Storm (Sex and Bullets 1)

“And how are we gonna do that?” If anything, her voice has gone even softer, and fear shines through her eyes.

“Hawk.”

“What can Hawk do?”

“The real question is,” a deep voice says from behind us, “is there anything Hawk can’t do? And to save you the trouble of thinking about this, the answer is no, not really. Right, Storm?”

Bastard. He’s right fucking there, winking at us, blond hair sticking up like a hedgehog, and a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

And I’m so damn glad he’s back, because he’s right. If anyone can pull this off—if anyone can deal with the triad and convince them to get off our backs, make a deal and let Raylin go—then he’s the one.

***

“Tonight we rest,” Hawk is saying as we head out of the hospital, round a personnel side entrance, hoping to avoid any paparazzi who may have gotten whiff of this new story. “I send out feelers to see who I could talk to, and tomorrow you go and arrange for the money we will need.”

Right. It’s a bit more than I can get from an ATM. Damn, I have to go to a bank. Talk about making myself into an easy target. And that thought leads to this one:

“Do you believe me now, asshole?” I jab a finger at Hawk, and he dodges the jab easily, dancing out of the way. “About the attacks?”

Rook would believe me if he was awake and able to think.

Dammit, Rook. He did wake up before we left, but he was instantly pumped full of sedatives and painkillers until he was out like a light once more, and we were shooed out.

“I’m… reserving judgment.” Hawk glances at my bodyguards who are following us through the hospital at a discreet distance, brows heavy over his eyes. “Let’s say you’re right, and this brake failure wasn’t natural, then—”

“Natural. You think my cars aren’t checked regularly?”

“You were away, Storm. Fucking hell, lots could have happened without your supervision, know what I mean?” He lifts his hands and turns back to stride toward the automatic doors. “I’m just saying. You may be right, and we’d better be careful.”

Well, that’s something, I guess.

“You’re staying at my place,” he goes on.

No fucking way am I doing this again.

“The hell we are. We’re staying at a damn hotel, where we don’t put you in danger, too.” I push past him, Raylin barely keeping up, heading to our green car. “See how it turned out for Rook.”

“But sending me to the Chinese mafia isn’t dangerous? What’s the matter with you?” Hawk grabs me before I reach the car and spins me—and Raylin who’s holding my hand—around. “You think I’m scared, asshole?”

“Maybe you should be, for a change.” I shake myself free, my pulse thumping inside my skull. “Because it’s all falling apart. Because Rook’s in the hospital, and someone’s after me and what if it has to do with what I told you all those years ago—”

“Shut it.” Hawk’s light eyes dart from me to Raylin and back. “She doesn’t know.”

“I’m gonna tell her my secret, man. Not yours. So it’s none of your business.”

“You said you didn’t know who might be after you,” she hisses. “And now you do?”

Damn. “No, I still don’t. Ray…”

“And how would your secret have to do with any of this?” Hawk waves his hands in the air like racing flags. “You’re not even sure about what you remember—”

“Hell, Hawk,” I grind out from between clenched teeth. “I don’t fucking know. But what else is there? A random hotel, that’s where we’re checking in, and pray to God nobody will follow us.”

He shakes his head, disgusted.

He’s definitely unhappy with me. Hey, he should take a number. The line of people unhappy with me is growing long?

??though ‘unhappy’ might be too mild a term.