Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Nikki moved by the door and tried not to look at Diana. At the sound of a bike, she felt relieved and opened the door. Hawk parked his bike beside her car and rushed toward her.
“Nikki, baby, what is it?” he asked.
She pointed. Words were impossible.
He stepped inside the trailer and looked to where she pointed. He stood frozen.
“She was here when I came to the trailer. She’s dead, Hawk. She’s dead.”
He reached for the back of her neck and pulled her toward him. “I’ve got you, Nikki. I’ve got you.”
She didn’t even realize it was his arms she needed until he wrapped them around her. She was so grateful to him. Nikki didn’t fight it. The tears she kept at bay flooded out and down her cheeks.
“It’s okay.”
“What do I do?” Nikki asked. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how Diana died. I don’t … what are the cops going to think? I’m going to jail.”
Hawk grabbed her face, making her look at him. “You’re going to pack everything up. Take it to your mother’s place. Then, you’re going to work. You’re going to forget you ever came to the trailer.”
“But I … I’m going to live with my mom. I don’t need this trailer.”
“Then give me the keys. Let me take care of this for you.”
“What happened to her, Hawk? I thought … I don’t know what I thought.”
“I didn’t kill her,” Hawk said. “She was very much alive and leaving town when I last saw her.”
Nikki started to sob.
“Go, do as I’ve asked, and trust me, I’m going to deal with all of this. You’re not going to worry about a thing, are you?”
She sniffled.
He stroked the tears away from her face. “Don’t. I’ll take care of this.”
“We need to call the cops.”
“I’ll take care of it. Trust me.”
She didn’t know how he was going to take care of everything, but she nodded. She had no idea what to do.
Hawk used his body to block her view of Diana, and then she rushed to the bedroom. She didn’t have a lot of belongings, so she was able to pack them quickly. Her hands shook so badly. Within a matter of minutes, her car was packed, she gave Hawk the keys, and then she was back on the road, heading toward her mother’s.
Ethel had already left for the morning. She had a shift at the church, and then onto her job.
Nikki went through the motions—unloading her car, moving everything back into her bedroom, and then once that was done, she made her way back to the car and drove to the salon.
Darlene was waiting for her with open arms. She went straight into them.
“I’ve got you,” Darlene said.
It was early. The salon wasn’t even open yet, and Hawk had already contacted her to be there for her. She didn’t want to think about what Hawk had done. There was no way Hawk would kill Diana and leave the body like that.
Also, she had seen the note on the table: YOU’RE NEXT.
Those words had been written on a single piece of paper, right next to the body. Someone was going to try to kill her. Someone who had decided to kill Diana. She had no idea what kind of enemies Diana had. As far as she knew, Diana was a bitch but only to get what she wanted. What kind of enemies could Diana have, that meant Nikki might be next?
Darlene let her go, and they moved toward the back of the salon. She sat down, feeling numb.
Darlene came back to her, carrying a mug of hot chocolate. They had a small vending machine that served an assortment of tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. She took the cup and thanked her. Staring across the surface, she lifted it to her lips and blew.
“Do you know?” Nikki asked.
“Hawk let me know what you found,” Darlene said.
“You’re not shocked?”
“I am shocked that it was Diana.” Darlene frowned. “Last I heard, after Hawk and the girls paid her a visit, it was agreed she was going to leave town to stay away from you. He didn’t like that Diana had hurt you.”
Nikki took a sip of the hot chocolate. “There was a piece of paper saying, ‘You’re next.’ That’s what it said.”
Darlene looked at her.
She frowned. “Wait, there was another piece of paper on my car I completely forgot about it.”
“A letter?”
“I can’t even remember what it said, but it looked exactly like that letter.”
Darlene pressed her lips together.
“Do you think it’s related?”
“I don’t know,” Darlene said.
Nikki reached out and put her hot chocolate on the desk. “I’m so stupid. What if I had told Hawk? He might have been able to save Diana.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Someone left a note on my windshield, and I was afraid Hawk would consider me too much trouble and would end things. Now, Diana is dead, and there was a letter warning me that I was next. You’re telling me there isn’t a link?”