Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 72969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
“What a mess,” I say to Hawk.
He reaches over, rubs my shoulder gently. “It doesn’t have to be a mess, honey.”
“I’m afraid if I tell Vinnie what’s been going on, he’ll level the state of Texas trying to protect me.”
He glances at me, his eyes burning. “You think I’m not going to do that?”
I sigh. “I just don’t want to be any trouble for anyone.”
“You’re not trouble to people who love you,” he says.
My eyes widen. Did he just say he loves me?
No, he was talking about Raven and Vinnie. About Belinda.
Then he clears his throat. “So… three notes.”
“Yes. Each with cryptic messages. And the chocolates were probably poisoned—at least one of them was, according to the note.”
“And then that teddy bear,” Hawk says, “which could’ve blown up the entire block. Each gift increasingly dangerous.” He strokes his chin. “But where could they have come from?”
I shake my head. “I honestly don’t know. Maybe one of the men I entertained in Colombia? But none of them were obsessed with me. They threatened me sometimes, but my father would never have…”
Hawk’s hands are tense on the steering wheel. “None of them were obsessed?”
“Well, one was, but he’s dead.”
“Did any others show a particular interest in you? A particular fondness for you?”
I don’t answer right away.
Instead I close my eyes. I don’t like to think about them. Some of them were nice-looking enough, but they were always cruel.
And some of them…
Bloated stomachs, hairy backs, coarse tongues that they forced into my mouth, and in other places. One of them had long salt-and-pepper pubic hair, which was really gross.
But the only one who was really taken with me was Diego Vega. He was the one who insisted that I be promised to him.
I remember my father was shocked when he told me. He couldn’t believe Vega would want someone as used up as I was.
“Only one,” I finally say.
“He must’ve been really pissed when your father let Vinnie take you.”
“He may have been,” I say. “But the gifts can’t be coming from him because Vinnie had him killed. Along with my father, and Belinda’s as well.”
“And you’re sure they’re all dead?”
“I assume so. Vinnie told me they were all gone and would never bother me again.”
Hawk pauses a moment, his eyes straight ahead on the road.
Is it my imagination? Or is his jaw tensing a bit more?
“All right,” he finally says. “I don’t want you worrying about this. I’m going to take care of you tonight, Daniela.”
I squirm.
He wants to have sex with me.
And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that too. That’s the reason I didn’t go home with Vinnie, after all. But if I change my mind, already I know that he won’t force me.
He clears his throat. “I just heard in my head how that must’ve sounded to you.” He runs his hands through his hair. “I… I don’t have any expectations. But I will take care of you. I’ll make you some good old-fashioned comfort food and make sure you feel safe tonight.”
I smile.
I feel safe already.
As safe as I feel with Vinnie and Raven, I feel a hundred times safer with Hawk.
37
HAWK
“I’m no chef,” I say to Daniela. “This will be pretty crude compared to the kind of food you prepare, but it never fails me when I need to feel better.”
I assemble the ingredients for my grandmother’s famous macaroni and cheese. It was the only thing Nana Bellamy made herself. As the Cooper Steel heiress, she had personal chefs to cook for her. But when we came to visit, she made macaroni and cheese.
Nana taught me how to make it. I still know the recipe by heart.
She’s been gone for a while now, but I still have every step memorized. She lives through all of us. Just like what Ted said to me all those years ago.
Don’t ever forget that even after you’re gone, your starlight will shine on the people whose lives you’ve touched.
I squeeze my eyes shut and will the memory of Ted out of my head. He’s the last thing I need to think about right now.
I boil the pasta until it’s al dente and then strain it. I make a roux with butter and flour, letting it cook until it’s golden brown. I add warm milk slowly. Then comes the cheese, sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack melted into the sauce. I mix in the macaroni and transfer all of it into a baking dish. A quick sprinkle of seasoned breadcrumbs on top for crunch and then into the oven.
The kitchen fills with a comforting aroma that brings back memories of childhood days spent at Nana Bellamy’s grand house. I glance over at Daniela, who is watching me from the kitchen island, her eyes bright with interest.
She smiles at me and I can’t help but smile back. We may be standing on dangerous grounds with threats looming over us, but here in my kitchen, everything feels right.