A nice female officer had spoken with Kit, then handed her to the paramedics to get her arm bandaged.
Waiting for the police to finish talking with Hawk and Bull, Kit spotted Bull’s SUV moving past a cop at the barricaded road.
Hope rose inside her.
The SUV stopped behind the police cars. Frankie jumped out and opened the back door where Aric was in his booster seat.
As Kit ran forward, she could hear him screaming, “Mama!”
The second he was out of the car, Kit dropped to her knees and hugged him. “Baby.”
His arms were around her neck, half strangling her. “Mamaaaaa.” He was crying uncontrollably.
A sob choked her as she pressed her cheek to his hair. All she wanted was to break down and cry with him.
But he was safe. That was what mattered.
She looked up at her best friend in the world. “Thank you.”
Frankie’s eyes were wet, too, but she gave a nonchalant smile. “All part of a godmother’s duties. Although he’s really mad at me since I took him away from you and Hawk.”
“Thank God,” Kit muttered.
“I wanted to stay and help, but cazzo, when Hawk gives an order, he’s even scarier than Bull.” Frankie huffed a little, then grinned. “I can’t believe Bull carries extra weapons in the SUV. I mean, I could see maybe a rifle or something, but he has, like, an armory.”
“Well, yeah.” Bull walked up and tucked an arm behind Frankie to pull her close for a thorough kiss. “Gotta have enough to share with my brothers. You never know when some assholes are going to attack a women’s shelter, after all.”
“He’ll have to re-stock.” A gravelly laugh came from behind Kit. “The cops kept our weapons.”
“Hawk!” When Aric squealed, Hawk picked him up, set him on his hip, then held a hand down for Kit.
She took his hand. How often over the past few days had he’d casually held out his hand to help her to her feet or out of the helicopter? Always just offering and letting her decide.
Now, she didn’t even think before taking his hand.
Once she was standing, he tugged her close enough so Aric could cling to her hand.
Kit glanced at the smoking, half-destroyed shelter. Her baby didn’t need to see that. “When can we leave?”
“Now,” Hawk said.
“The police know where to find us.” Bull chuckled. “We mentioned our bro is Rescue’s Chief of Police and lives next door.”
Kit gasped. “You were suspects? I can’t believe—”
“We killed people. Naturally, they’ll look at us closely,” Bull said.
They’d killed…for her. Again. Kit stared up at Hawk. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
He touched her cheek. “Did you invite the assholes to come here?”
“No, of course not.”
“Don’t shoulder guilt that isn’t yours to carry.”
“I…” He was right.
His hard blue gaze softened.
“Kit,” Bull said. “Did you accomplish your goal?”
In other words, did she distribute the money? “I did.” Her gaze was on the shelter. Firefighters were there, putting out the fire started by the explosives. “I guess it’s good no one had a chance to put the packets in their rooms.”
Frankie glanced around. “Were any of the women or children hurt?”
“Some splinters, a few scraped hands and legs. Nothing serious.” Kit looked at Hawk. “Did any of the shelter people get injured?”
He nodded.
Bull elaborated. “The volunteer who let them in has a gash on her head. The lady at the front tried to fight and got knocked out. She’s got a concussion. Two others were caught in the edge of the explosion. Nothing life-threatening.”
“Let’s go,” Hawk gave Aric a small bounce. “The kid needs cookies.”
Rather than laughing, Aric laid his head on Hawk’s shoulder—without releasing his grip on Kit’s hand.
Her boy had been traumatized. Again.
Anger stewed inside her, even as she nodded agreement. Then she sighed.
Aric would heal, especially since he had his own personal protector right there to hold onto. Because of Hawk and Frankie and the others, her son was with her, not held hostage in the PZ compound. They were free.
Kit squeezed Aric’s hand and smiled at Hawk. “Yes, we totally need cookies.”
After soaping down several times in the shower—because damned if any kind of combat left him feeling as if he was covered in blood—Hawk paced around his house, trying to relax.
A text from Bull dinged on his phone. ~We’re all eating at Mako’s. Come on over. ~
He scowled at the display and tried to decide if he wanted to join the others.
Eating might be smart, and being around his brothers after a fight would settle the uneasy feeling in his lizard brain. He could relax because it wasn’t only him watching for danger.
But being around others? Despite showering, it still felt as if anyone seeing him would spot the darkness in his soul.
He was a killer. The son of an abuser. A fucked-up mess by any standard.
Jesus, get over yourself, dumbass. Pulling in a breath, he ran through the talk with his counselor after the rescue at the PZ. His counselor was a combat vet and had seen some shit. The doc had given Hawk two questions to ask himself to work through the aftermath.
One: Why did I kill today?
The answer was plain enough. To keep helpless women and children from being murdered.
Two: Could I have done anything else?
Not without risking the lives of the innocent.
Okay then.
Another text came from Bull. ~ Can you stop by my house and bring Kit and Aric? ~
Ah, Kit still didn’t have a phone. Once she started getting out on her own, she would need one.
He texted back. ~ K ~
Over at Bull’s house, he called out, letting her know she had company. “Kit.”
“Back here.” She poked her head out of her room in the back hallway, then leaned on the door frame.
He joined her and saw why she hadn’t left. At the kid-sized dresser, Aric was wearing only briefs as he pulled a red T-shirt and dark blue overalls out of the drawer. Dressing was a serious matter at four years old.
“Why’d he pick only shit color combinations for me?” Hawk muttered. Like pairing purple plaid shorts with a garish orange-paisley shirt. The combo’d made Hawk’s eyes bleed.
A corner of her mouth tipped up in a smirk. “Because I only put a few shirts and bottoms in the drawers—all of which work no matter what gets mixed with what. I hide the other clothes and change them out now and then.”
Hawk lifted an eyebrow. “You’re sneakier than you look.”
“I have mad mommy skills.” Her luminous brown eyes lit with laughter and struck him speechless with their beauty.
She frowned. “Were you looking for Bull?”
“No. Fetching you. There’s food at Mako’s.”
“Oh. Huh.” Her frown deepened. “I guess sitting and stewing about things isn’t a good idea.”
They were a lot alike, weren’t they?
Clothes on, Aric fastened the Velcro straps on his sneakers and ran over to Hawk. “I’m hungry.”