Page 48 of Snagged By Hook

“Shit,” Carl declared. “Better find it quick because Linda is obedient, and the pigs’ll be en route.”

The three of them searched frantically, when Carl coughed, “Got it.”

He handed it to her as the sound of sirens in the distance wailed. “Here, go.”

Hook was dragging her out when she ran back and gave Carl a quick hug before they rushed to her car and drove off.

Looking down at the phone, she could see it was recording. When she thought she might die and that a recording would be the only closure Hook might get, she’d hoped for just that scenario.

With it having been under the couch the whole time, she had no idea about the sound quality, but after what transpired with her and Brent and with Carl, she worried it could be used against them. It proved who killed Brent and who was there at the time and after. She also never wanted Hook to hear those words, putting those visions in his head to keep all the others company.

She pressed the stop circle and stared at the phone until the screen went dark. Nova continued to swipe the screen eachtime it powered down, bringing up the delete option. Her thumb hovered over the trash icon each time.

“Come on, babe.” She was so numb that she didn’t realize they had pulled up at the apartment.

“Why are we here? I need to hold my daughter, Hook, please.”

“I promise, I’ll get you to her as soon as possible. But she can’t see you like this.” He thumbed at the dried blood on her cheek. Nova flinched away. The hurt in Hook’s eyes almost killed her. He dropped his hand and his gaze before helping her from the car.

She wanted to shout that it wasn’t what he thought. She wanted his touch, needed it, and craved it to erase Brent’s, but she had to get the dried semen off her. She couldn’t imagine letting Hook touch that.

HOOK

Hook was shaking harder than Nova was when he led her into the apartment and straight to the bathroom. Even with her earlier reassurance that Brent wasn’t Casey, he’d almost hoped he had been. That would’ve meant that chapter of his life would finally be closed, the wound cauterized.

Maybe that’s why he saw similarities everywhere. But one look at the body on the floor proved him wrong. Not only was his old wound flayed open and gushing blood again, but it also renewed his obsession with eliminating Casey. It saddened him for what he would be losing. He knew his MO; he’d push the people he loved away when that obsession took over every cell in his body. It was the brotherhood of the Bastards that had pulled him back last time.

That’s why he’d buried it deep, bringing it up just renewed his determination to rid the world of a monster. He’d gotten close once, right before he became a prospect. That’s when he found out that Casey had gone back to trading sex for favors, barely ever stopped. If that had been all, he could’ve taken pity on him. People who have nothing to bargain with but their bodies aren’t inherently bad people. But word on the street washe exploited his customers; one person even suspected he was recruiting others.

Prospecting took all his time, and he resolved that suspicion wasn’t proof. So, when he’d lost the trail, he tried to let it go. Hook thought Casey had finally moved on to another state. Some said Vegas, so Hook let it go and embraced his club, his family…his future.

Hook drew a bath and poured some Epsom salts in for any aches she had. Nova was right where he’d left her, standing by the sink.

“Babe? Let’s get you cleaned up.” She raised her eyes and smiled at him. It was a small smile, but it gut-punched him. Hook took the phone from her hand and set it on the counter.

He didn’t know exactly what she’d gone through, but when Carl had looked him in the eye and shook his head, a silent understanding passed between them. She wasn’t raped, that was something. However, there were a lot of things a man could do to a woman that were still bad.

“I’ll try not to touch you, but we have to get these off.”

She raised her arms. “It’s not that Hook, I promise. I want you to touch me. Always.”

He pulled the shirt over her head and locked his green eyes on her brown. Searching for…he didn’t know.

“I promise. I love you, remember? I just need to get rid of…” She motioned her arms up and down her body. “This. I’m filthy.”

He understood that feeling.

The way she said the last word broke something in him. Hook nodded and forced himself to speak around the lump in his throat.

Yes, Carl indicated as much, but he needed to hear it from Nova. “Did he…I mean?” He couldn’t bring himself to even utter the word.

Nova cupped one of his cheeks. “No. Not that. He tried, but Carl got there in time.” The sigh of relief he breathed was almost painful in its intensity. He would not only see Linda cared for as promised, but he’d make damn sure that Carl was set up in prison too, as much as was within his power.

“He did…well.” She indicated her face. Hook’s heart felt like it was in a vice until she amended. “Not that, I didn’t mean…” She sounded exhausted. “Can we talk about it later? I just want to take a bath and be held by the man I love.”

“We don’t have to talk about it unless you want to.” Hook knew that holding on to that kind of secret would slowly rot the soul from the inside out, but he also knew that being needled about it rotted it from the outside in.

Hook shucked his clothes while Nova brushed her teeth. After leading them to the oversized tub, he sank in first, coaxing her in after him. Nova leaned back into his body with a sigh. Hook simply held her.

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