Holy mother of God, they had been an instant away from dying. She felt her knees start to give out from under her and Hawk caught her before she could hit the ground.
They stood in front of the rubble that used to be Robyn’s motel room. The silver-haired fire chief with the rotund belly didn’t look happy. A frown pulled his bushy eyebrows down and he tugged at the corner of his moustache.
“I’m saying arson. Course, the arson investigators are the ones to say for sure, but it’s pretty plain. An accelerant was poured right in front of your door and along that wall there.” He pointed out the now collapsed wall unnecessarily. It was obvious which wall he meant.
“Now the only question is, why?” He turned and eyed the two of them curiously. “It seems your room was the target. You folks know anybody who might want to do you harm?”
Kill them, he meant. A cold shiver ran down her spine and she snuggled in closer to Hawk, his arm wrapping a little tighter around her waist.
Robyn immediately thought of the biker who had followed her home the other night, then promptly dismissed that idea. He didn’t even know her, did he? Then there were the couple guys she’d gotten barred from the Hawk’s Nest, but surely they wouldn’t seek such violent revenge.
They both shook their heads, and the fire chief scratched his chin. “Well, it’s a mystery then. But if I were you folks I’d be watching my back.” With those parting words he turned and walked across the parking lot to talk to a county deputy.
The entire place was in chaos. Other guests roamed the area, chattering about the fire. Fortunately, only a couple other rooms had been damaged by the flames and a couple of others by smoke and water. The long, L-shaped building was mainly intact and it seemed she was the only guest left without a room.
Red and blue lights lit up the paling nighttime sky and reflected in the rivulets of water that ran across the asphalt.
Sheila, the manager, came running up just then, immediately drawing Robyn into a tight hug. “Oh my God, Robyn. I’m so glad you’re okay. You are okay, aren’t you?” She drew back and ran a scrutinizing gaze over Robyn.
“I’m fine, Sheila.” When she saw Sheila’s eyes flash to Hawk she added, “We’re both fine.”
“Well, thank God for that. They said it was arson?”
“It looks that way,” Hawk answered. “And aimed directly at Robyn’s room.”
“Oh, wow. I am so sorry. I’ll get you another room.”
Before Robyn could reply, Hawk cut in sharply.
“She’ll be staying with me.”
“Hawk, no. I’ll be fine here.”
“No way, Robyn. Don’t you get it? Somebody tried to kill you tonight.” His voice was a low growl, a determined look on his face. “You’ll be safer at the Hawk’s Nest.”
“I don’t want to put you or your home and business in danger, Hawk. I want to stay here.”
“And put Sheila’s business at risk? No.”
His tone didn’t leave room for argument. His eyes had hardened, turning cold and stony. The look on his face reflected his determination that Robyn was going home with him.
She turned towards him, meeting his gaze head on. For a moment, she wanted to rebel. She was prepared to fight for her rights. Her fiercely independent streak was running on high. No man could tell her what to do.
But suddenly she realized she didn’t want to fight about it. She wanted to be with him, to feel safe and protected. He’d saved her life this night and she had no doubt he would do it again if necessary. Hawks might be predators, but not this one. He would never let anyone hurt her. She didn’t know how she knew that. It was just instinct.
“I guess I’m going home with him.” She meant the words for Sheila, but her gaze never left his.
Chapter 19
Hawk lived in a spacious apartment above the restaurant. Warm and inviting, it was not something she’d expected from this big tough biker. Hardwood floors gleamed in the early morning light pouring in the windows, with colorful rugs spread here and there. A chocolate leather sectional sat in the middle of the room, which opened up to a large kitchen with granite countertops, a big island, and a six-burner gas stove. A wine fridge was tucked under the island and there was even a pot filler over the stove.
The walls were painted rich ivory with wide wood molding edging them. A fireplace built of river rock was centered on the end wall. Throw pillows of rust, cream, and blue were scattered on the sofa and a widescreen TV hung on the opposite wall. A pair of French doors led onto a broad balcony.
