Chapter Twenty-Two

Laura

I t was after midnight and Hawk still hadn't come back to the clubhouse. He left without a word to me, not that he owed me an explanation, but seeing as he was my ride, it would've been nice. I was worried and I was pissed off. Worried that something had happened to him, worried that he decided I was no longer worth the trouble I brought into his life and that I was now on my own. And pissed off that he left me stranded at his biker clubhouse with a bunch of goddamn strangers.

"Hey, Laura, you okay?"

I turned to find Peyton's big blue eyes studying me like I was a high school science project. "Yep. I'm fine, thanks."

She tilted her head and her full lips pulled into a tight pinch. "I know you don't know me well and I also know there's something going on with you and Hawk. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but you don't have to lie to me." Her words came with a gentle smile.

There was no use lying to Peyton. She wasn't Kristy, but she also wasn't an enemy. "I don't know how I'm feeling. Worried about Hawk. Angry with him when I don't even have the right to be."

"You always have a right to be angry," Ellie offered with a smile as she joined us. "Even if you're in the wrong."

I smiled and shook my head. "I'm upset that he left without saying anything, but I know why he's upset. At least I know why he's upset with me." I inhaled deeply and let it out in a quick, harsh breath. "I let someone get in my head about Hawk, made a few accusations that turned out to be immediately and horribly wrong." I shook my head as I thought about how icy things were between us lately. "I think I hurt his feelings."

Peyton laughed and wrapped her arms around me. "Don't worry about Hawk. He's a big boy and he'll still keep you safe even if he's angry."

"That's true." Ellie had a wistful expression on her face. "He wasn't too thrilled about my crap affecting the MC."

"Mine either," Peyton added.

"But he made sure we were safe because we mattered to his club brothers, which meant we mattered to the MC. To him." Ellie smiled wide, the affection she had for Hawk was evident.

"Yep," Peyton agreed enthusiastically. "He's good like that."

I groaned and covered my face with both hands. "That only makes me feel like a bigger asshole." Hawk was a better man than I ever gave him credit for. "I really screwed up."

"As long as you're alive, you have time to fix it." Ellie's smile was sweet and kind, making me wonder how she ended up with a biker.

"Maybe." I wasn't sure if there was anything there to actually fix other than a few nights of amazing sex. Okay, that wasn't exactly true, there was definitely something there between Hawk and me, but was it worth pursuing when we had such different lives? When I'd brought so much unnecessary drama to his doorstep? I wasn't sure. I wanted there to be something more, but at this point, I'd ruined whatever chances we might have had.

I was sure of it.

A commotion sounded behind us and pulled me from my thoughts. "What's going on?" Four members of the Steel Demons MC walked forward in determined strides, all wearing nigh on identical serious expressions. Two of them, I didn't remember their names, headed our way.

"Babe, what's going on?" Peyton wrapped herself around an olive-skinned man with dark close-cropped hair.

"We gotta go, Pey. Hawk needs us." He cupped her face and kissed her intensely without a care that all eyes were on them. "I need you to stay here and keep everyone here. Everyone," he emphasized, and turned his gaze to me.

"I can't go anywhere, anyway." I shrugged and turned my gaze to the other man who held Ellie possessively. He was tall and bearded, with dirty blond hair.

"Stay here until we get back," he said with authority. "No matter how long we're gone. We will be back." His gaze was dark and intense as it focused on Ellie. "See you soon."

She tilted her head back with a soft smile. "Damn right you will. Be safe. I love you," she whispered just before their lips met in a slow, smoldering kiss.

I looked away from the clear displays of love that were so sweet my stomach clenched.

"What happened to Hawk?" The question came out barely above a whisper.

"Don't know yet," Ellie's man said in a grave voice. "We'll bring him back, don't worry."

Before I could assure him that I wasn't worried, they joined the other two men at the front door and disappeared, leaving the rest of the clubhouse tense and quiet.

"He'll be fine," Peyton said, and rubbed my back. "Hawk is tough."

Of course he was tough. He was a certified bad ass, but he was also human, which made him susceptible to things like bullets and knives. One wrong move and he could end up gravely injured. Or worse. And it was all my fault. If I wasn't here at the clubhouse, he probably wouldn't have stormed off the way he had and right into the path of certain danger.

Please be okay, Hawk. Please.

I needed something normal, so I pulled out my phone and called the one person in the world I knew I could rely on, who was always there for me when I needed her. Kristy should've been at the hospital, but I called anyway, knowing she would get back to me as soon as she was free.

"Hey Kristy, it's me. Give me a call back when you get a chance. Everything is all right, but I really need to talk." I needed more than a conversation, what I needed right now more than anything else was my best friend.