Road to Redemption Read online

  “Dani, Dani, Dani!” a little girl squealed and ran to Dani who scooped her up and gave her a hug. The little girl wrapped her arms around her neck and squeezed.

  I was momentarily stunned as I recognized the little girl, but it wasn’t until I saw the man walking towards us that my breath left my body. I blindly reached for Macey who was standing slightly behind me.

  “You okay, Pay?” She grasped my hand, even as I continued to stare at the man from the supermarket.

  The man’s slow smile as he reached us had me squeezing my legs together. “Hey.”

  He wore jeans that were obviously made for him, a long-sleeved black thermal shirt and a leather vest with several patches on it. He was delicious.

  I swallowed, nodded, and forced a smile. “Hi,” I squeaked.

  “You know Hawk?” Dani asked as she set Lily back on her feet.

  I shook my head. “Uh… no, not really.”

  “Lily found her in the store,” he explained as he continued to study me. “And she kindly found me.”

  Dani giggled. “You might want to consider a leash.”

  “A fuckin’ short one,” Hawk retorted.

  I held my hand out. “I’m Payton.”

  He took my hand and gave it a squeeze. “Hawk.”

  Lily patted my leg and I glanced down at her as I pulled my hand from Hawk’s.

  “You were in the stowa,” she said.

  I smiled and hunkered down in front of her. “I was at the store.”

  “You’re so pwetty.”

  I giggled. “Thank you, sweetie. So are you.”

  “Daddy thinks you pwetty too.”

  “Lily,” he said with a groan.

  I smiled. “I’m sure he thinks your mom is too.”

  She frowned. “I don’t have a mommy.”

  “Okay, trouble, it’s time you go play with your friends,” Hawk said, and picked her up, heading toward the kitchen.

  “For the record,” Dani said after he was out of earshot. “Hawk’s totally single. And his real name’s Alex James.”

  Alex. Sexy. It suited him. For whatever reason, I had a hard time wrapping my mind around ‘Hawk.’ Alex seemed more fitting somehow.

  “Babe,” Booker warned. “Don’t.”

  “You are not the boss of me, Austin Carver,” she said, and patted his cheek with her hand.

  “Fuck me,” he said.

  “Later,” she promised, and focused back on me. “You let me know if you want me to set anything up.”

  “Um, no,” I stressed. “No interference from anyone, thank you very much.”

  “Got it, babe?” Booker asked.

  “I got it, honey,” Dani said, and then smiled back at me. “But you let me know if you change your mind.”

  “I won’t.”

  She winked. “We’ll see.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I could do with some wine. Anyone else?” Macey squeezed my hand and I released my hold on her. “Sorry.”

  “I didn’t need that hand, hon. It’s all good.” She giggled and pulled me to a stop. “So that’s the guy?”

  I nodded.

  “He’s apparently single.”

  I nodded again.

  “And super, super hot.”

  I bit my lip and nodded. Macey grinned. “I’m all about Payton… remember that.”

  I let out the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. “Thank you.”

  * * *

  Hawk

  Hawk settled Lily in the playroom and nodded to Ellie who was watching the kids along with another young club whore… he didn’t know her name. Didn’t really care to. All he knew was she was good with kids. He stepped out and almost ran into Booker. “What?”

  “She’s not a whore.”

  Hawk scowled. “I know she’s not a whore.”

  Booker crossed his arms. “Probably isn’t into your warped kind of sex either.”

  “Fuck off, Booker.”

  “Her brother’s FBI, her best friend’s husband is FBI.” He raised an eyebrow. “She’s protected.”

  “Fuck. Off.”

  Booker smirked. “Just so we’re clear.”

  Hawk scowled again. “Fuck you.”

  Booker nodded. “We’re clear.”

  He walked away and Hawk stood in the hallway for a few minutes in an effort to stamp down his irritation. The truth was Booker had picked up on something Hawk wasn’t ready to admit just yet. This woman… Payton… fuck, gorgeous name to go right along with the gorgeous woman… she was under his skin. Two encounters and the woman was already under his skin.

  Fuck!