Robyn was exhausted. She stood in the middle of the floor, hair bedraggled, dressed in a pair of jeans that were too long for her (borrowed from Sheila). A smear of soot painted her cheek, her shoulders drooping beneath the borrowed t-shirt she wore. She stood there, suddenly feeling befuddled. This had all happened so fast she wasn’t sure it wasn’t a dream.
“Hey, you’re exhausted. Come sit down while I fix some coffee.” Hawk took her hand and led her to a bar stool at the island. “I’ll whip us up some scrambled eggs, too.”
Robyn sat as ordered, her thoughts still twisting like a nest of snakes. The sight of those flames eating up the bedroom wall kept playing through her mind. Who had done this? Who wanted her dead? Why?
Hawk came around the island and placed a mug of hot coffee in front of her. She wrapped her hands gratefully around it, managing to look up and give him a faint smile. He dropped a kiss on her temple and rubbed her shoulders gently.
“Oh God, that feels good.” She let her head fall backwards and leaned it against his chest, closing her eyes. Her mind flashed with a vision of how it would have been to be alone in that room when the fire broke out. Would she even have been able to get out in time? What if Hawk hadn’t been there?
She swirled in her stool and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I haven’t told you thank you. I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t with me.”
“You would have done what you had to do. You would have made it out even if I hadn’t been there.” He pierced her with his golden gaze, his face solemn. “But I’m glad I was.”
One long, tender kiss and Hawk moved back around the island. “If I’m going to make us something to eat, I better stay on this side of the bar.”
For the first time since she woke up to a world on fire, Robyn felt herself smile a real smile.
“I need to go to Indianapolis.” Robyn snuggled next to Hawk in the bed. They’d lay down for a nap but ended up making love instead. “I need more clothes and necessities since I lost everything I’d brought with me in the fire.”
“Not by yourself.” Hawk’s voice held a tone of finality.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want you going anywhere by yourself.”
“Hawk, you can’t keep me wrapped up like a piece of china. I’ve got to keep on with my life.”
He propped himself up on his elbow and looked into her eyes.
“No, I can’t keep you wrapped up forever. But, damn it, Robyn, somebody tried to kill you just a few hours ago. I need to know you’re safe. I need to be able to protect you.”
“You know, that all sounds good, Hawk, but it’s not realistic. I have to be able to move around, I have to hunt for Crystal, I have to be able to go to the store, hell, I have to be able to breathe.”
Hawk drew in a deep breath, a flash of pain shooting across his eyes. “I know, I know. But I’m not used to this. I’m not used to worrying about someone else, about losing someone else. It’s been a long, long time since I allowed myself to get close to anyone. I’ve lost too many people in my life.”
Robyn suddenly felt overcome by an emotion totally unfamiliar to her. She’d never really known anyone who cared about her. Oh, sure, her mom had loved her in her own way but she’d been so wrapped up in her men and her addictions she really couldn’t make Robyn feel safe, protected. It had usually ended up being the other way around, with Robyn playing the parent, cooking and keeping the house and watching
Crystal, and her mom more like a child, looking to Robyn for moral support and stability.
Hawk had lost his mother, his father, and some of his brothers in arms. He knew the value of life… and he made her life feel valuable. No one had ever done that before.
“Hawk. You make me feel… special, cherished. I love that. But”—her voice caught in her throat—“I still need breathing room. You can come to Indy with me, but I’m not making any promises that there won’t be times in the next few days when you may not know where I am, I may not be in your line of vision. And that’s okay, too. I can’t feel like a prisoner.”
“And I don’t want you, too. I just want to find out who set that fire, who tried to kill you. And until I do, I’m keeping you close to my side.”
