Unbeloved Read Online Free PDF

small pair of gold hoop earrings that had once belonged to my grandmother. I had always been simple in that sense, not someone who’d ever cared much for flashy clothing or adornments.
    Christopher shrugged. “Dad said you’d like it.”
    Tentatively, I lifted the silky -smooth lid and, upon seeing the contents, felt my eyes prick with tears.
    Of course Hawk had known I would like it. Hawk had always known me better than anyone. He ’d seen me at my best, at my absolute worst, and all the moments in between.
    Whereas no other man, not my ex-husband, not even Jase, had ever taken the time to truly pay attention to the little things, Hawk had always been watching. Whether we were secreted away together in the shadows, lying beside each other in bed, or when we were apart, from across the room, he always had his eyes focused directly on me.
    Using only the tip of my index finger, I gently brushed over the delicate silver chain until reaching the tiny silver heart that hung from it. “Mom” had been engraved in softly swirling letters in the center of the charm. It was beautiful, yet simple. It was perfect.
    “ You like it?” Christopher asked.
    Clearing my throat, I set the box in my lap and reached forward, drawing my son into my arms. “I love it,” I whispered hoarsely.
    As was typical at his age, our hug was short-lived, and after only seconds he was pulling away from me, his attention once again on his gifts.
    Tucking my legs beneath me, I leaned comfortably against the large throw pillow beside me, content for the time being just to watch him enjoy his Christmas.
    He might not appreciate it now, but someday he would look back and remember that his mom had always been there for him, was always armed with a hug and a smile. He would remember those times and in turn, he would smile.
    Tegen hadn ’t had that as a child, and after repeatedly disappointing my parents, neither had I. But Christopher always would. I would make sure of it.
    Glancing over at the cell phone lying beside me, I felt my chest uncomfortably tighten as my anxiety returned. I just hoped he would be able to remember the same from his father.
    Good God, why wouldn’t someone tell me what was going on?
    • • •
    It was early afternoon when my phone finally rang, the screen signaling that Tegen was calling.
    “ Mom,” she said softly, too softly. My daughter did not speak softly, not unless something was wrong.
    Gripping my phone tightly, I swallowed back a wave of fear. “What’s wrong?” I whispered. “Where’s Hawk?”
    “ Mom,” she repeated. “This isn’t a secure line. You need to come home.”

Chapter Three
    Two days earlier
    With the highway stretched out in front of him and nothing but more highway behind him, James “Hawk” Young could finally breathe again.
    Whatever craphole town he’d been holed up in for nearly a month now had early on begun to wear on him. So when Deuce had called and told him to get his ass to Vegas, he was more than happy to oblige and leave behind the obscenely clingy bartender he’d been trying to shake since day fucking one. Young and hot didn’t necessarily make the ideal companion, and after a few rounds of sex, he’d been more than done with her.
    But he was finally free of her, finally back on the road, the only place he ’d ever felt he could just . . . breathe.
    No, that was a lie. There been one other place, or rather one person, who’d given him that same feeling. Who’d taken away the stifling emptiness with just a simple fucking smile.
    It wasn ’t the case anymore but way back when, when he still had the woman he loved within his reach, that damn smile . . . it was fucking magic.
    Usually w hen he was on the road this late at night, mostly empty aside from him and the occasional car, he would think about that smile, those eyes, that tiny little nose all covered in freckles. And for just a moment, the emptiness would begin to ease.
    He’d think about his favorite memory, the