Okay, maybe he wasn’t one step down from a superhero. Maybe he was a superhero.
Then Hawk opened the door of the passenger side of one and I was tossed in. Hawk rounded the hood as he holstered his weapon and I watched his other hand do hand motions as the commandos disbursed. He folded in beside me, started up the SUV, reversed like a speed demon so I quickly belted in and then we shot out of Ride’s premises and onto Broadway.
I took a deep breath and then started, “Hawk –”
“Do not speak,” he growled and I felt my breath catch.
He didn’t sound pissed. He sounded pissed.
He dug into a pocket of his cargos and pulled his cell out. He flipped it open, hit some buttons and put it to his ear.
A couple of beats and then, “Bax?”
Oh shit. Dad.
“She’s fine. I’ve got her.”
Shit!
Hawk stopped at a light. “Don’t know but she was in a safe place. Probably just freaked.”
“Can I talk to him?” I asked, my hand extended for the phone.
His head turned to me and I saw his face in the streetlights.
Then I pressed my lips together and dropped my hand.
Okay, so, I couldn’t talk to my Dad.
And also, I was in trouble.
Good to know… or not!
“Yeah, let me talk with her, see if she’s had food, get her shit together. Yeah?” Pause. “Right. Later.”
He flipped his phone shut and threw it on the console with just enough strength to make it clatter angrily.
I sucked in breath. Then I gave him a few moments to calm down. Then I tried again.
“Hawk –”
“Swear to God, Gwen,” he replied on another growl and didn’t finish but that was enough. I clamped my mouth shut. He clearly needed a few more moments.
He drove and I knew where he was driving. To his lair.
I stayed silent the entire way. I also stayed silent when he stopped outside the big rolling door to his big garage. I also stayed silent and stayed put when he got out, went in a door to the side of the big rolling door and then the big rolling door slid up. Further, I stayed silent when he climbed back in and drove into the garage, parked, grabbed his phone and got out.
I got out too.
He went to the box on the cable and closed the door. I waited. Then he went to the inside door, pushed it open and strode in. I sucked in a calming breath while I heard him beep in the numbers on the security panel and then followed.
I moved and stopped under the platform. He moved around and turned on lights. The one by the chair in the corner. Two standing lamps in the seating area. He hit a switch and lights I hadn’t noticed that hung on long cables from the ceiling lit the kitchen.
I leaned against an iron column that held up the platform.
“Can you explain to me why you’re so angry?” I asked quietly and I thought it was a good question. I mean I didn’t lock myself in the Chaos Compound. I didn’t do a drive-by on my house. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and unfortunately that place was my own house.
“First,” he replied, walking slowly to me and I knew it was not a good sign that he started by counting, “you just forced war.”