Savage Collision: A Hawke Family Novel (Hawke Family #1)(77)

“Oh, uh, sure.” He disappears around the back of the car. I pull Danika’s face away from my shoulder. Her bottom lip trembles and tears still stream down her cheeks, but her breathing has returned somewhat to normal.

“Baby, I am going to go with you, okay? But you need to go with the officer, so I can get out of the car.”

Her eyes are glazed over and I’m not one hundred percent sure she understands what I’m saying, but she nods anyway. When the officer returns, she allows him to help her out of the car. The second I’m seated in my chair, she lunges at me, curling herself back into a ball on my lap.

The officer just points in the direction of the ambulance and I follow him over there, Danika seemingly oblivious we are even moving.

She’s in shock.

How could she not be, after what just happened?

We go through the same routine when the paramedics try to get her off my lap to do their exam. I finally convince her to get onto the gurney, but only because I promise to not move and hold her hand the entire time.

She has several scrapes along the right side of her face, but no other visible injuries. I hear the paramedics say something about shock, but I concentrate on squeezing her hand to let her know I’m here.

When the sergeant approaches and tells us we need to go the station to give a statement, she collapses into a fit of hysterics again.

I want nothing more than to bring her home and just hold her, show her I am not going anywhere, but there’s no way we are getting out of going to the station. She cries against my neck the entire ride there, her body shaking and her breath hitching with every sob. My already-pummeled emotions are running wild, and I can barely keep myself in check. The only thing keeping me from completely falling apart is knowing Danika needs me.





The interview at the police station drags on for four agonizing hours. Listening to Danika recount her ordeal in excruciating detail had my stomach roiling and my hands stinging from clenching them throughout her story.

When she described Matteo blowing off Paul’s head and his body falling onto her, knocking her to the ground and pinning her under him, I could barely stop myself from grabbing her arm and pulling her from that room to end her distress.

I know they needed to know what happened—every gory detail—but watching her in so much anguish killed me. Now, as we finally approach my building, she’s once again clinging to me, her warm breath puffing across my neck and cheek. I know she isn’t asleep. I can feel her lashes fluttering against my skin as she blinks away her tears.

No one has said a word since we left the station.

They let Gabe go.

Thank God.

Anyone else who shot three people in the head with a sniper rifle would probably spend several days in jail while there was an investigation, at least, and may be prosecuted, at worst. But with Gabe’s background, family connections, and the circumstances, I can’t say I’m surprised it was easy for him to get released immediately.

His eyes lock with mine in the rearview mirror and I see the same darkness there I remember from when he returned from one of his many deployments. He doesn’t like killing, and I know he suffered when he had to do it.

In the past, he’s always been very good at hiding it from people—everyone except me. I don’t know how I didn’t know he was seeing a shrink. I guess I just figured he was dealing with his demons in his own way, but I’m glad he did. Otherwise, he would have ended up even more fucked up than he already is.

We pull into our building’s underground parking. The moment the car stops moving, Danika shifts in my arms and leans back, looking around to see where we are. “We’re home, baby,” I whisper, pressing my lips to hers gently.

Home. My home. Not hers.

Fuck, I want it to be her home.

I want her here, with me, where she belongs. Here, where I can love her, and protect her.

This isn’t over with Dom, not by a long shot. No way he’s going to just walk away knowing she’s still alive, knowing what she knows, what she could do to him, knowing she caused the death of his right-hand man and two others. But, I will deal with that tomorrow. Tonight, tonight is about taking care of her, making sure she realizes she is safe, giving her whatever she needs.

Her unfocused, red-rimmed eyes search my face, but she doesn’t respond. Gabe opens the back door and helps her climb out, but as soon as I slide into my chair, she lurches to climb back into my lap. I don’t blame her. She’s terrified and still in shock.

The silence continues on the elevator ride. Gabe holds the door to my condo open and Princess races out, jumping at me and then at Gabe’s legs. He scoops her up and nods as he heads across the hall to his place. No words are necessary. Not now.

Hell, what would I say, anyway? Thanks for murdering three people to rescue my girlfriend?

I head straight for the bathroom. While the medical staff did the best they could to somewhat clean her up, there’s still blood spattered and smeared on her cheek and in her hair.

Thank God she hasn’t been able to look in a mirror.

Stopping next to the glass door of the massive shower, I nudge her.

“Baby, let’s get you out of these clothes and cleaned up.” She looks at me with vacant eyes and my heart breaks just a little more. I give her a fake, reassuring smile and capture her face between my palms. I don’t want to leave her for a moment, but I need to grab something for her to sleep in. “Can you get undressed while I run to the closet?”