“Then trust me to do right by you,” Hawk replied, knowing what she meant.
“You can’t fix this,” Ginger told him.
“I sure as f**k can try,” Hawk returned and looked at me. “Let her go, I need to get her up.”
I let her go and Hawk leaned in and lifted Ginger in his arms. This didn’t cause whimpers, it caused moans. I raced ahead of him, swiping at my face, opened the front door and left it open while I moved around the room turning on lights. Hawk came in and laid Ginger down on the couch while I moved down the hall. Leo was already out of his bedroom and I rushed to him.
“I’m so sorry, she found me, Ginger’s here,” I told him quietly.
“Fuck,” he muttered and Cam came out, her eyes alert.
“Ginger’s here,” I told her.
“Fuck,” she muttered.
I raced away and Leo and Cam followed me. Ginger was on the couch, Hawk was nowhere.
This alarmed me but I moved straight to Ginger and got down on my knees by the couch. I took her hand again and she turned her head away.
“We’ll get you sorted, honey, promise,” I whispered.
“Don’t call Mom and Dad, Gwen,” she told the back of the couch.
“Right now, I’m about you, Ginger.”
She turned to face me. “Don’t call Mom and Dad.”
“I won’t,” I promised.
“Promise it and mean it and not like you meant it when I told you I snuck out and met Darren Petri and then you heard he had the clap so you told on me. Promise it and mean it.”
Jeez. Darren Petri was ages ago.
“Ginger, you kept sleeping with him and he had the clap,” I reminded her.
“He was cute,” she reminded me.
She was right. He was. Still, he had the freaking clap and she told me they didn’t use protection. What was I supposed to do?
Suddenly Hawk was crouched at my side. “Gwen, reunion later if you’re lucky. Go get your shit,” he ordered and then held a dishtowel with ice to Ginger’s swollen face.
I watched her eyes close when the towel gingerly hit her skin and I could tell that felt good.
“I’m staying with Ginger.”
“Go get your shit,” Hawk repeated and I looked at him.
“Baby, I need to stay with my sister,” I whispered.
“No, Gwen, you need to trust her to my care and go get your shit,” he stated and scarily went on. “My boys’ll be here in five to take you to my place and I’m takin’ care of her. I followed her here and others followed me. She needs to be gone so your friends’ll be safe and you need to be gone. Get me?”
Oh shit. I got him.
“You’ll keep her safe?” I asked.
Hawk just looked at me.
He’d keep her safe.