Hawk (Ride with Me)

Chapter 9

Hawk

“Rumor has it that the Savages MC are encroaching on the Steel Lizards MC territory.”

Devereaux gives me a look of approval. I just nod and take a pull out of my cigarette, the smoke almost chocking me before giving me the relief I crave.

“Bricks has been making lots of phone calls to strategize. Since he is calling all the people I thought he would, we are in good shape.”

I’m not sure what he wants me to do here, congratulate him maybe.

“I will need you and a group of your boys out in Austin,” he tells me out of nowhere. “It’ll be a big mission, no time to waste.”

I take another pull from my cigarette. This time, I do choke on it. The smoke gets stuck in my chest, causing me to cough endlessly. For a bizarre reason, I just can’t catch my breath at all.

“I can’t do anything without the direct approval of my president,” I finally manage to wheeze out.

Just then, my phone rings. I look at the caller ID, then lift my eyes to Devereaux. On a different person, the look on his face would look smug. But that’s how he looks in general, content in the knowledge that he always has everything under control.

“Yeah,” I answer the call from my president.

“Congratulations on a job well done, Hawk,” he tells me. “Fucking a stripper has never been this lucrative to us. Keep it up.”

For reasons unknown, his words sound hollow in my ears. I’ve been visiting Ruby every night for a week now. I am getting addicted to her touch, and disappointment tastes bitter on my tongue when she follows through and reports everything I tell her to the other side. That is what she is supposed to do, what we want her to do, but it still bothers me that she is loyal to them and not me.

“Devereaux needs us all in Austin in a few days.” He basically tells me what the man himself just said to me. “It’ll be complicated, but I have no doubt we can pull it off. He’ll give you all the details.”

“So you already said yes to it?”

There is no sound coming from the other side. Prez is not used to anyone questioning him. I don’t even know why I’m doing it.

“Did I stutter?”

I chuckle at that. “No, not at all. I just would’ve expected for something big to be put through church…”

“You questioning my decision-making process does not bode well for anyone, Hawk.”

I nod and bring the cigarette to my mouth again. This whole thing with Ruby has me fucked up in the head. That is surprising for sure. I don’t want to feel anything for her, just like I’ve never felt anything for any of the whores I’ve ever fucked. But there is just something about her. I catch these glimpses of innocence once in a while that throw me off track.

Prez hangs up, leaving me to stare at Devereaux. He is staring back at me, not even blinking.

“As I was saying,” he starts talking like we never got interrupted. “The mission in Austin will be big and complicated. I need everyone to be hands on deck on this one.”

“I need more details than that,” I grumble as I blow the smoke to the side.

“Wrecker, Puck and Sully will be in Austin,” he gets into the details now. “And I want you to kidnap Wrecker under the pretense of getting him arrested.”

I wait for the smoke to clear so that I can actually see this motherfucker’s face properly. He’s not laughing, but I’m positive what he just said is the funniest thing ever.

“You want me and my boys to pretend to be, what, cops?”

Devereaux nods in confirmation, a smug smile in place.

“And then go and arrest Wrecker? Bricks’ son,” I add for good measure. “And do what with him?”

“I’ll take care of the after part, Mr. Hawk. I just need you to bring him to me.”

The sudden burst of laughter bubbling out of my chest threatens to kill me when I try to hold it back. It turns into this weird laughter mixed with a coughing fit, and I have to lean forward so I can breathe.

I’m not sure how long I laugh for, but Devereaux never reacts in any way. Instead, he waits patiently for me to calm down.

“What about the other two?” I am finally able to think clearly.

“Puck and Sully are not to be touched at that point.”

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ.” I rub my hands up and down my face.

“They will take care of their clubhouse,” Devereaux continues. “But I need Wrecker out of there sooner rather than later. Bricks is getting close to just putting a bullet in his head.”

“What about his wife?” My voice sounds sarcastic even to my own ears.

Devereaux smirks at me. “Wrecker doesn’t have a wife, Mr. Hawk.”

I roll my eyes in annoyance. He knows exactly what I’m talking about.

“Bricks’ wife,” I explain anyway.

“Arlene will be in Illinois visiting her other son.”

There’s something in his eyes that makes me take notice. This woman has him by the balls. I can’t imagine someone being so hooked on some pussy that he is ready to burn the world for her forty years later.

“And that kid?” I think to ask. “I thought Wrecker has a kid now. Do I have to arrest him to?” I can’t even say the words with a straight face.

“Ethan will be with Arlene, visiting his uncle.”

I lean back and stare at him. He seems to be having everything figured out.

“I’m not sure how you expect us to do this,” I finally say. What he is proposing that we do is way above our paygrade. Besides, anyone looking at us would know that we’re no cops.

“My connection at the Austin PD will also help,” Devereux starts laying out the plan. “But I need a group of people I can fully trust to extract Wrecker without raising any suspicions.”

“We’re all big men full of tattoos,” I make sure to point out. “I’m not sure what kind of cops you have in mind, but no way we look like them.”

“That should not be a problem at all, Mr. Hawk,” Devereaux assures me. “In fact, it will come in very handy, at least the size of you part.”

The more involved I get in this shit, the more I regret not having any of my club brothers with me. On top of that, this coming Thursday is my regular day to visit my mother. While she’s not quite sure who I am anymore, she somehow knows the schedule. The staff told me before that she gets restless when I don’t show up.

My relationship with my mother has always been on the complicated side. Unlike a lot of my brothers, I had a happy childhood. My father did accounting for the club, so he was always invited to certain events they had. That’s how I fell in love with motorcycles.

