Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 71949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
In my head, lines form. Connections. Somehow this is all connected. But how?
I have to get to Daniela. Have to protect her.
I call her.
Fuck.
Voicemail.
“I’m coming, baby,” I say into the phone. “I’m on my way.”
I hop into my truck, gun the engine, and screech over the gravel toward the dirt road.
1
HAWK
I arrive at Vinnie and Raven’s place, slam on my breaks, and run inside without knocking.
Vinnie and Raven are both on their phones, and Daniela…
My gorgeous Daniela…
Is nowhere in sight.
“Dani!” I yell.
“Shh!” Raven gestures to me, still talking to God-knows-who on the phone.
Daniela races down the stairs, but by the look on her face, she’s not exactly thrilled to see me.
How can I blame her? I’ve been ignoring her texts.
How did I trap myself in a hole so deep? This isn’t me. This isn’t Hawk Bellamy, the family fixer.
“God, Dani.” I yank her to me.
I want to kiss her, tell her how much I love her, but Raven and Vinnie are both nearby, on calls.
She pulls away. “I needed you,” she says, “and you weren’t there.”
“I know. I’m sorry, baby. But I swear I’ll be here from now on. Whatever you need.”
She sniffles. “It’s too late. Belinda’s gone. We found a note from her printer, but it didn’t sound like her.” She crumples into my arms and begins to sob.
I hold her.
Hold onto her as tight as I can. I’ll never let you go, Dani. I swear. I’ll never let you go.
Her whole body shakes against me. She tries to speak—something soft and broken—but the words dissolve into another sob. I wrap my arms around her tighter.
She doesn’t fight it. She just presses closer and buries her face against my neck. I can smell her—shampoo, sweat, the faintest trace of perfume—and it hits me how small she feels in my arms.
“I’ve got you,” I whisper.
She clutches at my shirt.
I just stand there, holding her while her world breaks apart, and pretend mine isn’t breaking right along with it.
I’ve got to stay strong. For her. For Eagle too. For Vinnie and Raven.
This is what I get for taking one night for myself. One night to be with Daniela.
I’m done thinking about myself.
When her sobs finally break, I kiss the top of her head.
“Tell me,” I say. “Tell me what you need.”
2
DANIELA
What I need?
Where do I start?
I gulp and look up at Hawk, at his gorgeous blue eyes that are staring down at me with such tenderness.
Belinda is gone. My Belinda.
I may be sent back to Colombia.
Just when the pieces and clues I’ve been gathering finally clicked this morning. And now I know.
Why did I ever tell Hawk I didn’t want his protection? What was I thinking?
Sure, I was scared and overwhelmed. I didn’t like what he was becoming.
I didn’t like what he was becoming because it reminded me of…
No.
No.
Won’t go there.
Hawk is nothing like my father. Nothing like those horrid men who used me, abused me.
Sure, I didn’t like the methods he was using, but…
“Please tell me, baby,” he says again, kissing the top of my head. “Tell me what I can do.”
“I needed you,” I say again.
“I know. I’m here now.” He squeezes my shoulders. “Tell me. Tell me everything.”
I gulp. “The most important thing is Belinda. We need to find her.”
“We will,” he says. “I promise.”
I break away from him. “How can you promise that? You don’t know where she is, who has her. Don’t make any more promises you can’t keep, Hawk Bellamy.”
He moves toward me, runs his fingers through his hair. “I deserved that. And I’m sorry. But we will find her. I’ll level the whole state of Texas to find her for you.”
I curl my hands into fists. “That’s exactly what I don’t want! You getting into trouble. You leveling anything for me. I’m so tired of you bending the law—”
“Daniela, look at me.”
I don’t.
He tips my chin up so I meet his gaze. “Look at me, baby.”
“Fine,” I huff.
“I’m not him,” he says. “I’m not your father. He had no respect for the law, for you, for anyone, for that matter. I know I’ve bent the rules lately, but I’m not him, Dani. I will never be him.”
I sigh and nod. Of course Hawk isn’t my father. I know that. And everything he’s done has been for me. For my wellbeing. My father certainly never cared about that.
“Can we sit?” he asks. “Sit down and tell me exactly what has gone on.”
I cross my arms. “If you’d answered my texts, you’d know.”
“I’m sorry.”
I sigh again. I can’t keep harping on my anger at him. It’s counterproductive. Right now, all that matters is Belinda’s safety. That we get her home where she belongs.
I lead Hawk to the lush living room where we sit on the couch. I don’t reach for him, though I want to. I simply begin the story.