by Alexa Riley
“I know everything about you.” He lifts my shirt himself, resting it on top of my bump so it won’t fall back down. “He’s big already.”
“His dad must be a big guy. That helps me narrow down who the father might be,” I spit out, and Hawk is on his feet in a second. He pushes me down into the bed, hovering over my body.
“That mouth of yours.”
“Maybe if I used my mouth more I wouldn’t be in this situation.”
Hawk’s face turns deadly but I feel no fear. We both know I’m running my mouth because I can’t help myself and it’s worse when I’m upset. My stupid eyes fill with tears and Hawk’s whole face changes in an instant.
“I deserved that. I’ll let that one go, muñeca, but don’t speak of other men touching you again. I don’t care if it’s made up or not.”
I nod as one of the tears escapes and he leans down, kissing it.
“How can you be so mean and sweet?” I whisper. I don’t know if I want to wrap my body around him or push him away.
“You bring out the sweet. You also have a way of bringing out other things.” He closes his eyes as he drops down more and buries his face in my neck. He’s careful not to put any weight on my belly and I hate how much I love that.
“I miss the smell of you,” he moans, running his nose along my neck.
I’ve missed everything about him. There wasn’t a second that went by that I haven’t wished things had been different.
“I don’t know why you're here if you’re not taking me back to my father.” He lifts his head to look down at me. “But please don’t hurt anyone here. They’ve taken care of me. They gave me a home.” Before he can respond, Hawk is on his feet and the door to my cabin is swinging open.
Ford and Van are standing there along with Moose.
I have no idea how this is going to go, but I know only I can defuse it. I get off the bed as fast as I can and try to step around Hawk. Hawk’s hand flies out to stop me and it’s then I remember I’m not wearing anything below the waist.
Chapter 2
Hawk
I glance down to see her oversized shirt covering her up, but I don’t like knowing she’s so exposed with these men in her cabin. Each one of them comes pretty close to matching me in size, and one on one I wouldn’t be so worried. But with all three of them against me, my odds aren’t looking too good.
“Nice to see you again,” I say to the one in the middle. He was the guy at the front desk, the one who told me he hadn’t seen my Piper.
“I’m Ford Cyprus, and this is my son Van.” He nods to his left. “And this is our camp ranger Moose.”
The man on his right crosses his arms over his chest, making him look bigger and my fingers itch to reach for the gun in my belt. I need to keep this situation calm so I take a step in front of Piper.
“She’s not dressed, so I think we should all step outside.” I use every ounce of self-control I have to talk smoothly and defuse the tension.
“Hawk,” Piper hisses at me, and I turn to glare at her. She presses her lips together and looks away. I’m hoping for once in her life she can listen to me.
“Fine,” Ford agrees as he and the two other guys back out of the cabin.
“Muñeca,” I say softly, and she looks up at me. “The scent of your naked pussy is the only thing I can smell right now. Put something on and come outside when you’re dressed.”
“I was dressed before you came in here and ripped things off of me,” she huffs, then stomps over to the dresser.
Now it’s my turn to keep quiet as I step out of the cabin and close the door behind me. So much for locks around here.
“We know who she is.” Moose’s voice is firm and Ford nods.
“Then you know why I’m here.” I decide to play my cards close to my chest because this is my fucking business and it’s between Piper and me.
“You’re not taking her.” Van is young, but he looks just like his father and I can see he’s just as stubborn.
“That’s not for you to decide.” I look between the three of them and hear the door to the cabin open behind me. “Get your things, Piper. We’re leaving.”
A silence passes and I turn around to see her shaking her head. “I’m not going with you.” She places a protective hand over her belly and I clench my fists at my side.
“That’s not for you to decide either.” The sound that comes from me is low and grumbling. “I’m not asking you, Piper, I’m telling you. Get your things or we’ll leave them here. It doesn't matter to me.”
“I think you heard her,” Ford says as he steps closer to me.
I hold my hand out and he stops his approach. “Come another step and you’ll regret it,” I warn, and he narrows his eyes at me.
“Hawk,” Piper pleads from behind me, and I don’t like that I can’t watch these men and her at the same time. “This is my home now. I’m eighteen, and I don’t have to do what my father tells me to.”
“We need to talk,” I tell her over my shoulder and I notice that the other two men moved a bit closer when I wasn’t looking. I chance a glance back at her and just as I do, I hear the sound of gravel crunching under boots and then I’m being tackled.
I feel my gun fall out of my belt as I roll on top of Ford and land a punch to his mouth. Just as I make contact, my arms are yanked back and Moose has me in a headlock. I kick out and make a direct hit into Van’s chest before he goes flying back. I’m fighting but Moose is strong and the hold he’s got me in is cutting off blood flow to my head.
“Fuck,” I grit out, trying to fight it but I know I’m going to pass out.
“I think you’ve done enough talking,” Ford says as he gets up and uses the back of his hand to wipe the blood from his mouth.
“Hawk!” Piper shouts and I look over to see two women holding her back from getting to me.
Everything inside of me boils and my adrenaline surges. But it’s too late. The black spots around my eyes are getting bigger and I can’t breathe.
