To hear Aric demanding food like a normal kid made Hawk’s day. “Me too.”
“Me three. Let’s go.” Kit turned and winced.
“You’re hurt.” He put a hand on her shoulder, felt her tense before relaxing.
“Not really. My ribs are sore from climbing a ladder. And throwing things…”
“Throwing things?” Aric asked.
Hawk winced. Perhaps not a good example for a child. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to know his mother wasn’t defenseless. “She threw stuff at the bad guys to keep them from hurting anyone. Pretty damn brave.”
Aric’s eyes went wide. He’d seen the PZs hurt his mother and figured she was defenseless. Powerless. The kid was too young to realize he was the reason she hadn’t fought back.
They walked together over to Mako’s place and were greeted by everyone there.
The meal was a good one. Craving Mexican food, Caz had gone for a fix-your-own meal. There were platters of warm tortillas, crispy taco shells, a spicy beef-and-bean mix, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, and guacamole. The health-nuts, who sure didn’t include Hawk, made themselves taco salads. The kids went for tacos.
After having some nachos, Hawk had a couple of burritos and one of Bull’s beers.
To his surprise, he felt all right, despite the crowd. Audrey, Frankie, and JJ were good people. And he liked having the children close where he knew they were safe. Same with Kit.
Yeah, he felt better. Although the night wouldn’t be a good one. It never was after he killed someone.
While eating, everyone offered a summary of their day, good and bad. Caz told about the mother who’d brought him a homemade strawberry pie for treating her daughter last week. He caught hell from Bull and Gabe for sharing it with his medical staff rather than bringing it home.
JJ got laughs from telling about the traffic jam—in their two-block town—caused by a moose and baby.
For a historical author, Audrey had researched what people used before toilet paper. Corn husks and mullein leaves were common. Rolling her eyes, she mentioned the commonest mistakes—like using poison ivy.
Jesus.
Discussion about the shelter battle had been postponed to after clean-up was done.
Now the dishwasher was running, and everyone relocated to the living room. A couple more armchairs were added for places to sit other than the massive sectional.
When Kit settled into one chair, JJ grinned and dumped a pile of pillows and blankets at her feet—an instant lure for Aric and Regan.
After giving JJ an approving nod, Hawk sat on the sectional closest to Kit and the kids. If talk about the PZs upset Aric, he’d be close.
Joining the children in the pillow pile, Gryff lay down with his muzzle on Aric’s leg, and Sirius, Regan’s big cat, curled up in her arms.
Even before Kit started talking about her part of the fight, the children were falling asleep.
They looked so fucking peaceful. The uncomfortable pressure in Hawk’s chest eased up, then disappeared. Even as the group discussed the fight and explosions, the pressure didn’t return.
“That’s it,” Bull said finally, concluding with the police interviews. “Might be they’ll give you a call, Gabe, since we dropped your name.”
“That fancy Chief of Police title is good for something, I guess.” Gabe grinned, then turned to Kit. “Now you’ve had some time to think about the action, what would you do differently? What did you do right—or wrong?”
Kit stared. “Wh-what?”
JJ snorted. “Welcome to your first debriefing. It’s one of the downsides of being around Mako’s sons.”
“Like you did with the children after their game?” Kit turned to Hawk as if he had the answers.
Felt…different. Good. He nodded and added, “Looking back is how you get better.”
“Everybody screws up sooner or later. But making the same mistake twice—that can be avoided,” Gabe said quietly.
He’d been their leader even before they left the foster home. Although Hawk still wanted to kick his ass at times.
Not so much recently. The bitterness of what had happened when they were mercs was pretty much gone.
“Mistakes.” Kit chewed on her lower lip as she thought. “I’m not sure what—”
“When you heard the PZs arrive, did you know how to get out?” Caz asked softly.
“Oh. Oh, I get what you mean.” She gave Hawk an unhappy look. “I wasn’t doing what you taught me—not until I got out of the room. Inside, I didn’t know what the windows looked out on or what one of the doors went to, like a closet or an exit.”
“It was a closet, I take it?” JJ asked in a dry voice.
“Uh-huh.” Kit pulled in a breath. “I messed up.”
“It’s how you learn. Watch how Hawk automatically checks out a room.” Gabe motioned to Aric. “Your son too. They’re probably better than any of us.”
Kit’s brows drew together, and she turned to Hawk again. “Why you and Aric?”
Even if it felt like he was ripping scabs off old wounds, she deserved an answer. “Beatings. You mark out the quickest way to escape. It’s instinctive.”
“I don’t have that instinct.”
He wanted to take her hand, to comfort her. Instead, he gave her honesty. “You weren’t allowed to escape. Kids…it’s their first defense.”
“Aric is good at it,” she whispered. “He needed to be.” Pain and guilt showed in her eyes as she looked at Aric. She hadn’t been able to defend him.
Then her gaze lifted to Hawk’s, and he could see she’d realized what he had in common with her son. As children, they’d been forced to escape from adults.
Rather than pity, her expression showed only respect. “Then I’ll keep learning from you…and Aric.”
Damned if he could find the right words to say. He just nodded.
“Good enough,” Gabe said in approval. “How about getting you a pistol?”
“No, but thank you.” She smiled at the three women in the room before telling Gabe, “They offered to teach me, but…quite honestly, I don’t think I could shoot someone. Hit them, yes. Shoot, no.”
Gabe glanced at Hawk, who nodded. He’d already gotten that read on her, but it was impressive she knew her limits.
“In that case.” Gabe turned to Frankie and JJ. “When she can move better, work with her on self-defense. Escaping if grabbed. Running.”
“Sweet.” Frankie grinned at her friend. “I’ve been trying to get you to learn since forever. Now you’re stuck.”
JJ laughed. “I have some evil moves that work for women our size. It’ll be fun.”
“Oh, boy.” Kit chewed on her lip, then nodded. “Okay. I don’t like being helpless—I’d appreciate your instruction.”
She wasn’t a fighter, Hawk knew. Didn’t have a predatory bone in her body, but she had an internal strength he respected. She’d push herself to gain the skills needed to protect herself and her son.
Not that she’d need to use those skills. Not while he was around.
Bull gave her a nod. “At the shelter, once you got outside, you pulled it together. You figured out that being on the roof would put you out of reach. You got the women up there and kept the PZs from following. Good job.”