Page 30 of Hook

What exactly do I want to know? What am I searching for? I bite the corner of my lip as I try to think of what I want to typein when my gaze falls on the few papers on the desk. There are some of those same forms that I saw on the screen, but these are printed out. They are filled in. Under that are a few unopened envelopes. I pick one up and look at the address: Lenox Mitchell.

I pick up a few other envelopes, and they are all addressed to the same person. That must be his real name. I lean over the computer and type in the name, followed by the words "criminal record." That's the best part about information in the digital age. It's easy for anyone to get answers, even if they are to questions I don't know I had.

I shouldn't have looked him up. Shouldn't have dug into his business but now that I have I can't unsee it.

I press my hand to my mouth to keep the sound of my gasp at bay. It's so much worse than I thought.

Mug shot after mug shot pops up on the screen and no matter which one I click on there's a long list of charges connected to it. Some of the charges didn't stick but the ones that did have my blood freezing over.

The last time Hook was in jail it was for assault with a deadly weapon. He plead guilty and got charged with assault. He spent three years locked up in northern california. My fingers tremble as I do another search on his name this time looking for any media or news articles about what might have happened.

I swallow my apprehension. Maybe it's not as bad as I think it is. Maybe there's an explanation.

"Oh god..." I whisper as I read through a news article the describes in extensive detail about the road rage incident that nearly turned deadly.

According to the news, Hook was involved with an altercation with another man. The man had cut Hook off at a light and they began to argue. The news says that Hook then proceeded to get off his bike and pull the man out of his car, he beat him with his helmet and while the man laid there bloody and near lifeless Hook pulled out a gun and threatened to take his life. The media said Hook was unhinged and unremorseful. They called him the worst parts of society.

This was the man I'd given my body to last night. The man who I'd let come inside of me and hold me while I slept.

He was just as much of a monster as Lance was.

I did my best to control my breathing but the more I read the more it felt like I was going to pass out. I can't believe I did this shit again.

"What are you doing?" A deep grating voice echoes through the room and I spin around only to see Hook standing there glaring at me.

"Stay away." I put my hand up. Now that I know what kind of person Hook is I'm not going to let myself be a fool anymore. I know I wished for a monster but I wasn't going to let myself catch feeling for him.

"What the fuck are you "Talking about 'stay away'?" His eyes squint as he takes another few steps in my direction.

"You're just like him. I thought you might be different, but you're just like him." I whisper more to myself than to him. I skate the perimeter of the room, trying to get as much distance between Hook and myself. He continues walking until he gets to the computer I was just standing in front of, and I'm standing by the same wooden table he took me against last night.

He sighs, and I watch as he fists his hands before turning in my direction. Thankfully, he doesn't take another step toward me.

"I already told you I was an ex-con."

"Yeah, but you didn't tell me what you went in for. You could've killed that man. Just like last night, if they didn't stop you, you would have killed him. You think I'm going to run from someone like Lance just to be with someone like you? How is it any better?"

"It's not. What part of 'I'm not a good man' did you think I was lying about?" He raises his voice, and I flinch at the power behind it.

Now I'm fearing for my life. What is he going to do to me? I'm stuck in here with him. I can't go outside; I can't stay here. I'm screwed.

"Just leave me alone." I do my best to put a little bass in my voice to appear stronger than I feel right now.

"You want to know why I know Lance isn't going to just let you go? You want to know how I know what it's going to take?" Hook continues to glare at me but doesn't take another step. "It's because I am him. Everything that you're so scared of about your ex is inside of me too. If you wanted something different, something safe, you should have gone into that police station when you had the chance."

Panic rises in my gut. I can't get caught up in this again. The intense need to run away overwhelms me, and I look around the room for not only a weapon but a way out of here. There are plenty of tools lying around, but I'm not dumb enough to think I'll be able to overpower Hook if he tries to keep me here.

Instead, my eyes fall on the small remote he used yesterday to open and close the garage door.

"Just let me go. I don't want this. Let me go." I beg, and a spark of hope blossoms in my chest when I look near the entrance of the garage and see through the small window.

I see my car parked right there in direct sight.

"I'm not keeping you here." Hook speaks through clenched teeth, and I realize this may be my only shot to get out of here.

I grab the clicker and take off back to the office, where I grab hold of my bag and dig out my keys.

I run out of the office directly to my car. I move fast, knowing that Hook doesn't want me to take my car. He'll come out any second and try to stop me. I just know it.