“Muñeca,” I feel myself mumble just before my whole world goes black.
It feels like hours or maybe even days later when my eyes open. It’s dark all around me and I have no idea what time it is. The floor is cold concrete and my whole body aches from being in the same position for too long.
I curse as I roll over onto my back and my head swims. I hear a small sound nearby and I look over to see a faint light coming from across the room. I blink a few times to get my eyes to adjust.
“What the fuck?” I whisper when I realize I’m in some kind of cell.
Thoughts of Piper screaming my name come rushing back and I’m on my feet in a second. But it’s too fast and I stumble to the floor, nearly hitting my head on the concrete. I take a few deep breaths and then get up again, because I have to get to her. I can’t lose her. Not again.
“Easy,” a soft voice says, and I look up to see a blond woman I recognize from the office the first time I visited Camp Hardwood. “I’m Honey. I believe you’re the man who punched my husband and kicked my son?” She raises an accusing eyebrow and I don’t bother denying the charges.
“Where the fuck is Piper?”
“She’s okay. We had to force her to lie down because she was pretty upset,” Honey says, and her eyes soften. “Your visit upset her, to say the least.”
“I need to see her,” I plead, grabbing the bars and moving in close. “Please.”
I don’t remember the last time I said that word, but it doesn’t matter. I’d do anything to get to her and have her back.
“I’m just here to check on you and bring you some food. When she’s ready we’ll let her come here and talk to you. But until then she needs to take care of the baby.”
The look on her face is a mix of pity and recognition. She isn’t going to let me out, but she’s at least telling me at some point I’ll get to see her. She holds out a tray of food and slides it under the door to me. Then she passes me a bottle of water and I take it from her gentl
y.
“There’s a cot in the back. Try to get some sleep.”
She turns to walk away and I swallow hard before I speak.
“Just—” I begin, and she stops to look at me. “Make sure she’s okay.”
She nods and a sad smile pulls at her lips. “She’s our family. We’ll make sure she’s taken care of.”
I don’t expect the stab of jealousy to hit me so hard, but I have to take a step back because it’s so sharp my head is dropping. Honey walks out of the room and the metal door closes behind her.
I walk to the back of the cell and sit down on the cot with a thud. What the fuck have I done?
Chapter 3
Piper
“I brought cookies.” Tia sets the giant plate of cookies on the nightstand next to my bed and I stare down at them.
She went all out and brought at least three different kinds, which are all my favorites. Normally I’m down for her cookies because no one can cook like Tia, but right now I’m not hungry for anything. My body is screaming for Hawk and that’s the only thing I want.
“We could do a sleepover,” Tia adds when I don’t reach for the cookies. I’m sure I’m alarming her even more. But I know Van won’t be okay with Tia sleeping anywhere that isn’t with him.
Plus I know they’re into a little bit of kink. I bet Van ties her to the bed every night. From looking at the two of them you wouldn’t guess it, but you never know what goes on behind closed doors and Van likes to keep those doors sealed tight when it comes to Tia. He’s very territorial over her. It might be shocking at first until you see him in action and everything is about taking care of her. I long to be taken care of. I always dreamed that person would be Hawk. He’s been doing it in small ways all along.
Mrs. Cyprus is sitting on the empty bed that used to be Tia’s until she moved in with Van only days ago. Tia and Ford are the only ones who get to call Mrs. Cyprus ‘Honey’ and I think it’s actually kind of adorable. If anyone else does, it gets Ford all out of sorts. I think Tia gets the privilege because she’s going to be their daughter-in-law. Right now she’s watching me closely and not saying much. I know she’s waiting for her moment.
“I don’t need a sleepover.” I let out a long sigh.
I’m still shocked at seeing Hawk. I wanted to smack him and kiss him all at once. He’s here two seconds and bossing me around. Again, I fight my body's reaction to him. I don’t know what it is about his bossy tone but it always does things to me. I love it almost as much as when I catch that rare sweetness deep inside of him. It’s probably just a fantasy I’ve made up in my mind over the years to feed the dream of being his.
“He’s the father,” Mrs. C finally says, and it’s not a question.
I saw Hawk get jealous over me a time or two, but there weren't very many opportunities for that to happen over the years. He and my father kept men away from me. How many times did I wonder if he was with other women? I never saw it, but how can a man who looks like Hawk have gone without? I swallow the lump forming in my throat when I imagine the women he’s been with since he left me.
“Where is he?” I worry my bottom lip between my teeth. If I know anything, it’s that Hawk will get what he wants and he can get himself out of almost any mess.
“Moose put him in holding.”
I bring my hands up to my face to rub my eyes, unsure how I feel about that. It’s not so much because of Hawk being locked up but a part of me is hoping that he hasn't told my father where I am yet. If he’s in a jail cell, my father will find out soon enough.
“They’re only holding him, Piper. It’s not legal for us to keep him in there, but I don’t think he’s a law-abiding citizen himself.”
I snort a laugh because I don’t know what Hawk is. He was always good to me and went out of his way to make sure I was taken care of. It was more than my father ever did and I always wondered if it was because my father told him to.