Hawk left Brady in charge and they took his big SUV to Indianapolis. Robyn grew more nervous the closer they got to the apartment. She and her sister lived pretty humbly in a two-bedroom apartment in an old Victorian in the near downtown neighborhood of Woodruff Place, a three-street area of once-grand but now rundown homes across the street from the women’s state prison. She directed him to park in front of the former home of L.S. Ayers, a department store magnate.
Robyn led the way nervously up the walk. Her home may have been on the bottom floor of a dead millionaire’s house, but the furniture was plain and serviceable, the floors were old and worn, and the house could use a paint job. It was a far cry from the gracious building and the magnificent grounds where Hawk lived.
“Welcome to my humble abode.” Robyn pushed the door open and led the way inside. On the left was the living room, a massive fireplace on one wall. Window seats ran along another wall, followed by a set of French doors that opened onto the porch. Worn hardwood floors were masked with a couple of Oriental rugs that were the worse for wear. It was old-fashioned and rather shabby, but Robyn loved the story behind the house and the uniqueness of the area.
“Wow, look at these stained glass windows.” Hawk ran his hands appreciatively along the dark window frames. “Nice.”
Robyn felt a little of the tension ease out of her shoulders. She had a feeling Hawk understood why she’d chosen this place even though it was a bit rundown and the floors creaked now and then.
“Have a seat. I’ll just throw some things in a bag.” Robyn turned to go but before she made it out of the room her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and didn’t recognize the number.
“Hello?” she answered, with a question in her voice.
“Hey, Robyn, how’d you like the fireworks last night?” The voice rasped across the line, making the hair stand up on the back of her neck.
“Who is this?” Her spine stiffened, a surge of anger flaring through her.
“Who, me? I’m the guy who set that fire. I’m you’re worst nightmare.”
Chapter 20
“Why? Why would you do that?” Her voice was angry, ground out between clenched teeth.
“Because you need to learn to mind your own business. Go home before something else happens… something you might not walk away from.” Then there was nothing but dead air. The caller had hung up.
“Damn it!” Robyn swore, shaking the phone in her hand as if that could get the man back on the line.
Hawk moved to stand beside her, his hands dropping on to her shoulders. “Tell me everything they said.”
She did, what little there was to tell. “This has got to do with Crystal. I know it. I think that was Guts on the phone.”
“That would make sense,” Hawk agreed, his eyes thoughtful. “But why threaten you? Why not just take her and leave? Why stick around waiting to get caught for arson?”
“I don’t know, Hawk. It doesn’t make sense.”
“You’re right. It doesn’t.” He tipped her chin up with one finger and gazed into her eyes. “But we’re going to figure this out. I promise you that.”
She wrapped her arms tight around his waist, drawing strength from his body.
“Robyn, you need to tell the cops what’s going on.”
“I told the Indianapolis cops. They said Crystal was of age and could do what she wanted.”
“Yes, but that was before all this happened. The fire, the phone call, the threats. We need to go back to Nashville and talk to the police.”
“Okay. Just let me get my things together.”
She gathered up some more clothes and extra makeup she had, stuffing them into a bag. She’d need to go to a store to replace incidentals like shampoo and deodorant. Ten minutes later she turned to face Hawk and announced she was ready.
“Okay. Next stop, the police station.”
They talked to the baldheaded detective in charge of the arson investigation that had been opened. He listened casually as Robyn told him about Crystal and Guts, jotting down notes now and then. He asked for the phone number of the threatening caller and she gave it to him.
In less than an hour, Robyn and Hawk were on their way again, headed back to Hawk’s Nest. The detective had told them he’d be in touch, leaving Robyn feeling frustrated. She didn’t have a lot of faith in law enforcement. They’d never been much help before, she recalled bitterly, remembering the times she had called them when one of her stepfathers decided to punch her mom around.
When they pulled into the parking lot at the restaurant it was starting to get dark. For a moment, Robyn just sat there taking in the beauty around her. This place was so calm, so peaceful. If felt so wrong for it to be threatened because of her. What if something happened to this place? It wasn’t just a business. It was Hawk’s home.
