Hawk (A Stepbrother Romance #3)(47)

“Following Alexis?”

“No,” I say without missing a beat, “Heading out back.”

I manage to pass the stairs without stumbling, thump across the back deck and down the old wooden steps, and stand in the yard.

Something makes a rhythmic sound over my shoulder. Sighing, I turn and look up to see Alexis hanging out her window, scowling at me. She beckons with her hand. I nod, but sit on the back step and lean back, sighing.

I can’t just run right up there, it’s too f*cking obvious. I hear the same noise, Alexis’ hand slapping on the side of the house. Sighing I stand up and walk back into the house. Helen ignores me as she scoops mashed potatoes and pours gravy into Tupperware, and the dining room is clear. I trudge up the steps, pausing to look around before I swing over and tap Alex’s door with my knuckles, lightly.

The door snaps open and she tugs me inside by the arm, closes the door softly and locks it, then lets out a breath.

She turns around and covers her mouth with her hand, a strangled little sob coming out of her mouth.

“I can’t do this anymore,” she says, so softly. “Hawk I can’t take it, I can’t stand him. Did you hear what he called me?”

“What?

“Sweetheart,” she hisses. “I can’t f*cking stand it. If you ever call me that I will kick you in the balls, I swear.”

“I believe it.”

As she hugs herself, I rest my hands on her shoulders. She freezes, then relaxes a little.

“We shouldn’t be in here together,” she sighs.

“Who f*cking cares?” I whisper.

I duck in to kiss her and she pulls back. “We have to be careful, Hawk. I want to talk to my friends about this rally thing. I think we need to follow Tom if he leaves tonight, too. See where he goes, who he’s meeting with.”

“I’ll do it. You stay here.”

“No. I have to see this through.”

“Why? Let me handle it.”

She pulls out of my hands. “It’s my fight too, Hawk. I’m sick of this. I’m sick of my family living in fear of that monster.”

Her voice softens. “He took my mom away from me. He took you away from me.”

“How long did it take before they got married? After I left.”

“You were gone in what, June? They married in October. A few months.”

I sit on her bed. “I thought they hated each other.”

Alexis sighs and sits next to me. “So did I. Not that they were around each other much.”

“Jesus,” I whisper. “Alex, what if they acted that way for our benefit?”

She looks at me, fear in her eyes. Her voice is barely a whisper. I have to strain to hear.

“Do you think he killed your mom so he could marry mine? It was only like a year after she died.”

I clench my fists and bite my lip.

“Maybe.”

“God. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. She doesn’t seem… she’s weird. Was she always like that?”

“They were only married for two months when she signed the papers to have me committed to a psych ward, Hawk. I’ve never been close with her and it was really rough after dad died. You remember.”

“Yeah.”

I remember.

The little apartment they shared was like a tomb. I was only sixteen myself, I had no idea what the hell was going on. Alex would just sit there and stare and it was like May refused to believe that her father was gone. She was what, ten at the time?

“How can we follow Tom without him noticing?” Alexis says.

I blink. “What? Oh, right. My truck?”

She gives me an annoyed look. “Hawk, we might as well follow him in a fire engine with the siren going.”

“Don’t you have a car?”

“Yeah,” she sighs. “My Honda. Wouldn’t he spot us following him? I mean we’d be leaving from the same place.”

“Not if we hang back. Maybe park it on the street?”

“I don’t know, Hawk.”

“It’ll be dark. He won’t see us. You can still stay behind if you want.”

“Not a chance in hell,” she says, folding her arms.

“Fine. Be ready to go any moment, we don’t know when he’s planning to leave.”

She nods.

This time I head out the door, rather than climb up. I peer out into the hallway and head upstairs quickly, watching to see if someone spotted me. The coast is clear, looks like. Now I just have to get ready and wait.





Alexis





Now





This is nuts, I shouldn't be doing this. I should let somebody else handle it. I should call Jennifer and tell her what's going on.

No. This is my responsibility. I have to see Tom Richardson go to prison. I have to know my sister and Hawk will be safe.

Hawk may not be afraid of his father anymore, but I am. So I pace my bedroom, walking from the door to the edge of the bed and back again, and back again, and back again. Seeing as it's July, the sun is going to go down late, and I pace for hours, stopping only to rest and pace some more. Then I hear the tapping on my window and open it and Hawk slides into my room, dressed for sneaking, which apparently means a black t-shirt and jeans and his freaking combat boots.