  He dragged his hands through his hair and walked back toward the common room. As he passed through the kitchen, one of the newer hangers on, Laurel he believed, gave him an open smile. “Hey, Hawk.”

  “Hey, babe,” he said.

  “You wanna have a little fun?” she purred, laying her hand on his arm.

  Hawk forced his irritation down again. For the first time in years, he wasn’t interested in a little fun. At least, in a little fun with anyone but Payton. Fuck!

  He smiled and pulled his arm away. “Not tonight, babe, yeah?”

  Laurel appeared crestfallen. “You let me know if you change your mind.”

  He nodded and joined the rest of the group.

  * * *

  I stood with Macey, Dani, and a couple of other women, and surreptitiously watched Alex out of the corner of my eye. Good lord, the man was pretty… and popular. A particularly skanky woman was draped all over him and it was all I could do not to punch her in the throat. I bit my lip. What the hell was wrong with me? I didn’t know this man. Didn’t have any rights to him.

  “Pay?” Macey squeezed my arm. “You okay?”

  “Hmm?”

  “You okay?”

  “Oh… ah, yep.” I nodded. “I’m good.”

  She studied me before giving me her ‘we’ll talk later’ look. I formed what I hoped was a sincere smile and focused back on the conversation at hand. I couldn’t focus for long, as Alex walked toward us, his face impassive, but his eyes alit with something I couldn’t pinpoint. But it was sexy as hell, possessive beyond comprehension, and I felt it all the way through me.

  I licked my lips and Alex gave me a slow smile.

  Damn it! I must look away. I must look away.

  I didn’t look away.

  As he walked past us, he gently took my arm and, like a rat to the Pied Piper, I followed him. Macey watched us leave, but thankfully, she didn’t object.

  Alex led me outside, his hand still grasping my arm, before pushing me up against the brick of the building and covering my mouth with his. I was so unprepared for the gentleness of the assault, I dropped my wine in an effort to grab his waist to stay upright.

  As his tongue slipped inside my mouth, I sighed, leaning against his hand on my cheek. God the man could kiss!

  His other hand was at my waist and holding me against him, but when it slid up to my breast, it brought me to my senses and I pushed against his chest and broke the kiss. “Alex. Don’t.”

  “Fuck me,” he whispered, and dropped his forehead to mine. “I thought this would work.”

  “What?”

  “Kissing you.”

  I frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  “I know,” he said, his arm wrapping around my back. “I thought I’d get you out of my head, but I just want more.”

  He kissed me again, but this time I was prepared and forced my mouth away from his. “We can’t do this.”

  “Why the fuck not?” he challenged, his face inches from mine.

  “Um, gee, I don’t know. Maybe because we don’t know each other.”

  “Babe, you’re fuckin’ hot and I know you think I am, so what the hell’s stopping you?”

  I took a deep breath and fought back a few choice swear words. “Please let me go.”

  “What the fuck?”

  I shoved at his chest again. “You heard me. I’d like to go ba
ck inside.”

  “Babe, don’t play hard to get.”

  I gasped. “Oh my god, Alex, I’m not playing hard to get. I really am hard to get. Let me go!”

  He released me immediately and stepped back. I turned to go, but he caught my arm again. “This isn’t over Payton.”

  “I beg to differ.”

  He chuckled. “You call me Alex, you kiss me like that, and you look the way you do? Babe, I’m puttin’ you on notice. This isn’t fuckin’ over.”

  I couldn’t stop the shiver that ran up my spine, but I squared my shoulders and pulled away from his touch. “And I’m putting you on notice, Alex James. I’m not some whore that will melt at the sight of your pretty face, or the sound of your sexy voice. I own my own mind and I don’t fold easily. I’m also unlisted and I know for a fact, there isn’t anyone in that room currently who either knows where I live, or would tell you. So good luck with your pursuits, sir, but you’re going to get nowhere pretty damn fast.”

  He laughed.

  Laughed!

  “Fuck me, you’re hot,” he said, and pushed me against the wall again.

