Page 162 of Filthy Love

“Just in his hand. He got off lightly.”

Twisting his neck, he eyeballed his best friend. “You know I’ll kill you if you’re not serious about this. If you hurt her.”

Maybe the threat of death relaxed Hawk, but that bastard smiled and rubbed a hand over his head, his outstretched legs mirrored Rider’s. “I’m awake, Ri. I’m not walking through sludge anymore, for the first time I’m awake and I’m fucking terrified about it, but it’s all her. Only her. Always been her. So, you know then I’d cut out my own lungs if I hurt her.”

“Your ink. I never heard you call her little bit until recently. You got the ink for her years ago?”

Hawk only grunted with a nod.

Some of it wouldn’t ever make sense to him, but he was starting to get it. Rider was no better than Hawk. Both cut from the same cloth. He couldn’t deny Hawk’s happiness while he himself was a pig in shit happy with his old lady and daughter.

“You love her?”

“She’s my goddamn breath, Ri. You got no idea what I’d do for her. She’s my only concern, my one priority.”

“Good,” he nodded and clapped a hand to his VP’s shoulder. Some shit this was. Twenty some years ago, he met this man, the one he trusted above all others, and here he was giving his sister to him for safe keeping. More than that, for Hawk to love her.

Fuck. Maybe he’d keep that shit out of his brain and consider him a moody bastard bodyguard. “Go get your girl, and your mutt, brother. Let’s head in for a drink.”

“You still own that house over on Brunswick?”

Grabbing up empty bottles and food platters, Rider arched his brow. “Yeah, got tenants in it now.” Properties were easy, legal money.

“How long is their lease?”

“Another six month, why?”

“I want to buy it.”

“You’ve never wanted your own place.” He saw where this was going and wanted to know Hawk’s intentions.

“It’s for Gia,” he informed.

“And you? You’re gonna live there too?”

Hawk rolled a shoulder, did his own grabbing of debris shit around the yard, filling his arms before they headed up onto the deck and into the house, he caught his VP’s eyes. “If she wants me there, yeah. I want her to have a place of her own. So, make sure you kick them out in six months.”

Shit. His mouth jerked at the corner. In his hard world stranger things have happened, he supposed than his sister falling for the worst kinda biker, who would kill anyone who looked at her wrong.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

“Secrets between lovers … that’s never been a good combination.” - Gia

“I want to confess something...”

Their more serious talks happened during the night when the world was peaceful, and Hawk was more receptive to Gia’s wishes after she’d relaxed him with a good, hard riding. She was warm, slightly buzzed from the fun night at her brother’s house with too many cocktails Ruby made and she was still coming down from some epic sex, so she was relaxed enough with Hawk’s fingertips trailing up and down her spine to bring out the secrets.

“Hmm?” Those same fingers made their way up to her nape, circling, stroking, riling her body into waking with fresh desire.

She shivered, smiling against his throat.

“I hate exercising.” She blurted as if confessing to brutal murder.

She gave him a dramatic pause for effect.

Oh, shehatedthat she hated exercise, and tried so many classes in hopes to find the one sweaty activity she could love but none interested her.

She’d spent the majority of Zumba just shuffling her feet while Grace Kelly danced like she was backing up Madonna. Same for the torturous spin class and don’t get her started on the epic fail of boxercise, she was not coordinated enough to punch and bounce at the same time.

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