Page 33 of Hawk

“Resolved?” Andy asked. “In what way?”

“In whatever way is necessary to make sure Mika's safe.”

Andy looked back and forth between me and Hawk. “This is up to you, Mika. Do you want to stay here with Hawk, or would you rather come stay with us?”

I locked eyes with Hawk and inhaled a deep breath. I knew Jesse and Andy would keep me safe, but I knew what I wanted to do. “I’ll stay with Hawk, but seriously, thank you for offering.”

Andy gave Hawk a look that I think was supposed to be a warning of some kind and then said, “Okay, but if you change your mind at any time, you can come stay with us.”

Chapter twelve

Hawk

We watched while Jesse and Andy gathered all Seph’s things. Andy paused at the door and pulled Mika into a hug. He said something to him that I couldn’t hear, but Mika smiled and nodded, so it couldn’t have been anything bad. Then he kissed Mika on the cheek and turned to me.

“You take care of him, okay?”

“I will.”

When the door closed behind them, I walked over and flipped the deadbolt. “You have good friends.”

“I do. I don’t know what I would do without him, Caleb, and Mars. They’re the best.”

“I don’t know Mars very well, but Samuel sure thinks he’s something special.”

“Believe me, that goes both ways. Mars thinks Samuel is the greatest thing that ever happened to him. They’re good for each other.”

A beeping sound came from the kitchen, and Mika smiled. “Our dinner’s ready.”

“Well, if it tastes half as good as it smells, we’re about to eat good. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Andy’s text distracted me, so I haven’t set the table yet. You can do that if you want.”

“I might not be much of a cook, but I can set a table with the best of them.” I went to the cabinets and got what I needed and was finishing up when he came to the table with the food.

We took our seats, and he lifted the lid off the dish. It had smelled great while it was cooking, but when he uncovered it, the smell wafted over me, and I inhaled deeply.

“Seriously, Mika, it smells fantastic. I can’t wait to try it.”

His cheeks grew pink, and he gave me a little smile. “Thanks. It really isn’t anything fancy. It’s pretty easy to make, actually. I saw it on a video and thought it looked good, and it’s become one of my favorite things to cook.”

We filled our plates, and he watched me as I cut into my chicken. I took a bite and flavors burst on my tongue. It was tangy and creamy and had a little hint of spice at the end. I let out an appreciative moan.

“Damn, Mika, this is delicious.”

“Thanks. I’m glad you like it. I really like cooking, but it’s so much better when I get to cook for someone else instead of just for me.” He paused and got a pensive look on his face. “At least when it’s for someone who appreciates it.”

“Well, you’re welcome to cook for me anytime. Have you ever thought about going to culinary school?”

“Oh, goodness, no. I think if I had to do it every day in a restaurant setting, I’d hate it. I’d rather keep it to just cooking for people I care about. I get that from my grandmother. Food is her love language.”

I took another bite and savored the flavors. “Mmm, might be mine, too, but you know… eating it, not cooking it.”

He laughed and shook his head. “Well, you know that recipe is called Marry Me Chicken, so maybe there’s something to that.”

“Marry Me Chicken, huh? I can see it.”

We chatted while we finished dinner. I discovered the quickest way to get him talking was to ask him about his family. It was obvious that they were really close, which made me wonder why he was living hours away from them.

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