Hawk turned toward me, gave me a look of pleading, and then turned back to the group. I scooped Lily up in my arms and smiled. “Let’s go find those cupcakes, huh?”
We walked into the kitchen where Susie met us and waved me to a door at the back of the room. I carried Lily through and saw that a few of the ladies and older kids were playing with the little ones in a well-equipped playroom. I set Lily down and she went straight for the kitchen set. With my shadow occupied, I left the playroom and headed back to the great room.
I noticed Austin’s body was stiff, his expression one of rage, and I wondered what had happened between the time I dropped Lily off in the playroom and now. He and Hawk were in the middle of a stare down and Annie had her hands on each of their arms. Bullet stood close to the threesome, but gave his woman a little space.
“You are a fuckin’ piece of shit,” Austin hissed.
“I learned from the best,” Hawk retorted.
Hatch watched them closely but didn’t step in...yet.
“What the hell is your problem, Booker?” Annie demanded.
Austin turned his head slowly. “Why are you so eager to forgive him?”
“Forwhat?” she demanded.
“For nearly killing you.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“The doctor!” Austin spat out.
“The abortion?”
“Well, yeah.”
“You think Hawk forced me to do it?”
“He fuckin’ knocked you up, so yeah!”
“What?” Hawk snapped.
Annie removed her hands and burst out laughing.
“What the fuck, Annie?” Austin demanded.
“Booker. Hawk didn’t get me pregnant. Marvin Adams did.”
“The center for the Trojans?”
Annie nodded. “Yeah. He was worried about a possible basketball scholarship to Oregon State, so he gave me the money and it went bad. Hawk just happened to be home when I started to hemorrhage. Honey, he took care of me. He’s the reason I didn’t bleed to death.”
Austin glanced at Hawk. Both their bodies were considerably more relaxed.
“This is where all this hostility shit’s been coming from?” Hawk asked.
Austin rubbed his forehead. “And the fact you didn’t testify against your father... yeah.”
“He didn’t testify because he didn’t need to,” Hatch said.
“Meaning?” Austin asked.
Hawk sighed. “I signed an affidavit attached to a detailed account of everything I knew about in terms of what Annie told me, along with what I’d observed. You found the proof, so the attorneys figured pitting me against the bastard might do more harm than good. You know I have nothing to do with him. He’s fuckin’ dead to me.”
“Fuck,” Austin rasped.
This was when I moved. I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around his waist. Austin settled his hand at the back of my neck, thumbing my pulse.
