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Hawke nodded and I could see hi back tears “I’ve been so afraid that I would start forgetting things about her so I tried to keep her with o to be with you and I couldn’t-”

Hawke’s voice cracked as he shook his head “I just couldn’t do that to her, you know?”

I nodded “I know, baby,” I said as I pulled hiainst me and wrapped my arms around him “She’s a part of you and that makes her a part of us I love you so much”

“I love you,” Hahispered He drew back and took my hand and led ednext to hi …it’s about what I do for a living”

“I already know,” I interjected before he could continue “Ronan told me”

Hawke stiffened and pulled his hands free of where he’d been holdingfor the recrimination he expected me to heap on him

In truth, I’d struggled hat Ronan had shared withto check on Hawke and that Matty and I could come with him if anted or we could stay at the house on Whidbey Island with Seth The idea that Hawke had killed people, scores of them, was hard to s and a part of me had been horrified But then Ronan had told me the story of how he and his fiancé had been beaten and brutally raped with a foreign object – an attack so vicious that his fiancé, Seth’s older brother, had died from his injuries And there’d been no justice for either of thee the attack Ronan had been upfront about Hawke’s role in helping hieance After that, he’d handed me a thick stack of papers and told me I needed to decide for myself

I’d spent hours that night looking through the criminal records of all the men and even a feomen who’d died at the hands of Ronan and the roup, Hawke included A the descriptions of the horrendous crimes had been stories of failed justice and missed opportunities And the victi as Matty, some as innocent as Hawke’s wife By the tione to find Ronan before Matty had woken up and I’d told hi him

“It doesn’t change anything,” I said to Hawke as I sought out his hands again “Ronan showedand told me I had to decide for myself We’re here Hawke,” I said as I squeezed his hands

“You can’t be okay with it,” Hawke said in disbelief

“Truth?”