by Bree Younger
“Okay, Hawk. Sleep well.”
She slowly drifted off, and Hawk lay there absorbing the feelings of peace and contentment from having her in his arms, feelings he hadn’t known in so long.
She was amazing. Her selfless determination to help her sister no matter what both awed and frightened him. He knew that she would risk her own safety if she thought it would help her save Cassidy. Even more worrying was Claire’s hatred of what she had become. She had to take care of herself, no matter how much she didn’t want to. Hawk vowed to himself that he would protect Claire—even from herself if necessary.
Chapter Eight
When dusk fell that night, Claire and Hawk rose and began gathering together their belongings to leave. They dressed quickly. She felt a little uncomfortable physically after all the things they had done in bed together. Never one to be very experimental or kinky, it boggled her mind that she had responded so wholeheartedly to Hawk’s demands. She tried to act naturally as she gathered all her things together and repacked. She wasn’t sure she succeeded, because Hawk kept sneaking sideways looks at her, and he kept talking as if he were trying to put her at ease, which was really sweet when one stopped to think about it. Not an adjective she would normally have associated with the badass private detective that everyone seemed to fear and admire in equal measure.
Interrupting her thoughts, Hawk reminded her he wanted them to get on the road as soon as possible. While she’d made the bed, he’d called the witch, Gia, to let her know that they would be in Jackson by eight or nine at the latest. Claire heard his side of the conversation and wondered what had Hawk laughing softly as he spoke to his friend. There was an intimate sound to it that had Claire’s hackles rising. Funny, she didn’t realize until that moment that she thought of Hawk as hers. And what she was feeling was a little twinge of jealousy. Had he and Gia been involved in the past? Were they lovers? And if they were, how was she going to handle it? Well, she would know soon enough. She threw the last of her things in the bag and heard Hawk saying good-bye. As Claire was closing her suitcase, Hawk stepped up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.
“I hope you’re not having any regrets about what we did, Claire,” Hawk whispered in her ear, his lips brushing against her lobe. It sent a little tingle through Claire that amazed her. After all that they had done together earlier, she was baffled that she would still be eager to do it all over again. Immediately.
“No. No regrets. I’m just not used to this, Hawk.” She leaned back against him, and he slid his arms around her waist. “You’ll have to be a little patient with me. It’s all so new and unsettling. And on top of everything else, I’m just overwhelmed.”
“I know. And I understand.” He turned her around and looked into her eyes. “I just don’t want you to be ashamed or regret what happened. I certainly don’t.”
She shook her head. “I don’t either. I’m just afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
“I’m afraid that you’re starting to mean too much to me. I don’t want to get hurt, Hawk. I don’t know where we’re going with this, but I need to tell you that I don’t do casual very well. I know that some women go from man to man with no problem, but that’s just not how I’m made. I don’t know what you’re expecting from this…relationship. And I’m scared that I will end up wanting more than you’re willing to give me. I don’t believe in sharing.” She wondered if she should bring up Gia but decided against it. After all, it was just a suspicion that he’d been involved with the witch. They could just be very good friends. She didn’t want to come across as some psycho, jealous nutcase who couldn’t stand the thought of her man even looking at another woman. That wasn’t who she was. Was it?
Hawk pulled her close and enveloped her in a warm hug. “This may come as a surprise to you, Claire, but I feel the same. It’s true that in the past, my relationships with women have mostly been nothing more than physical encounters. Very casual. However, I never was one to bed-hop indiscriminately. And I feel more with you. I can’t tell you for sure where this is going, but I can tell you that I want more from you than I’ve wanted from any woman since my wife died.”
Reassured somewhat, Claire reached up and pulled him down for a soft kiss. “That’s good enough for me. It’s a place to start.”
“Now”—Hawk’s voice turned brisk, and he stepped back, releasing his hold—“let’s get a move on. It’s a couple hours’ drive to Jackson, and I know you’re eager to see what Gia can find out for us.”
“I’m still a little uncertain about this idea, Hawk. I mean, a witch. Aren’t they mostly just charlatans and whack jobs? I’ve never actually known one who could do anything but read tea leaves and make vague predictions on the psychic phone lines.”
He shook his head, tut-tutting at her. “Claire, Claire. I’m disappointed. You’re judging something you don’t really know much about. Have you ever actually met a natural-born witch with the true gift?”
“Obviously not.”
“I believe you are in for quite a shock. Think about all the things you once believed about vampires and werewolves. All of the paranormal races have suffered from stereotypes and snap judgments. You’re buying in to popular culture rather than waiting to see what happens.”
She felt a little ashamed. It was true that she was simply going on what she knew from her human life. She really had no experience at all with a real witch. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m letting my prejudices color my thinking. I’ll try to reserve judgment until I see what your witch can really do.”
“That’s all I’m asking, sweetheart.” He reached for her bags. “Come on. We need to go.”
She noticed he didn’t deny the “your witch” comment she’d made, and that bothered her, but she let it pass. Maybe she was just letting the newness of the situation with Hawk get to her. She’d reserve judgment about that, too.