“Hawk, maybe I should go back to my apartment. I could keep on searching from there somehow. I don’t want to endanger your home. I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to Hawk’s Nest.”
Hawk didn’t answer at first, just gave her a long, hard look. Then he moved and wrapped her in his arms, a fierce expression on his face. “Damnit, Robyn, I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you. This could all be rebuilt. There’s only one you. Stay here with me. Please.”
She didn’t know how she let him talk her into it, but she stayed. The next few days reminded her of the opening of The Tale of Two Cities. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Being with Hawk was magical. They made love every night then slept snuggled in each other’s arms. She grew to love being with him in the mornings, making breakfast and enjoying it at the table on the balcony. She had never shared her life with someone the way she did with Hawk.
But her nerves were frazzled; she was growing more worried about Crystal every day. Every time her phone rang she jumped, sure it was the mystery man calling again. But it never was. And she still had not heard from Crystal again, not since that morning she’d called her at the apartment, which seemed a lifetime ago. She prayed daily that she would call, that she could just hear her sister’s voice and know that she was alive.
Hawk tried to distract her. He took her out in the boat again and they drifted for hours, just floating, letting the sun wash over them. Robyn wouldn’t have thought it possible to make love on a john boat, but she learned quickly that it was.
Robyn worked her shifts in the bar and continued questioning customers about Guts and Crystal. She did find out some interesting information from one young woman. She told Robyn that she’d seen a young couple in Nashville, and she thought the guy’s name was Guts. They were performing on a street corner, he playing the guitar, she singing. The guitar case was open in front of them for collecting tips. “There weren’t many in there. The girl was a good singer, but the guy kept messing up on the guitar. Plus, she had a big black eye.”
Her words made Robyn’s stomach clench. Damn him, damn that Guts for laying a hand on her sister. She’d love to kick his ass from here to Hell and back.
But at least she knew Crystal was still in the vicinity. Still alive.
That meant there was still hope.
Chapter 21
“Let’s go to bed.”
Robyn shivered in antic
ipation. She was always ready to make love to Hawk. She’d only been living with him for a few days but it felt so right, so good. She hated to think about it ending. But someday it would have to. Summer would be over and she’d have to go back to work. Or she’d find Crystal and they would have to return to Indianapolis.
But right now, this moment, she was going to take everything she could get. She knew she was greedy when it came to Hawk. She wanted to be with him, to make love to him, to cherish every moment they had together.
He took her hand and led her into his bedroom with the amazing bed that hung from chains in the middle of the room. The first time she’d seen it, her mouth had fallen open and she’d just gasped.
“You’re going to love it, I promise you,” Hawk had told her, and he was right. She loved the gentle sway, the rock-you-to-sleep motion that the bed provided. And it didn’t hurt their lovemaking, either.
Hawk stood her in the middle of the room and slowly undressed her. His hands carefully undid the buttons on her pink muslin shirt, sliding it gradually off her shoulders, his lips burrowing into the hollow of her neck. Her head fell back, sending a cascade of auburn tresses tumbling down her back, and a groan escaped her throat.
She started to move her hands to unbutton his shirt, but he placed a finger over her lips and shook his head.
“I want to strip you down, to look at your beautiful body. And you’re not allowed to touch while I do that.” She heard a hint of humor in his voice as he finished removing the blouse from her body. “Just stand still and let me get my fill.”
“Ah, love, you are so perfect.” His hands outlined her breasts, cupping the lace-covered orbs in his hands. “The only thing that could make it better is if you were completely naked.” With that he reached around and expertly unsnapped the hooks on her bra. “And that can be arranged.”
Robyn trembled as she let his hands roam her body, molding her breasts, his thumbs rolling over the extended nipples until she couldn’t stop the groan from escaping her throat. He bent his head and captured one of the buds, sucking it into his mouth. “So sweet, so fine.”
Bad Boy Series: Hawk's Call (Bad Boy Romance Book 1) Page 8
