Other than demands and instructions, those are the last words that Layne speaks to me, at least, until he’s finished using my body for his pleasure. He does, too. He uses every ounce of me and enjoys himself immensely.
“Now, let’s discuss your future, because I believe I can help you with that.”
HAWK
Eight years with a woman is a life sentence when you’ve chosen and branded the wrong fucking one. And that’s exactly what I did with Savanna. Stupidly and immaturely, I thought if I scooped her up at sixteen, I could mold her into what I needed her to be. What I wanted her to be.
That shit doesn’t work though, not when the bitch is nothing but conspiracies and paranoia. Not when she is too fucking busy shoving shit up her nose and making accusations.
Our relationship didn’t last, and that’s because after being the subject of those accusations, of being told that I’m fucking everything with tits and ass, I just started actually doing it.
Probably all my fucking fault, but Savanna’s dangerous and as much as I love Tristiana, I can’t allow this bitch to cause any problems between me and my brothers, and she will. I won’t allow my brothers and their families to be in danger because I chose the wrong cunt to claim.
Leaving in the middle of the night is a shit move.
I know that it is, but I can’t face Trista.
I can’t see those big blue eyes fill up with tears as she watches me go. I’ll scoop her up and bring her with me. I won’t be able to leave her behind if I see her. Not fucking possible. What kind of life could I give her? A shit one, that’s what. It’s better that I leave her here, in a warm home with money in the bank and an actual mother, no matter how much of a bitch she is to me.
“So, you’re really walking out on us, on your family?” Savanna hisses.
Lifting my head, I look over at her. She is pretty still, even wearing her look of hatred and disgust on her face. She’s aged well and she’ll continue to do so, but the hatred inside of her has made her nothing like the beauty she was when I met her eight years ago.
She’s changed.
She’s angry and suspicious, she drinks a lot, she’s doing far too many drugs. I turned her into this and I’m going to leave so that it doesn’t get worse, so that the anger and fighting can just disappear with me. Then she can get back to the girl she was and give a good life to our daughter.
“I am. It’s better this way.”
Her top lip curls in disgust. That’s okay because I feel the same fucking way about her. Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I think about turning around and just walking away, but then I remember that although she’s twenty-five, we have been together for eight fucking years and she really does deserve to say her piece.
“It’s better to abandon me? Trista? You’re a coward, Hawk. A fucking coward,” she growls.
Shrugging a shoulder, I watch her for a moment. I am a coward, but not in the way that she’s thinking. I should toss her to the curb, take my daughter and raise her without the bitch. I should stay with my brothers, but I know that Savanna won’t stop.
She won’t stop following me on runs, stalking me, doing all-night stakeouts in hopes that she’ll catch me fucking someone else.
Then one day she’s going to see something that I can’t protect her from.
She’s going to get herself fucking killed.
So, instead of allowing that, instead of staying with my daughter, instead of a lot of things—I’m walking away.
I’m being weak. I know that I am, but I can’t sit by and allow her to get herself or my daughter killed because of her stupidity.
“I fucking hate you,” Savanna screams.
I turn my back to her and walk out the front door without looking back. I walk away from my daughter in hopes that she’ll have a better life without me even though I’m going to have a fucking miserable existence without my Tristiana.
HAWK
TEN YEARS LATER
The bitch at the bar gives me a wink, then slides off of her stool and saunters over to me. The man at my side that I’ve been talking to all evening chuckles before he lifts his hand and squeezes my shoulder.
“Talk to you later, man. You look like you’re about to get laid, and good.”
I snort. Marshall has no clue, but he’s a good dude, so I don’t give him a smart-ass reply. Jerking my chin in his direction, I look back to the girl who is still slowly swinging her hips from side to side as she makes her way toward me.
“Let’s get outta here,” I grunt as I stand and dig a few bills out of my pocket.
I toss the money on the bar, turn my back to her and walk out knowing that without a doubt she will follow behind me. Making my way toward my bike, I throw my leg over and straddle my machine.
“Hey,” a female voice calls out.
Turning my head, I lift my eyes toward the woman standing with her leg out and her hip cocked. “Are you seriously ignoring me?” she asks.
“Either you get on the back or I go find pussy somewhere else. Your snatch isn’t the only one in the city.”
“I don’t think anyone has ever talked to me like that before,” she murmurs.
I don’t bother responding to her. Instead, I start the engine, allowing it to roar to life as I get it ready to take off. She doesn’t hesitate to climb on behind me, and together we ride toward the hole I’m living in at the moment.
I’m a roamer, a nomad. I do odd jobs for the Savage Beasts all over the country. Runs, bartending, whatever they need me
