An Eye For An Eye (Fast & Furious | Hobbs/OFC)

Chapter 37

"...Hobbs?"

Shaw squinted like she couldn't quite believe the holy visage in front of her. Truth be told, Luke didn't quite believe it himself, nevermind the words that'd come out of his mouth last night. The way he'd touched her face like he was seconds from doing something stupid and crossing a line that no man in his right mind would ever cross.

Not with a woman like Elizabeth, anyway.

"I told you I'd be here with bells on," he said.

"What about the top hat and tails?"

"I lost them."

"Of course you did."

Groaning, Elizabeth sat up, hair messy and eyes bleary. Covering her mouth with one hand as she yawned, she reached for her bedside lamp with the other and switched it on.

Luke squinted himself at the sudden flood of light before settling on the end of her bed. Shaw had drawn her legs up and crossed them, giving him plenty of space to maneuver. The ceiling was just high enough that he had a good inch or two of room above his head, ensuring he wasn't going to crack his skull open on anything, while her desk was shoved in the corner and out of his way so he wouldn't kick it either.

"You hungry?" It seemed like a redundant question, but there was no harm in asking. "I got—"

"Sure."

The flat tone of her voice made him sit up and pay attention. After last night, Luke had thought that maybe this would serve as some kind of entertainment for them both. Something that'd take their minds off the situation at hand, as if having Elizabeth sit on him wasn't distracting enough.

But this wasn't her.

Not the her he knew. The woman who'd beaten his ass that morning by sprinting like a bat out of hell or the one who'd nearly ripped his head off for merely suggesting that Hattie might get involved.

No, something was wrong, or something had happened since they last talked.

He glanced at the phone sitting on her desk, almost like it'd been dumped there or tossed, perhaps even thrown. Shit. Had she called Hattie? Her mom or dad? Deckard and Owen would still be laid up in hospital so calling them was a waste of time, but her sister...

Once Hattie knew what'd happened, there was no question she'd get involved. And if Dom hadn't called Magdalene by now to bring them into the fold, he'd regret it the next time Luke and Jakob showed up on his doorstep.

"Elizabeth."

Breakfast in bed. Conversation. Time together. Arguments. Those were the first four of her so-called weaknesses—the ammunition needed to seduce her—and once he invoked the last three, Shaw would be putty in his hands.

At least he hoped it would be as easy as that.

After the last two days, he needed these small successes. Besides talking to Sam, there really wasn't much to look forward to outside of the infrequent opportunities to get off Cipher's plane.

"What?"

Luke leaned toward her and reached up, hooking her chin with his finger just like she'd done to Jakob. She stared at him, a shred of emotion wavering in her eyes as if he'd just pushed past some invisible barrier. Some shield she normally kept up to block out the world and separate herself from it.

Elizabeth pursed her lips like she didn't know if she should smack his hand away or not, but before Shaw could try anything at all, the words he normally kept reserved for people who deserved them came tumbling out of his mouth.