had just been on, I sighed and turned my body away from him, dismissing his presence entirely.
“That friend of yours you just had lunch with, how much money did you end up giving her?” he suddenly asked.
I stalled before answering. The asshole had still followed me.
“Emma,” he pressed.
“I thought you were all knowing,” I replied disinterestedly. “You can leaf through my life but don’t know my bank details?”
“I can figure it out if I wanted to, but it’d save me a few minutes of cracking into your account if you just opened your mouth and told me.”
First, I dealt with a friend that lied to me about her issues. Then, I faced Linda’s bitch face telling me Borden was in a room surrounded by barely clothed women. And now, I was copping Hawke’s bullshit.
And I really didn’t want to deal with Hawke’s bullshit.
The tornado inside of me spun uncontrollably, and I ended up spinning back to him, icily replying, “How about it’s none of your goddamn business, Hawke? I’m not going to willingly tell you jack shit about the money that’s sitting in my bank account. You can figure that shit out yourself. If you don’t like it, join Linda’s ‘I Hate Emma Club’ and fuck off into the sunset.”
He blinked at me, his dark eyes searching my face for several moments. “You done?”
“Done what?”
“Done having your little bitch rant? Because I got a lot of time right now, so if there’s more, go right out and fucking say it.”
I nodded at him, feeling that pent up anger seeping out of me. “Yeah, there’s more.”
“Yeah? What else you got for me, little one?”
I slid off the stool and stood in front of him. I craned my head up at him and spat out, “I don’t get you, Hawke. You’re an asshole, always have been, and it’s for no reason at all. Strutting around all day glaring at me and shit. I haven’t done anything to you!”
“Is that right?”
“Yeah, and I’m sick of your fucking ego.”
“My ego?”
“Yeah, and you following me around.”
“What else?”
What else? I looked him over, taking in his large ass frame before pointing at his face. “And I fucking hate your crumb catching beard. Shave it the hell off, you look like Chewbacca.”
He paused, blinked again, and then said, “Great. Now are you done acting like a petulant fifteen year old instead of a grown ass woman?”
Was I done acting like a petulant fifteen year old? I took a few breaths, trying to determine how I felt. The anger was still there, but it’d faded some after my rant. I didn’t feel like a ticking time bomb, so...
“Yeah, I’m done,” I told him.
“Good,” he gritted out. “Now how much did you fucking give her?”
I answered robotically, “Four hundred and thirty dollars.”
He just stared at me, his brows shooting up in disbelief. “Four hundred fucking dollars, Emma?”
“She’s an idiot,” Graeme called out from nearby.
“I was trying to help out a friend,” I stressed defensively. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Graeme laughed in response and Hawke dug into his pocket, shaking his head more to himself as he cursed under his breath. He pulled out his wallet and produced several hundred dollar bills. I watched in confusion as he slammed it on the bar in front of me.
“Once news travels to Borden about what you did, he’s going to demand you be compensated for whatever you gave her,” he explained. “There’s five hundred right there. Take that to your bank and deposit it. Next time, let us know when you intend on helping out your friends, and we’ll do things the right way.”
“What’s the right way?” I retorted.
He took a step closer and leaned his head down to my level. I felt unnerved by his close proximity. Hawke liked to keep his distance, and he was suddenly invading my personal space with his hard brown
“That friend of yours you just had lunch with, how much money did you end up giving her?” he suddenly asked.
I stalled before answering. The asshole had still followed me.
“Emma,” he pressed.
“I thought you were all knowing,” I replied disinterestedly. “You can leaf through my life but don’t know my bank details?”
“I can figure it out if I wanted to, but it’d save me a few minutes of cracking into your account if you just opened your mouth and told me.”
First, I dealt with a friend that lied to me about her issues. Then, I faced Linda’s bitch face telling me Borden was in a room surrounded by barely clothed women. And now, I was copping Hawke’s bullshit.
And I really didn’t want to deal with Hawke’s bullshit.
The tornado inside of me spun uncontrollably, and I ended up spinning back to him, icily replying, “How about it’s none of your goddamn business, Hawke? I’m not going to willingly tell you jack shit about the money that’s sitting in my bank account. You can figure that shit out yourself. If you don’t like it, join Linda’s ‘I Hate Emma Club’ and fuck off into the sunset.”
He blinked at me, his dark eyes searching my face for several moments. “You done?”
“Done what?”
“Done having your little bitch rant? Because I got a lot of time right now, so if there’s more, go right out and fucking say it.”
I nodded at him, feeling that pent up anger seeping out of me. “Yeah, there’s more.”
“Yeah? What else you got for me, little one?”
I slid off the stool and stood in front of him. I craned my head up at him and spat out, “I don’t get you, Hawke. You’re an asshole, always have been, and it’s for no reason at all. Strutting around all day glaring at me and shit. I haven’t done anything to you!”
“Is that right?”
“Yeah, and I’m sick of your fucking ego.”
“My ego?”
“Yeah, and you following me around.”
“What else?”
What else? I looked him over, taking in his large ass frame before pointing at his face. “And I fucking hate your crumb catching beard. Shave it the hell off, you look like Chewbacca.”
He paused, blinked again, and then said, “Great. Now are you done acting like a petulant fifteen year old instead of a grown ass woman?”
Was I done acting like a petulant fifteen year old? I took a few breaths, trying to determine how I felt. The anger was still there, but it’d faded some after my rant. I didn’t feel like a ticking time bomb, so...
“Yeah, I’m done,” I told him.
“Good,” he gritted out. “Now how much did you fucking give her?”
I answered robotically, “Four hundred and thirty dollars.”
He just stared at me, his brows shooting up in disbelief. “Four hundred fucking dollars, Emma?”
“She’s an idiot,” Graeme called out from nearby.
“I was trying to help out a friend,” I stressed defensively. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Graeme laughed in response and Hawke dug into his pocket, shaking his head more to himself as he cursed under his breath. He pulled out his wallet and produced several hundred dollar bills. I watched in confusion as he slammed it on the bar in front of me.
“Once news travels to Borden about what you did, he’s going to demand you be compensated for whatever you gave her,” he explained. “There’s five hundred right there. Take that to your bank and deposit it. Next time, let us know when you intend on helping out your friends, and we’ll do things the right way.”
“What’s the right way?” I retorted.
He took a step closer and leaned his head down to my level. I felt unnerved by his close proximity. Hawke liked to keep his distance, and he was suddenly invading my personal space with his hard brown
Similar Books
