Page 33 of Snagged By Hook

Heidi nodded and stepped away. Teach motioned Nova in. Hook went to her immediately, wrapping her in his arms. She was trembling. Hook let her hold on for as long as he thought he could get away with in the current environment. He hated to ease her away from him when she needed comfort, but it couldn’t be avoided. He led her to where he sat, and…nothing. Fuck, he couldn’t even offer her a seat.

“Teach.” Zombie snapped his fingers. Teach went to slide his seat over for Nova. Hook was having none of it. He kneeled again and pulled her down to his knee instead. Having Nova on his knee was the smart thing to do. He had a feeling he was not going to like what she had to say, and being unable to jump up and start throwing things again was for the best.

Hook wanted to ask her what was making her cry and then fix it, but this was not his domain. It was up to Prez to start that conversation. He’d invited her in, and this was his show.

“What’s going on, Nova?”

She sniffled, and Hook felt her spine stiffen.

“I hate to ask for more because you guys have done so much for me already. I’ll never be able to repay you, but this isn’t about me. It’s about June.” Now it was Hook’s spine that stiffened.

Nova stood and fished inside her waistband.

“Brent was apparently at our house the other day when June was with Mrs. Griffith. He cornered her when she went over for a book.” Nova gulped. “He told her he’d come for her when she was worth more money, and if she told anyone, he’d hurt me.” She flung the object on the table. Hook was paralyzed by what she was saying. “He gave her that so he couldalways find her.”

Virus stopped the object before it slid off the table. “A tracker.” He whistled before passing it to Zombie.

Zombie was studying it when he proclaimed, “Next phase.” No one questioned what he meant.

Wait-and-see phase was officially over.

Now it was time for action. Hook was barely holding his shit together. The bastard had the gall to threaten his daughter. Yeah, June was his. Fuck who supplied the DNA. June was his, and so was Nova.

Action was the only way to keep them safe. He’d gut Brent or Casey or who the fuck ever, his damn self and laugh while doing it. He didn’t care if that made him a soulless monster.

“Anything you can find out about it?” Zombie asked, handing it back to Virus.

“The last four of his number, which is already known. Maybe I can find where he had it engraved, but that’s a long shot. Nothing that’ll be helpful.”

Nova turned to Virus. “You have his number?”

The man looked like he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Zombie came to his rescue. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is keeping you and your little girl safe.”

“No.” She turned to Hook. “What matters is you’ve had his phone number and didn’t think that was something I needed to know?”

He’d fucked up. He knew it, but he didn’t even think to grab it from Virus and pass it along to Nova. It wasn’t a conscious decision to keep it from her, he just didn’t think about it.

NOVA

The last time she’d been able to make contact with Brent was when he brought her the papers to sign. Once he left, she never saw or heard from him again.

She hadn’t been able to reach him when she realized she was the guarantor of all the bills. Nor when utilities were being disconnected, and certainly not when the payday loan place was asking for their payment or the car.

“Nova, I didn’t do it on purpose. I just didn’t think.”

She could see the truth of it in his eyes. What would she have done with his number if she’d had it, anyway? Probably called and given him a piece of her mind when she learned about the tracker. The exact wrong thing to do. It would’ve broken her daughter’s trust, but her nerves were frayed, and she was emotional. She needed to release it somehow.

Hook had the ability to contact Brent, and she didn’t. Something about that stung. It felt as if by accepting their help, Hook and the RBMC were running her life. Somehow, she’d lost all control over her and June’s future, and she just snapped.

“You had no fucking right to keep my ex-husband’s number from me.”

“I—”

Hook was cut off by Virus blurting out, “If it helps any, he’s not your ex-husband.”

Nova snapped her head in Virus’s direction. “What?” she breathed out in disbelief.

“I know I shouldn’t have trusted that fuck-stick to file the papers. I should’ve done it myself. How stupid can I be?” She was rambling now. A downward spiral that she might not pull up from for a while. “Oh my god, that means.” She looked at Hook in horror.

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