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Hawke drove his fist into Michael’s face and let him fall to the ground. The satisfying crunch and howl did little to lessen his anger. He bent and slapped a hand over Michael’s mouth.
“Keep it down, you idiot, or you’ll wake her.” He jerked Michael to his feet and assessed his size for clothing fit. Michael had enjoyed one too many dinners out having a slight paunch around the middle. “Take off your pants.”
“Don’t do this. I need to get out of here.”
“Oh you’re going to explain everything to me as soon as I’m dressed. Make no mistake about it. If you even think of holding any information back, I will gladly beat it from you. Now, off!”
In a few moments, Hawke was dressed in Michael’s pants. He put on the shirt and left Michael with his suit jacket and shoes. Barefoot, Hawke walked over to check on Meechi once more. She seemed okay, and now that he met the man face-to-face, something told him Michael wouldn’t hurt Meechi, just as he said, but someone out there would, or he wouldn’t be running with her.
Hawke leaned on the back of the car and crossed his arms over his chest. “Explain yourself, fast.”
Chapter Three
Stephanie fought nausea, panic, and myriad thoughts while she waited for Hawke. For what felt like centuries, she explained to the police about her husband’s family and about Hawke. “I don’t know why you’re standing here asking me the same questions over and over again when you could be out there looking for my daughter,” she railed at the policeman with the notepad. All she wanted to do was snatch it from his hand and throw it on the floor before she kicked him in the nads. That probably wouldn’t be a good idea.
“Ma’am, please calm down. You gave us the description, and we’ve called it in. We’re just trying to get all the details so we can do our job. So this man, Hawke Cooper, how long have you known him? Is there any possibility that he might have been involved with your daughter’s kidnapping?”
“Are you serious?” The words elicited doubt. She hadn’t known Hawke long, and he didn’t want her to go with him. The longer she dated him, the more certain she was that she’d picked up his scent before. The night Hawke approached her was not the first time he had been nearby. Stephanie rung her hands and drew in a shuddering breath. She turned to find a seat, and one of the officers took her arm. She jerked it free. “I don’t need your help. I’m not handicapped.”
She sat down and put her head in her hands. Please, Hawke, you promised.
“Mommie!”
Stephanie’s heart skipped a beat. She looked up, and Meechi was there thrusting herself into Stephanie’s arms. She dragged her daughter nearer, sobbing. When Stephanie blinked away tears, she found Hawke in front of her, and she put a hand out to him. He took it, lacing his fingers with hers. “Thank you so much.”
The statements and explanations took half the evening. At last they could leave, and Hawke drove her and Meechi home.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to look around the apartment and make sure everything is okay,” Hawke said.
She nodded, fear stirring in her belly. They walked up together, and he unlocked the door. Stephanie instructed her daughter to shower and play in her room for a while. Then she went to the kitchen to make herself and Hawke a drink.
“Can I help?” he offered.
“There’s a corkscrew in that drawer right there. I’m going to try this Amusant Bubbly Pink Moscato. I’m not much of a drinker, but maybe it will calm my nerves a little.” They sat side by side, and she drew her knees up to her chest. Hawke stroked her neck, working out some of the tension. Stephanie moaned. “I’m sorry.”
His hand stilled, but he shifted a bit in his seat as if uncomfortable. “What do you have to be sorry about?”
“I doubted you while you were gone.” She rubbed a hand over her eyes, brushing a few stray tears. “The police kept asking me questions about you as if you were the one behind everything.”
He started rubbing again, and she melted into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. Hawke took her glass from her hand and placed it on the table alongside his. When he slipped a hand under her legs and put her on his lap, she didn’t complain.
“I understand. We haven’t known each other long, but I hope I proved myself by keeping my promise.”
She ran her hand along his cheek and felt the beginnings of stubble, wondering if he had to shave every day. While she had wanted to touch him many times, she never dared, not sure she was ready for more between them. “I trust you. Hawke, what did Michael mean when he said there were others who would look for Meechi?”
His muscles tensed beneath her, and she tried to remain calm. Before this incident, she never would have thought Michael would take Meechi. Her Raymond was the best of the three brothers for whatever reason, and Michael might be the oldest, but he seemed weakest to Stephanie. The two brothers and their sister were ruled by Melanie, their mother, and Stephanie wanted nothing to do with any of them.
Before Hawke could answer, her cell phone rang, and she picked it up to answer. Rather than strain to see the display, she answered. “Hello?”
“Stephanie! Explain to me why you’ve had my son arrested,” Melanie demanded.
Stephanie swiped her finger over the screen to disconnect and put her phone on silent. Hawke’s arms tightened around her. “I assume that shrill voice was that of your mother-in-law?”
“Ex mother-in-law,” she said. “I don’t lay claim to that woman. She didn’t ask me if Meechi is okay. She just wanted to know about Michael, but since she knows he’s in jail, I assume he called her with his one phone call.”
Hawke made a noise of agreement. “Apparently, the one time he doesn’t consult her on what he should do, he gets into more trouble than he bargained for. I don’t know how she would have advised him though. He admitted their corporation is in trouble, and they need funds fast. He decided to get the money any way he could rather than make sound business choices and ended up owing a lot more money to the wrong people.”
A shudder passed over Stephanie, and her emotions threatened to take control again. With her mind full of decisions on what to do, she almost didn’t hear the rest of what Hawke had to say. He jostled her a little and then pulled her tight to his chest. She couldn’t believe the comfort she derived just having him hold her. He kept her from leaping over the edge.
