Tiny wanted more than guesses about what she knew.
“Be straight with me. Have you spoken with the victims?” Hawk
asked.
Hilary spluttered and blinked owlishly. She cleared her throat
and wiped away the droplets of coffee that clung to the corners of her lips. “Hell
of a way to start a morning conversation.”
“We’re going public in a week. You had to know this was
coming. We need more than you to seal this thing shut. They’re out there in the
wind right now with no protection. What happens if Emmit and Linden send people
after them?”
“Jesus, ’cause these women haven’t been through enough,” Hilary
said.
“Yes, which is why we’re ready to offer up protection until
all of this is finished. I’d think they’d want this put to bed permanently as
much as we do,” Hawk said.
“Fear defies logic when it’s intense enough,” Hilary said
glancing down. She swirled the mug in her hands.
“They’re still scared of these guys?” Hawk said.
“Let’s just say Linden and Emmit drop gifts off now and then
to let them know they’re still watching.”
“Fuck, these guys are sick.” Hawk shook his head and took a
sip of his alcohol-laced coffee. “Legally can any of them actually talk?”
“There are a handful of these girls who escaped who have
formed a sort of sisterhood. They keep track of one another, compare notes and
do their best to move on from what’s happened to them. Which is nearly
impossible with the threat of Linden and Emmit reappearing at any given moment.”
“You realize this shit is sounding like an eerie television
show, right?” Hawk said, trying to wrap his head around the new information.
“I wish for their sake it was. No one should have to live
like this. I keep telling them, but they won’t listen. They warned me if Linden
or Emmit found out they’d hunt me down. I told them I didn’t care.” She shook
her head. “This is all wrong and needs to be exposed.”
“At the cost of your life?” Hawk said.
“I’m hoping it won’t come to that. But yes. We both know
they’ll never stop. My life is basically forfeit now because I know too much.”
She shrugged.
He had to admire her courage. She was rock steady right now.
It was a rare trait. Hawk nodded. “We’ll give them protection if that’s what
they’re afraid of.”
“It might help some. But the true terror is locked away in
their minds, always with them, forever tormenting.” Hilary sighed and shook her
head.
“You know a lot about this kind of thing.”
“I went through this with Juliette, and I’ve formed a tight-knit
friendship with these girls. Compared to some of them, Juliette had it easy.”
“You’ve been busy keeping secrets. Not a smart thing to do
around here. It makes people nervous.”
“No. I was doing what I could to protect the people I love.”
She narrowed her eyes. “How is that any different from what you do?”
“I got the means to back myself up, babe,” he said studying
her.
Her cheeks puffed out, and she inhaled through her nose and released.
“I wasn’t expecting it to go this way,” she said, speaking through her teeth.
I bet you want to cuss me out right now, don’t you? “No,
but you had to know it might.”
She gave a curt nod.
“From now on, no keeping shit. You got any other bats hiding
in your belfry, you’d best let them out here.”
Her eyes widened.
This ain’t my first rodeo. I know stubborn people. I come
from the bear clan. He snorted. “Yeah, I’m not just some stupid biker you
can pull one over on, college girl.”
“I-I didn’t say you were,” she said.
You didn’t have to. “It’s okay. I like that people
underestimate me. It gives me an advantage. How soon can you arrange a meeting?”
“I’m not sure. I mean I can ask them today, but I don’t know
what their schedules are like.”
“Fuck, girl. Tell them they’re in danger. I’m pretty sure that’ll
clear the day calendar.”
“I don’t want to cause
“Be straight with me. Have you spoken with the victims?” Hawk
asked.
Hilary spluttered and blinked owlishly. She cleared her throat
and wiped away the droplets of coffee that clung to the corners of her lips. “Hell
of a way to start a morning conversation.”
“We’re going public in a week. You had to know this was
coming. We need more than you to seal this thing shut. They’re out there in the
wind right now with no protection. What happens if Emmit and Linden send people
after them?”
“Jesus, ’cause these women haven’t been through enough,” Hilary
said.
“Yes, which is why we’re ready to offer up protection until
all of this is finished. I’d think they’d want this put to bed permanently as
much as we do,” Hawk said.
“Fear defies logic when it’s intense enough,” Hilary said
glancing down. She swirled the mug in her hands.
“They’re still scared of these guys?” Hawk said.
“Let’s just say Linden and Emmit drop gifts off now and then
to let them know they’re still watching.”
“Fuck, these guys are sick.” Hawk shook his head and took a
sip of his alcohol-laced coffee. “Legally can any of them actually talk?”
“There are a handful of these girls who escaped who have
formed a sort of sisterhood. They keep track of one another, compare notes and
do their best to move on from what’s happened to them. Which is nearly
impossible with the threat of Linden and Emmit reappearing at any given moment.”
“You realize this shit is sounding like an eerie television
show, right?” Hawk said, trying to wrap his head around the new information.
“I wish for their sake it was. No one should have to live
like this. I keep telling them, but they won’t listen. They warned me if Linden
or Emmit found out they’d hunt me down. I told them I didn’t care.” She shook
her head. “This is all wrong and needs to be exposed.”
“At the cost of your life?” Hawk said.
“I’m hoping it won’t come to that. But yes. We both know
they’ll never stop. My life is basically forfeit now because I know too much.”
She shrugged.
He had to admire her courage. She was rock steady right now.
It was a rare trait. Hawk nodded. “We’ll give them protection if that’s what
they’re afraid of.”
“It might help some. But the true terror is locked away in
their minds, always with them, forever tormenting.” Hilary sighed and shook her
head.
“You know a lot about this kind of thing.”
“I went through this with Juliette, and I’ve formed a tight-knit
friendship with these girls. Compared to some of them, Juliette had it easy.”
“You’ve been busy keeping secrets. Not a smart thing to do
around here. It makes people nervous.”
“No. I was doing what I could to protect the people I love.”
She narrowed her eyes. “How is that any different from what you do?”
“I got the means to back myself up, babe,” he said studying
her.
Her cheeks puffed out, and she inhaled through her nose and released.
“I wasn’t expecting it to go this way,” she said, speaking through her teeth.
I bet you want to cuss me out right now, don’t you? “No,
but you had to know it might.”
She gave a curt nod.
“From now on, no keeping shit. You got any other bats hiding
in your belfry, you’d best let them out here.”
Her eyes widened.
This ain’t my first rodeo. I know stubborn people. I come
from the bear clan. He snorted. “Yeah, I’m not just some stupid biker you
can pull one over on, college girl.”
“I-I didn’t say you were,” she said.
You didn’t have to. “It’s okay. I like that people
underestimate me. It gives me an advantage. How soon can you arrange a meeting?”
“I’m not sure. I mean I can ask them today, but I don’t know
what their schedules are like.”
“Fuck, girl. Tell them they’re in danger. I’m pretty sure that’ll
clear the day calendar.”
“I don’t want to cause
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