She looked at me and back toward the door, obviously ready to get out there and check everything out. I clipped the leash on her and then opened the door. To my surprise, Hawk was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor, holding the bag of treats.

“Well, aren’t you a pretty girl?” he said, holding out his hand for her to smell.

“This is Hawk. He’s a friend, and he has a treat for you because you are such a good girl,” I cooed. I knew dogs responded to your tone as much or more than what you said, so I tried to convey that he wasn’t a threat—but I didn’t have anything to worry about. She moved toward him and smelled his hand then nudged the treat bag with her nose.

“You deserve a treat, that’s for sure. You were a very good girl.” He reached into the bag and pulled out one of the treats. “Here you go.” She gobbled it down and then nudged the bag again, and he laughed. “How many can she have?”

“Probably just a couple. Andy’s really picky about what she eats. I’m the fun uncle who buys her the unhealthy treats, but I don’t want to upset her stomach.”

“Just one more then.” He took out another treat and handed it over before pushing to his feet. “Okay, now let’s have a seat, and you can tell me what this was all about.”

I’d known it was coming, but I wished I didn’t have to tell him about Butch. It was embarrassing and made me feel so stupid. I’d called him, though, and he’d come with no hesitation, so the least I could do was tell him what the deal was.

I nodded. “Okay, but I want to get something to drink real quick. Do you want anything? I have water, dietDr. Pepper, or I could make a pot of coffee.”

“No, I’m good. Thank you, though.”

I went to the kitchen and got myself a bottle of water, then joined him in the living room. He was sitting on the couch, petting Seph and murmuring to her. I sat down on the other end and pulled my feet up under me.

“So, you want to tell me what this was all about?”

“Not really, but I will. I figure I owe you that much.”

“You don’t owe me anything, baby boy, but I want to know so I can keep you safe.”

My breath caught when he called me baby boy. Butch had never been into pet names or terms of endearment. He’d called meboya couple of times, but it was in a condescending way. What he wanted was to make sure I understood my place. It sounded completely different from Hawk. From him, it made me feel special, even if he was just trying to be nice.

“Well, like I told the officer, the guy who was here is Butch Carver. He goes by Carver. He rides with the Iron Jackals Motorcycle Club.”

“He’s a biker?” he asked.

“Yeah. They aren’t good people. Of course, I didn’t know that when I met him. Anyway, I was going through a bad time, and he came through town. He seemed exciting, and… I don’t know, just different from what I was used to. He introduced me to the guys he rode with, and they all said they never thought he would find a boy of his own or settle down, that I must be something special.” I let out a wry chuckle. “Yeah, a special kind of stupid.”

“Hey, none of that. We’ve all made mistakes. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

I looked up at him sitting there, all strong and muscular and perfect. I seriously doubted he’d ever done anything as foolish as I had.

“Yeah, but some mistakes are bigger than others.”

“True enough.”

“Anyway, he did a good job of hiding who he really was at first, and when he asked me to leave with him, I said yes. I thought… I don’t know what I thought. That it was going to be an adventure, maybe, but mostly, I believed what the guys said. I thought I was special and that he cared about me. But once he got me away from home and my family, he dropped the act. That was when I realized I wasn’t special. I was property. His property.”

Hawk sucked in a breath at that, but I didn’t stop. I was afraid if I stopped, I wouldn’t be able to finish.

“Literally. I knew because he told me all the time. He said I belonged to him and he could treat me any way he saw fit. I wish I could say I left the first time he laid a hand on me, but I didn’t. I was in a strange place with no money and no one I could call for help. At least not without endangering their lives.

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