When the police were done collecting evidence and taking statements, it was time for them all to go home, including Alexa. The ambulance had left after checking everyone and cleaning a few cuts here and there. They’d all been lucky. Things could have been so much worse.

 

She walked through the house, looking for Hawk. He wasn’t there. She went out to see if he was with his MC members and saw that his car gone. Blade was still there with one other King.

 

“Have you seen Hawk?” she asked.

 

“He left a while ago with Damian.”

 

“Oh. Thanks. And thanks for your help.”

 

Blade nodded. “You’re alright, Miss Reynolds. You stop by headquarters with Hawk anytime you want, okay?”

 

She smiled. She knew enough about MCs from Hawk to know that the invitation for someone like her was a big deal. “I’d love that. Thank you.” Even if it would never happen because Hawk wanted nothing to do with her, she appreciated the offer.

 

She went back inside to find Joe and get a ride. She tried not to be stung by Hawk’s leaving her there. Maybe he’d forgotten that he’d driven her there and she had no way to get home. Maybe he’d just been so focused on getting Damian home that he hadn’t thought about it. Or maybe he was just done with her and that’s how things were going to be from now on.

 

All the same, she bit her lip as she pulled out her phone and quickly texted him. “You guys make it home okay?”

 

It took several minutes before he responded. Just a single confirmation. “Yup.”

 

Her heart twisted a little.

 

“Hey, can I get a ride for old time’s sake?” she asked Joe.

 

“Not unless you agree to come back. I don’t have a new partner.”

 

“Not going to happen. And this whole mess is just proof. I like helping out from the outside. And we wouldn’t have gotten him otherwise.”

 

“Yeah, yeah. I guess I can give you a ride anyway.”

 

She punched him playfully on the arm. “Gee thanks.”

 

She slid into the front seat of his cruiser, much like she’d done many times before when they were on duty. “So, how’s it all looking?” she asked.

 

“Well, we got him on the kidnapping for sure. So many witnesses and having the victim directly to speak to. Hawk said he’d testify and everything, so nothing to worry about there. When we searched the place, we got a few guns. Looks promising. Found some drug paraphernalia and, the biggest of all?” He looked over at her and gave her a half smile.

 

“What else was there?”

 

“We brought in the drug dog. Just before we left, he made a hit. And look at this text I just got.” Joe showed her his phone.

 

There was a message from the K9 unit officer. “20 bricks of coke, 30 pounds of weed.”

 

She sucked in a breath. That was plenty to lock him up on charges of distribution for years. “Wow.”

 

“If we can also nail him on the murder, this guy is never getting out.”

 

“Let’s hope you do,” she said.

 

“Guns are heading to forensics as we speak.”

 

“Pretty sure the one in the bedroom could be a match.”

 

“Yeah. I hope so. That would make my job real easy. And since I don’t have a partner and all, I need easy.”

 

Alexa rolled her eyes. “Are you ever going to let it go?”

 

“Oh, sure, eventually. Like a few weeks after you come back.”

 

“No going to happen.”

 

“So, this Hawk guy. You, uh…”

 

“Don’t ask.”

 

“Uh oh. That bad?”

 

She pinched the bridge of her nose. She really didn’t know and that was the problem, since she doubted she’d be able to move on without something definitive, something that felt like closure.

 

“We sort of had a thing,” she admitted. “But it looks like it’s over.”

 

“The stress of all this was too much?”

 

“That’s not it. More like he hates cops and didn’t know I had been one until recently. I guess now he’s lumping me into the cop category, even if I’m not anymore.”

 

“Hates cops? Even after today?”

 

She shrugged. “I haven’t really talked to him much today, but I don’t see why things would suddenly change.”

 

“Well, because we’re locking up his brother’s killer and his nephew’s kidnapper.”

 

“But we messed it up the first time. I don’t know. Maybe he changed his mind. Who knows? I’m sure right now he’s focused on making sure Damian is okay and safe.”

 

“Right. And I wouldn’t be too torn up about. He’s got one heck of a record. Not really your type anyhow.”

 

She turned in her seat to raise an eyebrow at him. “And you know my type?”

 

“Sure. Wears a tie, works in an office, doesn’t mind housework or a wife with a strong will.”

 

She grew quiet for a moment. “I used to think that was my type. But those guys left me bored and unsatisfied. Hawk and the danger he comes with gave me a thrill like I’d never felt before.” Quite literally, she thought, and her face went warm. “He made things interesting and he challenged me. He doesn’t just accept the crappy parts of the world. He tries to have a good life despite them and does whatever he can to live around them. It’s a different way of life, but I like it. Maybe that’s why I know I’m done for sure on the force. I like being the rebel, playing by my own rules, not answering to anyone, but still catching the bad guy at the end of the day. It’s a rush like I never felt. And I have Hawk to thank for that.”

 

Joe looked over at her. “Oh wow. You got it bad. I had no idea. Fell for a biker ex-con. Man. Never thought I’d see the day.”

 

Joe pulled into Alexa’s driveway and she couldn’t help but look next door. The living room light was on.

 

“Well, I don’t know if you have seen that day. Like I said, he hates cops, and he might hate me, too. We’ll see.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and paused with her hand on the door handle. “Thanks for the lift. Felt kinda like we’re still at it.”

 

He nodded slowly. “I’ll let you know when I hear something.”

 

“You better.”

 

She wasn’t quiet about closing the car door or her house door. She wanted Hawk to hear her. She wanted him to call or text. Something to let her know what was going on. She sat in her living room for over an hour, eating ice cream, hoping and waiting. When she finally got up to put the empty carton in the trash, she saw that his lights were all out. She picked up her phone and tapped it so the screen came on. No missed calls or texts.

 

She trudged up the stairs to bed, feeling discouraged despite all that had gone right that day. She tried to keep her focus there. Damian was home safe. Hawk was home safe. Rucker Marshall and his “Jessica” were in jail and would stay there a long time. And for a moment she felt selfish for wishing that things hadn’t turned out better, at least between her and Hawk.

 

She’d solved a huge case. A case that she’d been working on for months that had been closed unexpectedly. Now they had pulled a huge drug pusher off the streets. They’d taken down a murderer. It was her biggest case as a PI and if she leveraged this right, she’d have a ton of business.

 

But none of that seemed to matter much right now. She wanted to be curled up in Hawk’s arms instead of alone in her bed. She wanted to know he would be there for her like he had been, that he would take her into his arms and kiss her and make love to her. She longed for him, and the more she thought about it the more it tore her apart.

 

She went to bed but ended up staring at the ceiling for a long time, hoping against hope that tomorrow her phone would ring.