They climbed the stairs that led out of the basement. Leaving their bags by the front door, they went in search of Eloise. They found her along with two of the girls in the kitchen cooking supper. Eloise turned to them as they entered the kitchen. She was stirring something in a pot. Once Claire would have found the smell permeating the room delicious, but vampires were not attracted by the smell of cooking. Just something else she missed from her former life.
Eloise offered them a big smile and wave of her spoon. “Ah, there you are. I hope you slept well.”
Hawk answered, “Everything was great, Eloise. We’re all packed and ready to get on the road. We’re just about to leave, but I wanted to thank you again for your hospitality and all the help your girls gave us.”
“Are you sure you can’t stay a bit longer? The girls would really benefit from spending some more time with you two. It’s hard to find vampires who are willing to just come hang out so that they can get used to being around vampires who don’t want to drain them or sell them.” Eloise grinned, but the two former bloodslaves just stared at them with big, solemn eyes.
“I wish we could. Maybe when all this is over, we can come back for a visit.”
“That would be great, Hawk.”
“Yes,” Claire chimed in. “I would love to repay them for everything they’ve done for me. Especially Tatiana.”
“We’ll plan on it then.”
“Thanks again for everything you’ve done.” Claire smiled warmly at the woman she’d come to like and respect in the brief amount of time she’d spent with her.
Eloise wiped her hands on a dish towel and then said, “It was my pleasure. Why don’t I walk you out?” She turned and handed the spoon she was stirring with to the girl beside her.
Hawk and Claire followed as she led them down the hall and out onto the front steps. Eloise laid a hand on Hawk’s arm before he could move toward the SUV. Her face creased into a worried frown. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of the girls, but I just got a disturbing phone call from Nic Girard, Quinn’s PA. She’d tried to call you, but you didn’t answer.”
Claire’s heart skipped a beat. That didn’t sound good.
Hawk nodded. “My phone was on vibrate. What kind of phone call?”
“She said that early this morning, just before dawn, a couple of strange vampires showed up at the casino and were asking questions about Claire.” She turned to Claire briefly, a look of concern shadowing her features. “They talked to several of the casino workers who were on duty at the time. According to the ones Nic spoke to, the vampires told everyone that Claire was newly turned and that her maker was worried about her. They told some of the casino employees that Claire had run away after a big fight with her maker, and they just wanted to make sure she was okay. That she’d been a little unbalanced since she was turned, and she was having a hard time dealing with her new life. They feared that she might do herself harm. Perhaps even kill herself.”
“Son of a bitch!” Hawk’s expletive rang out.
“What does that mean, Hawk?” Claire wanted to know.
His face took on a grim look. “Could be a couple of things, neither of them good. Can you think of anyone that might be looking for you? Someone you might have pissed off since you were turned? I know you’ve traveled around a lot. And you’d better tell me the truth, Claire. I need to know everything you know. If there’s someone out there gunning for us, I need to be prepared.”
“There’s no one, Hawk. I swear to you. I kept my head down for the most part. I was too scared to challenge anyone or start anything. Hell, half the time I was too scared to even talk to anyone.”
He studied her face closely before he finally nodded. “I believe you. Which is too bad. I almost wish there was someone else rather than the reality. There’s a real possibility that Simone might be looking for you.”
“Simone? Looking for me? Why on earth would she do that? She doesn’t even know about me.”
“If she found out that her men turned you, she will consider that you belong to her. And she is very possessive of her property. Hell, she still feels like Ty and Quinn Buchanan belong to her, and they’ve been away from her for over a hundred years.”
Claire almost felt ill at the thought of being at the mercy of Simone d’Amboise. Everything she had ever heard about the woman was bad, and she was sure they’d only skimmed the surface of what Simone was capable of. She shivered.
He wrapped an arm around her, offering her the comfort of his nearness. She leaned into him. “Or it could be the vamps that turned you are trying to find you. They could be trying to clean up the mess they made before Simone finds out about it. Because she also doesn’t suffer fools gladly. If she knows what they did, she won’t be very happy about it. So it would be in their best interest to dispose of any evidence that might reveal to Simone exactly what they did with one of her bloodslaves.”
“I don’t like either of those possibilities, Hawk,” Claire confessed.
“Neither do I, Claire. Neither do I. But if you’re sure there’s no one else with any reason to be looking for you, then I think we’ve got to consider that one of those is true. And the sooner we find your sister and get back to Biloxi, the better off we’ll be. Simone’s men won’t hang around there too long because of the Buchanans.”
“But how could they have found me in the first place?”
“I don’t know. You said you went back home after you escaped. Could you have been followed?”
“I don’t think so. I didn’t stay long, and I didn’t notice anyone. Besides, that’s almost a year ago. Why wait until now to look for me?”
“But they knew your name? Where you lived? At least the general area, right?”
“I guess. I mean, they know where they picked us up.”
“And don’t forget that your sister was with them. They could have gotten information about you from her.”
“But that still doesn’t explain how they knew to look for me in Biloxi. I had no ties to Mississippi at all until my search led me there.”
She could see him mulling that over. “Didn’t you tell me that you registered on the National Paranormal Association’s website? You used your real name?”
