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Abby looked up at Caleb. “Well, can you talk to her? Tell her that you can’t find this guy unless-”
Caleb shook his head. “I’m not allowed anywhere near her. Period.”
“You’re a cop,” Easy protested.
Shooter shook his head too. “He’s also Hawk’s friend. And if Rawlins is so dead set that Hawk is the guy, they don’t want him acting like Hawk’s personal bodyguard and possibly threatening Tildy to keep her quiet.”
Caleb nodded. “I got a lot of shit for not mentioning that Hawk spent time with her at the bar. I didn’t want Rawlins to do exactly what he did, which was to stop looking for anyone else. We can be damn sure he’s going to interview every single person who was at Maria’s that night to make sure that Hawk came back and stayed ‘til close.”
“I guess this means I’m not supposed to see her,” Hawk declared.
“No,” Caleb said. “It’s not a good idea. Rawlins has her all twisted up and scared of her own shadow. He even made a veiled threat that he might arrest her.”
“For what?!” Hawk snarled.
“Having knowledge of a crime and not reporting it,” Caleb replied sarcastically. “But there’s no way he’ll do it. He’d get suspended in two seconds for bullying a sexual assault victim. No one wants that kind of publicity. Rawlins may be obsessed with charging you, but he’s not stupid. He’s not going to jeopardize his career. He’s already under a microscope for fucking up so spectacularly the last time. Like I said, it was a veiled threat. If Tildy tries to tell anyone about it, he’ll just say she misunderstood what he was saying.”
“Bastard,” Hawk replied. He ran a hand through his hair. “Well, where is she?
“Home for now,” Caleb replied.
Hawk pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “I shouldn’t have left her. I thought she’d be fine. I shouldn’t have left.”
“It’s not your fault,” Caleb replied.
“Bullshit!” Hawk snapped. “This should not have happened to her! It wouldn’t have if I’d made sure she was safe! He might try again, and I can’t protect her. I can’t even talk to her! Caleb you have to get someone to talk to her. You have to get her to understand that she might still be in danger. She shouldn’t go anywhere alone, especially at night. She should-”
“She knows,” Caleb told him. “She knows. I talked to her about varying her routine. About not taking chances when she’s alone.”
Hawk still shook his head. “It’s not enough. Fuck! She’s so small. She doesn’t even have a gun. She’s not like Sarah and Abby. She’s not tough like they are. She can’t take care of herself, not like that.” He snatched his phone out of his pocket and dialed the number he had saved in the memory. It rang, but she didn’t answer. He didn’t even get a voice mail.
“God damn it!” he growled and nearly crushed the phone in his hand. He looked at Caleb. “Does she really think I’d do something like that?”
“I don’t know,” Caleb replied gravely. “I can’t tell what’s going on with her.”
Hawk flopped down into one of the chairs and rubbed the back of his neck. His angel thought he was a monster. He was, or at least she would think he was, if she knew the kinds of things he’d done overseas, but it was never like this. He couldn’t imagine doing anything to hurt a woman, especially not Tildy.
Chapter 25
Tildy’s phone rang, and she checked the screen. A lump formed in her throat. Hawk calling… She hoped he’d just give up and go away. She hadn’t meant to mention his name to the officer. It was all just a huge mistake, even down to accepting a ride from him in the first place. She should stick to the familiar. She didn’t belong in that world, didn’t know how to navigate it.
Home, in truth, was almost as dangerous, but Tildy was an expert on living there. She knew the signs that meant her mother was about to get angry or was biding her time until she had Tildy alone. As the years went by, Tildy learned better and better how to avoid most punishments. Since she’d gotten her driver’s license at sixteen, it became even easier. Maria’s bar and its patrons were uncharted waters, and anyone could be a shark.
She rejected the call so that it wouldn’t go to voice mail. He had nothing to say that she’d want to hear. She stared in the mirror at the cuts on her face. She wasn’t used to having visible injuries. They would fade though, and Tildy would forget all about this. She carefully tucked away the medal into her pillowcase, even though so far it hadn’t led her anywhere good.
On Monday morning, she caked makeup on the cut over her eye and put on a white, button down blouse. Fully prepared to fade back into her life, she walked to her Mercedes, which she had backed into the garage to hide the damaged bumper. She was on time for work, as usual, and left her blazer in her office on her way to the teller windows.