When I turned fifteen, they gave me a job cleaning the toilets at the club. I gagged the first time I walked into their bathrooms there, and I swore I’d never go back. But they were paying well, and I liked having my own money.

That became even more important once my father was involved in a car accident as he was driving home from work. He did not survive it, leaving me and my mother in a world of hurt. The life insurance he had covered the mortgage and any other debt my parents had incurred, but my mother had never worked before, and she had a hard time adapting to the culture in a work environment.

While she was struggling with part-time jobs, Prez started giving me more work to do at the club. Looking back now, I know he was paying me way more than what he should’ve for what I was doing.

He earned my loyalty and my willingness to join the club once I turned eighteen. Over the next couple of years, my pay went up significantly, to the point where I could support my mother. The relief on her face when I told her she could quit her job did things to me. I swore to take care of her until the day she died.

What I did not count on was her getting sick at a fairly young age. She was barely in her fifties when she started showing signs that something was not right. I spent a lot of time and money on doctors, having them run all the tests possible, until they had a diagnosis. Early onset dementia.

She cried when they told us. But she forgot about it relatively quick. I hired someone to live with her because I was too busy with the club. While she did not need permanent care yet, it made me feel better knowing she was not alone.

Two years later, that was not enough anymore. I found her the best facility money could buy, and that is where she’s been living for the last five years. The decline has not been as abrupt as I was expecting. Between the meds they give her and the activities she does there, she is well taken care of.

“Mr. Hawk,” Devereaux speaks again. “I spoke with your president about you.”

I blow some smoke to the side, a weird pressure in my chest distracting me for a second.

“I wanted him to know how much I valued your work.”

“Thanks,” I chuckle. It’s like we’re in some strange board meeting, proper businessmen and all.

“In exchange for everything you’re doing for me, I would like to offer you a monetary bonus.”

My hand freezes halfway in between the table and my mouth. I was about to take another pull from the cigarette. I become suspicious of his motives.

“All the money goes through the club.”

The tone of my voice should not leave any doubt that I am serious. Betraying the club is not an option for me.

Devereaux smiles, and this time it reaches his eyes.

“Your president did say that you will not fall for it. I appreciate loyalty when I see it. He is a very lucky leader to have someone like you on his side.”

It’s almost as if this entire conversation is actually a trap. I can smell it, but I don’t know what the purpose of it would be.

“With that said…” He leans forward, arms resting on the table between us. “You are in charge of the operation in Austin. You pull it off, I will pay all the fees on your mother’s care, for as long as she needs it.”

I lift my eyebrows in surprise. I spoke with my president about a higher pay for this job. He never really committed to it. I should’ve never asked for special treatment, knowing all council members get an equal cut. What Devereaux is offering me is something that is hard to say no to.

“I can’t accept without my president’s approval,” I inform him coolly. “I don’t do anything without the club’s approval.”

I lean back in my seat and relax my body, refusing to show any emotion. The offer is beyond tempting, but money is the eye of the devil. Once you say yes, it will haunt you. Jeopardizing my position within the club is not an option, even at the risk of not having to worry about paying for my mother’s care.

“He is waiting for your phone call, Mr. Hawk,” Devereaux smiles again.

Just then, his cell phone vibrates from somewhere inside his perfectly pressed jacket. He pulls it out and stares at the screen, his face a mix of amusement and annoyance.

“I apologize, Mr. Hawk. I have to take this.”

Without giving me time to acknowledge what he said, he stands up and walks away. When he answers the call, his tone is too low for me to hear anything.

I continue smoking my cigarette, with the beginning of a cough hitting me every so often.

“You should quit that,” a deep voice warns from behind. “It’ll kill you.”

I turn my head to look at Devereaux’s security guard. Malone is a massive dude, biggest I’ve ever seen in my life. His dark skin looks darker yet in the dim lights of the room, making his teeth whiter when he smiles.

“Something’ll kill me for sure,” I shrug at him.

We remain in silence for another couple of minutes, with me wondering if I should just get up and get the fuck out.

“You remind him of Wrecker,” Malone tells me out of nowhere.

“Who?”

He points with his chin in the direction where Devereaux is standing. “The boss.”

“Why does he care about Wrecker that much anyway?”

Malone shrugs. “He is in love with his mother. Wants the best for him.”

That makes me laugh. We’re talking about Wrecker like he’s a little kid.

“Isn’t he close to forty now?”

Malone laughs with me. “Thirty-five.”

I shake my head in amusement and finally put my cigarette out. My hands remain resting on the table, waiting for Devereaux to come back.

“He really means it when he says that he wants to help your mother,” Malone speaks again. “For some reason, he has a soft spot for everyone’s mother.”

I have nothing to say to that, so I remain quiet. Devereaux is done with his call and walks back to us. He doesn’t look as composed as he was before taking the call.

“I apologize, Mr. Hawk, but we have to leave. I expect for you to discuss the situation with your president and get back to me by tonight at seven, no later than.”

He then looks at Malone.

“We need to discuss Emily.”

They nod at each other and walk away, leaving me to wonder who the fuck Emily is. If she is his wife or mistress, why does he have the hots for Arlene Knight?

Deciding that I have way too much going on in my own life, I stand up from the table and walk out of the building. I get on my bike and rev it up a couple of times before taking off.

I have two things on the agenda for tonight. One is to call at the club and discuss with my president what the fuck just happened with Devereaux.

Two is easier and more enjoyable. Pay a visit to Ruby to fuck her and feed her more information.

Such is the life of an outlaw.