“I came here to start new.” I drop my hands from my face to wring them in my lap as I look down at my small baby bump.
I saw something in Hawk’s eyes when he saw my belly and a small spark of hope lit inside of me. He had to know my father would be far from okay with me being pregnant. Not only am I knocked up but it’s by one of his men. He’d see it as a sign of disrespect and then it would be an all-out war. Hawk has to know that, too.
I know Hawk could take my father one on one, but my father never plays fair. To be honest, though, I don’t think Hawk would either when it comes to something he wants. I guess when I think about it, I wouldn't either. You do what you have to. I know I will when it comes to the baby already growing inside of me. I love my little man already. I’m sure he’s a boy—he has to be. At the rate he’s growing, he’s going to be as big as his daddy.
“No one is making you leave,” Mrs. C says. She comes over and sits down next to me. She takes one of my hands and laces her fingers in mine. “I think some things need to be worked out, but what everyone needs right now is to calm down.”
I don’t want to calm down, I want to see Hawk. As fast as I’d run from him before, my mind is spinning with a million things I want to ask him. What’s happening back home and do I need to run? I know the only thing that will calm me is seeing him and it would be helpful if he was locked up. I could keep my distance from him as I ask the questions I want answers to. I know this window of time is small because there’s no way Hawk will stay in that cell, whether it’s my father getting him out of it or Hawk finding a way out.
“I think you’re right. I should get some rest and regroup in the morning.” I make it extra dramatic by putting my other hand over my belly, rubbing my bump and pretending to yawn.
“I just want a nice long bath and some sleep.” It’s not a lie. I’m pregnant and I always want those things, but I want them after I go see Hawk.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” Tia pushes.
“I think you two should go cool down your men. That was a throwdown they all had and I’m sure they’re pacing outside waiting for you both.”
Mrs. C squeezes my hand before giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. “You call if you change your mind and we’ll be right here. Get the rest you and the baby both need. Trust me, I’ll get this all worked out for you, sweetheart.”
This is the exact reason why I never want to leave here. There’s so much love everywhere and it’s so unlike the way I was raised. I would love to raise my son in a world like this, where everyone pulls together. Three men I’ve only known for a month came to my defense in seconds. They didn’t care they were facing an armed man who was as big as they were. That says a lot. Not only did they allude to knowing who my father is, but it didn’t seem to bother them either. Nothing here is about being selfish. Instead it’s about working together and making sure everybody is taken care of. It’s a simple life, but it’s filled with happiness and love. How much more could you really want or need?
Tia joins Mrs. C in giving me a kiss on the cheek. I know she’s not done talking to me and she’s going to want so many more details, but she’ll wait until we’re alone.
I walk them to the door, where I see Ford and Van waiting outside. I give a small wave before I shut the door behind them. I stay true to my word and take a bath, but I know I’m only preparing myself to go see him. I can’t help but still want to pretty myself up for Hawk and remind him of what he walked away from that morning at the hotel.
I’ll never be able to sleep without getting answers to all my questions. A darker part of me knows I won’t have peace if I can’t touch him and have him touch me.
I pull on my sneakers before grabbing a small flashlight and slipping out of my cabin. This time I’m going to be the one to find Hawk. Not only that but he won’t be able to disappear on me now. Maybe by the time we’re done talking I’ll wish for nothing more than just that.
Chapter 4
Hawk
There’s hardly any light in this cell and I can hear the crickets chirping ou
tside. There’s a small window beyond the bars and I can see the moon high in the sky through the trees. I pace back and forth, feeling like a caged animal ready to break free. I’m trying to stay calm and wait because I know that’s what Piper would want me to do. The thought of her alone and upset is almost too much for me to bear.
The sound of creaking has me stopping in my tracks and turning to face the door. Even in the dim light I can make out the shape of my Piper. I move to the bars and grip them tight.
“Muñeca,” I breathe, flooded with relief at just the sight of her.
“I don’t know why I came.” She closes the door behind her and slowly walks toward me. “I must be crazy.”
“Are you hurt?” She comes within reach of me and I wish I could rip these bars in half and climb out of this cell.
“Not physically.”
“What does that mean?” Anger courses through me at the thought of her not being okay.
She lets out a deep breath and takes another step closer. “Why are you here, Hawk? Did my father send you?”
“Come here,” I say, reaching out for her.
The moonlight silhouettes her face and I can see the hesitation in her eyes. “If I touch you I’ll lose all sense of myself.”
“I’d never let that happen.” As if her legs have a mind of their own she steps forward even when she doesn’t think she should.
“You left me,” she whispers softly as I reach through the bars and wrap my arm around her waist.
“I’m here now.” I pull her to the cool steel and press my body against hers just to feel a fraction of her heat. “I need you, muñeca. Unlock me and ease my ache.”
“I-I don’t have a key.” She looks up at me and I feel her hands through the bars as she touches my chest.
“It’s been so long, I don’t think I can wait for you to find it.”
My hands slide around her hips and then to her ass, where I squeeze the soft round mounds. Her loose sleep shorts are soft, and I slide one hand up them to feel her bare ass.