“Yes, of course. But those files are confidential.”
“Hmm. And a good hacker could get access to them. Right?”
She blushed guiltily. “I suppose so.”
“There you go.”
He looked back at Eloise. “We’re gonna take off. You take care of yourself and your people, you hear? It might be a good idea to take the girls and go somewhere else for a week or so. I’m not sure if whoever is looking for Claire will show up here or not, but I wouldn’t want to take that chance. If these vamps see those girls you’re hiding, they might recognize them. The last thing we need is for Simone to try to get them back. She hates the Buchanans, and I know it had to piss her off when we took away her bloodslaves. Not to mention the fact that it cost her a lot of money and virtually closed down her operation on the coast. If she is behind this, she won’t be nice.”
Eloise agreed. “Don’t worry about us. I’ve already made arrangements to get the girls somewhere safe for a while.”
Claire felt guilty. “I’m really sorry if we’ve brought trouble to you and your girls. If I’d had any idea anyone would be looking for me, I never would have come here.”
“Nonsense. We were glad to help. Now you two get on your way. My girls and I will be packing up and heading out within the hour. We’ll be safe as houses where we’re going.”
“Good. If you need help, call me. You have my cell number. I can have some of my men here fast if necessary.” Hawk gave her arm a squeeze.
“Thanks, Hawk. I don’t think we’ll need any help, but I appreciate the offer.” Eloise turned to Claire. “Good luck finding your sister, Claire.”
Impulsively Claire reached out and hugged Eloise. She could tell she’d surprised the woman, who hesitated for a second and then gave her a brief hug back. “Thanks again for everything.”
“You’re welcome, honey. Y’all just be careful, you hear?”
“We will. Good-bye.”
Eloise nodded, and Claire and Hawk loaded up the SUV. Then they were waving good-bye and pulling back out onto the road headed toward Jackson, Mississippi, and a witch that had a talent for finding missing humans.
* * * *
Hawk made a quick call to Ricardo Diaz to warn him about the vampires looking for Claire. “They might show up there. I just wanted to let you know so you’d be prepared.”
Diaz chuckled. “Strange vampires show their faces around Bienville, the last thing they’ll be worrying about is your lady. We’ll take care of them if they show up here.”
“All right. Take care.”
“You, too, friend.”
Hawk hung up. He needed to distract Claire. “Tell me about your sister. She’s your half sister, right?” She’d been silent as he’d spoken to Diaz, but he knew she was worried sick. Plus, he wanted to learn a little more about her. Things he couldn’t learn from some report he’d researched.
At his question, Claire seemed to gather herself together. She sat up straighter in her seat, and a quick glance sideways confirmed that a little smile had appeared on her face.
“Yes. We have the same father. My mom died when I was four, and we had a rough couple of years. I was so happy when Dad remarried. Connie, that’s Cass’s mom, was a terrific stepmom, nothing like you hear about. You know, the wicked stepmother being hateful to the poor orphaned girl.” She laughed and shook her head. “She was a stay-at-home mom and did all those things moms are supposed to do. Late-night slumber parties and girls’ day at the salon. All the girlie things that I’d missed out on when it was just me and Dad. She was a terrific cook, too, and loved to entertain. She and Dad used to have the most wonderful parties. I can still remember how she smelled. Like gardenias. She and my father were very happy together. And then when Cassidy was born, I was ecstatic. I loved having a baby sister. I always wanted us to be closer, but I guess the age gap was too big. There’s eight yea
rs between us, so we didn’t have a lot of interests in common when we were growing up. Actually, I considered her more of a pest than anything else, I’m afraid. I guess I had gotten used to being an only child, and it was an adjustment, having to deal with another personality. I was alone a lot and tended to prefer my own company. My face was usually buried in a book, until I discovered computers anyway. I wasn’t very social.”
“And Cassidy was?”
“Oh, yes. She was very popular. She played tennis and soccer and took dance and gymnastics. She was on the middle school cheerleading squad. There were always kids over at the house swimming in our pool in the summer and running wild. Her personality was very outgoing. She was only fourteen when our parents died, and I was twenty-two. It was hard on her, and she went a little wild. Trying to control her was difficult, and I was so young myself. I guess it made me the bad guy most of the time. I was setting curfews and refusing to buy her things, grounding her. Her high school years were rough on both of us. We’d only just started building a better relationship when everything happened, the attack and everything after it. That’s why I felt so guilty about leaving her behind when I escaped. And why I have to find her. I just have to.”
“I understand, Claire. You have to stop beating yourself up about it. I can tell you honestly that from what you’ve told me, you really had no choice. If you had stayed, you’d either have been killed or separated from your sister and sold. Then what hope would she have? It was a hard choice you made, but you made the right one, in my opinion. If you think my opinion is worth anything.”
She reached over to squeeze his hand where it rested on the console. “It is, Hawk. It’s worth a lot. I know you’re right. And I’ll try not to feel guilty about it anymore. I’m going to concentrate on the future, not the past. There’s nothing I can do to change it, anyway, even if I wanted to. So I just have to keep moving forward.”