  “What are you doing now?” I demanded, and yet, I went with it. I couldn’t seem to help myself. I wanted him to possess me… so much for having my own mind.

  He grinned. “I need to explain somethin’ to you, baby. You challenging me only makes me want you more—”

  “Well, I have no intention of not challenging you, so it looks like we might be at an impasse.”

  “Shit, an impasse.” His grin widened. “That’s just gonna make this all the more fun.”

  I blinked. “I’m afraid you’re going to be stuck playing with yourself on this one.”

  He cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing along my jaw. “Gorgeous and funny. Baby, you’re just puttin’ the nail in your own coffin.”

  “Lovely,” I retorted. “You’re planning on burying me?”

  “The only thing I plan to bury is me inside you, so wrap your mind around that, Payton. You need a day to come to terms with that fact, then, I’ll give you the day. But I always get what I want.”

  “As romantic and appealing as that sounds, handsome, you’re barking up the wrong tree. But you feel free to fantasize all you want. Day after tomorrow when you still can’t find me, you’ll figure it out.”

  Alex lifted my chin, his smile softening from leering to sweet and sexy.

  Well, crap!

  “When I find you tomorrow, baby, you and I are going to have a very intense conversation before I share those fantasies with you. And as far as hard to get, I’ll be hard when I get you, but you’ll enjoy every minute of it.”

  He leaned down and kissed me again. And I let him. There was no way he’d find me tomorrow so I might as well enjoy the hell out of this kiss. I’d kissed a lot of men in my time, and by far, this was the best. After a few seconds, I smiled against his lips and patted his chest. “You can kiss, Alex, I’ll give you that. Hope that holds you over for a while.”

  “I think I can wait until tomorrow.”

  I chuckled and smiled up at him. “You won’t find me, bub. You can’t.”

  “Challenge accepted, beautiful.”

  He leaned down to kiss me again, but this time, I stopped him. “I’m going back inside.”

  Alex let me go and I walked back to the group. Macey and Dani were in the middle of heated debate about our favorite zombie show, while Booker watched with amusement at the varying opinions.

  “Back me up, Pay,” Macey demanded. “Daryl?”

  “Sexy as hell,” I said.

  “Ew! No way,” Dani said. “He’s so… I don’t know… just, no.”

  “What season are you on?” I asked.

  “Just finished the first.”

  I giggled. “Wait it out, Dani. You’ll see.”

  “I think we’ll stop where we are,” Booker said.

  Dani wrapped her arms around her husband’s waist. “Don’t worry, honey, I’ll never find anyone sexier than you.”

  He slipped his hand to the back of her neck and kissed her temple, but didn’t comment. From the size of her grin, I figured they’d shared something secret.

  “Um, can I confirm something with you?” I asked.

  “Of course.” Dani frowned. “Everything okay?”

  “You wouldn’t give my information to anyone, would you? Like my number or address?”

  “No,” Booker said. “Didn’t matter who asked. You don’t want your info out, we won’t give it out.”

  I nodded. “Thanks.”

  “You got a problem with someone I need to take care of?”

  “No. Thank you,” I rushed to say. “If you don’t share my information with anyone, there’ll be nothing to take care of.”

  Booker looked at something over my head and I turned to see Alex watching us. I turned back toward Booker and forced myself not to smile in triumph.

  “What have you done, missy?” Macey whispered.

  “I haven’t done anything,” I whispered back. “That’s the point.”

  She giggled. “Can’t wait to hear the story.”

  “I’ll share everything on the way home.”

  “Deal.” Macey raised an eyebrow. “Where’s your wine?”

  “Hmm. Must have lost it somewhere.” I grinned.

  “Well, let’s get you some more.”

  “Lead the way,” I said, and Macey grinned and headed to the kitchen.

  * * *

  “Oh my god, Pay. He said all of that?” Macey asked as I drove home. We’d slipped out when Alex had put Lily to bed. The last thing I wanted him to see was which car I drove. He could trace me through my license plate if he had that ability.

  “Yep.” I nodded. “Weird, right?”

  “Um, no, not weird necessarily.”

