Page 64 of Damaged Protector
Mackenzie snapped her fingers twice. “Pics, please.”
Pulling my phone from my purse, I found Hawk’s Instagram account. He’d never posted much on it, but I’d talked him into letting me take some pics and reels of him working out this week. With his huge, glistening muscles, he’d become a regular thirst trap for the ladies of Insta.
“Holy fucking hell! That dude is jacked!” Mackenzie exclaimed, gaping at the screen as she scrolled. “He looks like he could chew up Scotty P. and pick his teeth with the little weasel’s bones.”
“Yeah, he used to be a Navy SEAL with my cousin Cam. All his friends are built like warriors, though Hawk and Tank are by far the biggest.”
Mackenzie’s eyes met mine, and we shared another moment… one where a devious plan developed without us even speaking a word.
“Do it,” she demanded, handing my phone back to me.
As soon as we were seated again, Scott said, “Bruhh, I thought we were going to have to send in a search party for you girls.”
At the use of the “trigger word,” my new friend’s lips twitched before she lifted her glass of the very expensive wine to her mouth. It was all I could do not to burst into a fit of giggles.
She turned to her husband. “Babe, did you know Mallori’s boyfriend used to be a Navy SEAL?” When Travis looked confused as fuck and darted his eyes to Scott, Mac continued. “His name is Hawk.”
“Buh—buh—” Scotty P. seemed to be at a loss for words, his face turning a bright shade of red. It was fabulous.
“Show him that reel of Hawk bench pressing,” she urged.
When I did, Travis held my phone, his eyebrows shooting upward. “Wow. Dude looks like he could bench press a Chevy.” Scott was practically stretched out on top of the table as he leaned forward to watch. It was a very impressive reel.
“I bet he bench presses Mallori… in bed,” Mackenzie announced with a sly smile.
Scotty P. practically swallowed his tongue, but I simply uttered a demure, “Well, you know.”
“I’ve heard those SEAL guys are badasses,” Travis said, handing my phone back. “I wouldn’t want to mess with that guy.” He shot another look at Scott.
Pretending to be exasperated, I sighed. “Hawk is so stubborn. When he got shot, he refused to even go to the hospital. One of his teammates dug the bullet out with a knife and sewed him up in a speeding boat.”
Scotty P. was pretty quiet after that, not even protesting when I handed my card to the waiter to pay for my twenty-three dollar bowl of minestrone soup. Luckily it was hearty, so I didn’t leave hungry.
Our plans had been to go to a movie—as a group—after dinner, but when I informed them I was heading home early, Scott let out a resigned sigh and nodded.
I couldn’t wait to tell Hawk about my evening. I was pretty sure he’d get a kick out of the whole thing. Hopefully he wouldn’t be upset that I’d claimed him as my fake boyfriend in order to completely shut down Scotty P.
After all, it was for a good cause.
Entering the house, I locked the door behind me and went in search of my roommate.
Chapter 19
Hawk wasn’t in the living room or kitchen, and I headed to the back of the house. His bedroom door was open, so I went inside. We’d developed a bit of an unspoken open-door policy in the three weeks I’d been here.
I always slept with my door cracked open, unable to stand the thought of being in a closed room. I guessed being locked in a studio for five weeks would do that to a person. My roomie never asked questions—which I appreciated very much—but I’m sure he knew my reasons. He was nothing if not intuitive.
If I went to bed before him, Hawk would often peek inside my bedroom to tell me goodnight before he headed to bed, and I did the same to him. So entering his room wasn’t an unusual or uncomfortable thing for me to do.
The only room I never ventured into was the so-called Den of Sin. I was beginning to think that was a bit of a myth since Hawk had never had a “guest” in the weeks I’d been living here.
The black door between Hawk’s room and the Den had always been closed, and the door in the hallway that led to the mysterious room was locked. Well, it had been the one time I’d been brave and curious enough to wiggle the handle.
But tonight the black door was cracked open. Maybe he was inside cleaning his handcuffs and whips or something. I edged closer, about to speak his name when his words froze my feet into place.
“Fucking take it all or you know what’s going to happen.”
I’d never heard Hawk’s voice like that. It was always deep, but this… this was almost otherworldly, a bottomless rasp of authority that made me want to do any fucking thing he asked.