There was a muffled snort.
Hawk glared at Caz.
Kit scrubbed her face with her hands. She was pale.
She should be. He was a monster.
And his brothers were assholes.
“Let me get this straight.” She used the voice he thought of as her badass-mama one. “Aric and Rachel had a fight over a toy, and he lost his temper and threw books and yelled at her.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked from Aric to Hawk, waiting for an answer.
Hawk didn’t move. He wasn’t about to incriminate the kid.
“Yes, Mama,” Aric whispered.
“One down,” Gabe muttered. He stood beside Caz, one foot on the bench. Bull was next to him.
Hawk’s muscles tightened. Would he lose his brothers too?
“What did Hawk yell at you?” Kit asked, her attention on her son.
“Stop.”
She sighed. “Because he wanted you to stop throwing things?”
Another nod.
“I’d’ve yelled too,” JJ murmured. “A book could’ve caused a nasty injury.”
“And he grabbed you. Maybe to move you away from Rachel?” Kit’s guess got a nod.
“Did he hurt you, Aric?”
“Nuh-uh.” Aric sniffled. “I got scared.”
The sense of guilt almost buckled Hawk’s knees, but he kept his balance; he was still holding the boy. At least he hadn’t hurt him, thank fuck.
“Aric, why were you scared, mijo?” Caz asked gently.
“Cuz I—”
“Because I’m a monster,” Hawk growled. “Don’t pick on the kid; he should—”
“What?” Kit stared at him. “Why would you…? Hawk, no. Aric was afraid because Obadiah or the other PZ men would have beat him. Why would you think you’re a monster?”
“Because his father was,” Gabe said at the same time as Bull.
Hawk turned to stare at his brothers.
Caz nodded. “We heard you talking with Grayson.”
His brothers knew; it wasn’t the big secret that he’d figured. There wasn’t the pity or disgust he’d feared. Just understanding.
And their knowing was more of a relief than he could have imagined.
Aric lifted his head and told Kit, “His mama and daddy were mean to him.”
Hawk winced. That was exactly what Doc Grayson had said to Aric, that Hawk’s parents could be mean. “His dad hit him. So did his momma.”
“I see.” She took a step closer. Her hand was warm on his arm. “Tell me about your parents.”
Fuck no. He needed to leave, dammit.
His brothers just waited. Audrey, Frankie, JJ, and Regan had gathered in a group next to them.
Aric still had both arms around Hawk’s neck, holding on like a lifeline. How the fuck could the boy want to be around him?
“Hawk.” Kit’s gaze met his. “Fair’s fair.”
She’d told him about her aunt and uncle. And he’d scared her kid. Had led her on and got her to love him—to love someone way too screwed up to be a good man. He owed her an explanation.
Man up, asshole. “They were okay till my father lost his job. Had to move to another state to find even crappier work. Pissed him off. He took it out on me.”
Hawk stopped, cold seeping into his blood.
“Not before?” Kit prompted.
“Not…much. Till he noticed I looked like him and wanted to toughen me up. Called me a pussy, a coward, stupid and clumsy.” Hawk managed a laugh. “He scared me so much I really was.”
Kit leaned her forehead against his arm. “You had your own Obadiah, didn’t you? Where was your mother?”
Of course Kit would ask. She’d done everything she could to keep Aric out of the firing zone, even when she got hurt instead.
“Her family was around until we moved. Then she took his side…maybe to keep from getting slapped around herself.”
Regan took up position beside Hawk, leaning against him, no less. “Wow, your mama was a stupidhead pendeja.” She looked up, filled with righteous judgment.
He stared down at the girl. The first time they’d met, he’d terrified her and made her cry. What was she doing? And she’d called his mother the Spanish equivalent to asshole?
He glanced at Caz.
His brother’s lips quirked. “What she said.”
Regan grinned.
“You had that scar on your forehead even in the foster home. Your dad?” Bull handed him a beer.
Damn his brothers. He’d always managed to avoid this shit before. Now, though... He was fucked.
Stalling, Hawk downed half of the bottle before handing it back. Get it out. “He was fixing a doorknob. I startled him, and he dropped a screw. So, he threw the screwdriver at me.”
Regan wrapped her arms around him, staring at the white line across his forehead. “I hate your dad.”
Aric’s eyes were filled with tears again—and so were Kit’s as she pulled Hawk down to brush soft fingers over the long, ugly scar. Ugly because his parents hadn’t taken him to get it stitched. Because a doctor might have asked him how it happened.
“No wonder you yelled at Aric. You have first-hand experience of what can happen when things are thrown,” Kit murmured.
Hawk shook his head. “The memory got me. I lost it. Because I’m a—”
“Oh, please.” Kit gave his arm a shake. “If every parent who yells at their child is a monster, then we’re all in that category. I’ve yelled at Aric, haven’t I, honey bear?”
Aric nodded. “An’ you said sorry, like Hawk.”
A snickering sound came from Regan. “Just like Papá. He yells and says sorry for yelling, but I shouldn’t’a done whatever, and so I have to say sorry too.”
“God knows Mako yelled at us,” Bull said. “And grabbed us.”
“How many times did we end up in a snowbank or the river shallows?” Gabe’s expression was wry—because the stubborn bastard had landed there more times than the rest of them.
“Wasn’t the sarge’s fault.” Hawk shot Gabe a glare. “He did his best.”
“We all do our best. We all mess up, apologize, and try to make it right,” Kit said softly. “No one is perfect.”
Even as he was trying to work through that, she frowned. “Aric and I have sessions together. To help with parenting techniques since we both have our own triggers that kind of bounce off each other. You obviously have some triggers…so you’d better come to those sessions with us.”
What the fuck. “I’m leaving.”
Even as Aric yelled, “No,” Kit said, “No, you’re not.”
He looked at Aric. Mouth set in a stubborn line, chin up and determined.
He looked at Kit, who wore an identical expression.
Every fucking person around him looked the same.
Christ, he was screwed.
But…now everyone knew. Knew what he had inside, what he feared. He looked at his brothers. More protective bastards couldn’t be found. Their women were the same.
And so was Kit.
Hawk rubbed the back of his neck as he considered. He’d stopped Aric when his behavior got out of control. Now, it appeared Hawk had a whole family to do the same for him if needed. He had backup. The knowledge was…freeing.