  “What?” I glanced at her when we stopped at a red light. “You’re not thinking this is romantic are you?”

  She shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. As long as he doesn’t cross the line between romance and creepy stalker dude, then yeah, it’s kind of romantic.”

  “Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?”

  Macey laughed. “Dallas has reformed me.”

  “Remind me to hug him… or hit him next time I see him.”

  “You got it,” she said. “So what are you going to do?”

  “Nothing.” I drove through the green light and headed to Macey’s. “I don’t have to do anything, right? He can’t find me, so I’ll just see him if I go to another party, which I won’t for a while, by the way. So, it’s all good.”

  Macey giggled. “Okay, honey.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing,” she said, overly sweet and innocent like. “I’m just going to sit back and watch the show.”

  “I hate you so much right now.”

  “I know. And let me tell you, I’m loving that.”

  “Suck it, Mase.”

  “I plan to… when Dallas gets home.”

  “Ew! Mase! Ew, ew, ew.”

  She laughed and I pulled into the parking garage and into her extra space. I watched her as she continued to giggle, but she followed when I got out of the car, so I waited out her mirth which finally stopped once we’d walked into her apartment and poured wine.

  The rest of the night was gratefully not on the subject of Alex ‘Hawk’ James.

  “FUCK!” HAWK BELLOWED. It had been three weeks since he’d met Payton and he still hadn’t been able to find her. He slammed his hand against the steering wheel, grateful Lily wasn’t in the truck with him.

  Payton had been right. He couldn’t find her. Well, he could if Booker would give him any information, but he refused to, so Hawk was fucked. She was officially a ghost. Hawk didn’t even have a last name. Booker wouldn’t provide that either.

  “Fuck!” he snapped again.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to deal with the elusive Payton. He had three hours before he needed to relieve his sister from watching Lily, a
nd he had a shit ton of work to do. He was currently in a Fred Meyer parking lot in Vancouver waiting to meet with his contact.

  “Hawk, come in, over,” Tammy’s voice came over the radio.

  “I’m here, over.”

  “Kenny’s sitting outside Starbucks. He’s in red hoodie, over.”

  “Copy, over.”

  Hawk guided his truck to the spaces across from the coffee store and parked far enough away that he’d be somewhat obscured. As he climbed out of the cab and locked the doors, his eyes caught a glimpse of someone very familiar. His heart stuttered momentarily as he closed his eyes and opened them again to make sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing. Payton was walking out the south door, one hand holding a grande coffee, the other her cell phone and purse. Her long, straight hair was pulled into a ponytail and she wore jeans, knee-high boots and a tight, cream turtleneck sweater that did incredible things for her tits.

  Hawk stepped closer to his truck and watched her as she climbed into her car and pulled out of her space. He grinned as he took down the license plate, along with the make and model of the car. His little ghost had just materialized.

  * * *

  I pulled into my parents’ driveway and turned off my car. After hitting Starbucks, I’d met Macey at Jantzen Beach and shopped for my nephew’s birthday present. Billy was turning seven in a week and I had finally found him the video game he’d been begging for. I couldn’t help but grin… I was going to be firmly in the favorite aunt category.

  Popping the trunk, I stepped out of the car, my eyes on my purse as I dropped my keys into it and slung it over my shoulder.

  “Hey, babe.”

  I squeaked, my phone dropping to the ground as I looked up to see Alex walking toward me. He wore jeans, motorcycle boots, his vest and signature thermal. Lordy, lordy, he was gorgeous.

  “Wha—what are you doing here?”

  He picked up my phone and handed it to me. “I told you I’d find you.”

  “And, uh, how… how did you do that exactly?” Again with the squeaking. Holy crap, I needed to get it together.

  “Babe.” Alex chuckled. “I did it and that’s all you need to know.”

  “Okay,” I said, and crossed my arms. “So, you’ve found me. Congratulations, you deserve a major award. But now that you’ve ‘won,’ what’s the plan, handsome? Because I’m not really interested in a one night stand, and you’re hell-bent on getting me out of your system, so you can see how this might be a conflict of interest, right?”