Chapter 25
Hawk
Through swollen eyes, I stare at the sky above me. The sun beats on me, blinding me with its brightness. Under normal circumstances, I’d be angered by it. But after surviving the last twenty-four hours, I relish in it.
My entire body aches in ways I never imagined. I don’t know if I have any broken bones, and I can’t go to a hospital. Instead, I will hope and pray that the good beating I took will not leave any permanent damage.
The meeting at the club ended in chaos. Once the members had the chance to process what Prez was proposing, they erupted into yelling and pointing fingers, threatening to leave the club altogether due to inconsistencies in following the bylaws. The only one who never protested to it was Winger.
When he jumped on the table and let out a loud whistle, they all got quiet.
“How about you show some fucking respect to our president and hear him out?”
He turned around and stared everybody down until they each sat down and grumbled under their breath.
Winger jumped off the table but didn’t sit back down next to me. Instead, he started pacing around the table, taking lead of the meeting. Prez crossed his arms over his chest and smiled at him proudly.
“As a loyal member of the Savages MC, I swore that I would never pass judgement onto my president and the decisions he would make without hearing him out.”
He stopped at the end of the table opposite to Prez. From his spot there, he dared each one of the members to fight him on this.
“Now, Prez…” He crossed his arms over his chest and widened his stance. His eyes looked like flame throwers when he focused them on the club leader. “The floor is yours.”
Prez took his time responding. When he made eye contact with the members, they all looked away in shame one by one.
“It is nice to see that at least one of you can think clearly in a situation of emergency.”
“Things were clear before we took our small break.” Winger’s eyes fell on me. “Why the change of heart?”
Prez chuckled. “I have to say that I am impressed with your sense of leadership, Winger.” He glanced my way in approval. “You did learn from the best.” Then, all amusement died on his face. “Don’t fuck it up.”
“Winger is right, Prez,” someone called from the side. “We were supposed to vote on…“ The brother hesitated for a second. “On how Hawk should leave the club.”
Prez smirked. “And I offered you an option, did I not?”
“Why is Hawk allowed to walk away free?”
Prez never took his eyes off the brothers while he seemed to have an inner battle with himself on how he should present the situation. I was just as flabbergasted as they were.
“Hawk is not walking away free,” he declared. “Hawk is being turned over to our new business associate. Should you vote in agreement to the business deal.”
He grabbed the gavel and kept it poised over the table.
“All in favor say aye.”
One second passed. Then another…
“Aye,” came the resounding response just when I thought it wouldn’t happen.
The gavel hit the table, and Prez met my eyes. The beginning of a smirk formed in the corner of his mouth.
“This doesn’t mean that we are not going to give Hawk a proper sendoff.”
That’s how they walked me to the yard and took turns at hitting and punching me until I didn’t know which way was up. I just stood there and took it all, knowing that I deserved it.
They went at me for what felt like hours but not really sure. When they were done with me, I allowed myself to fall to the ground. I’m pretty sure I was drooling, and I was grateful that it was dark out and no one could actually see it.
At some point, Winger put a pillow under my head and Prez threw a blanket over me. They then sat in chairs next to me and shared a bottle of whiskey to the very last drop. They shared stories from our adventures together, managing to even make me laugh at times, even though it hurt like a motherfucker to do so.
I’m not sure when, but I did fall asleep. Now, it is morning time, and the sun is blinding me with its brilliance. When I lift my head to look around, I notice that only Winger is still with me.
“Hey, fucker,” he greets me when he notices that I’m awake. “I’m gonna miss your ugly mug.”
He shakes his head at me, or at least I think he is. I’m not sure. My eyes are swollen shut, and everything takes effort.
“You’re no better looking,” I mumble.
“Yeah, well, better than you, that’s for sure,” he laughs. “Wait until you find that girl and she sees you like this. She’s gonna run like a bat out of hell. Then you’re gonna try to crawl back crying.”
The thought of finding Ruby invades my mind now. I have no idea where she went, but at least I have enough money to find her. Sometime in between beatings last night, Prez did confirm that I am walking away with all the money he’d promised, and that he will take care of my mother until she passes.
In the grand scheme of things, I realize the enormity of both of his promises. I wish I could’ve negotiated visits to see my mother, but it all happened so fast, there was no way of asking for anything more.
“Your ride is here, fucker.” Winger alerts me to a car approaching.
Since I can’t move my body or even only turn my head, I wait until whoever is here will make their presence known. Someone’s face suddenly blocks the sun as they’re looking down on me.
“They really did a number on you.”
I squint my eyes, trying to make out who this is. His voice is familiar. I am positive I’ve heard it before.
“It’s Malone.” When he grins at me, I make out the white of his eyes in the darkness of his skin.
I lick my dry lips and try to speak.
“Your teeth are brighter than the fuckin’ sun.”
My voice sounds like I’ve been eating dirt, but he understands what I’m saying and laughs.
Hands touch my arms and legs, and I let out a groan of pain when they lift me on what seems to be stretcher.
“Nice touch with the big van, dude,” Winger praises. “I was wondering how you’d get his big ass out of here.”
The pain is too great for me to comment. It takes forever for them to pick me up and put me in what Winger called a van. I can’t focus on the inside of it, and I don’t care to. I don’t know where they’re taking me, and while I do want to know, the pain in my chest takes my breath away, distracting me for it.
Right before the doors are about to be slammed shut, I hear Winger’s voice.
“Wait a goddamn minute!”
There’s some shuffling around, and before I know it, something is being shoved in my arms.
“For the trip to wherever you’re going, brother,” Winger tells me. His voice sounds emotional.
If I was in better physical shape, I’d hug him. Since I can’t, I blindly reach for his hand and squeeze when I find it.
“Thank you, brother,” I mumble out. “I will never forget you. I will never forget the club,” I promise.
He lets go, and the sound of doors being slammed echoes inside the vehicle. It takes everything in me to lift my head and try to look out the window in a last attempt to see the clubhouse. I am confused when I squint and realize that club members are outside, watching me leave. Some wave, some yell words that I can’t understand, and some just stare. They are all saying goodbye.
I drop my head back down on the stretcher and allow myself to feel vulnerable. As I am leaving the motorcycle club life, I don’t know what awaits me out there. I can only hope that it was not all for nothing.
Ruby
I’ve been sitting in the bedroom that’s now become mine at the house where Devereaux brought me only seventy-two hours ago. I haven’t been able to eat or sleep much, worried about what would happen next. Meanwhile, Devereaux would insist that I needed to be patient.
In opposition to that, it looked like his own patience had run thin. He received a lot of phone calls that he was not happy about. He barked a lot of orders to Malone, and there was mention of someone named Emily. Whoever she was, it sounded like she’d be getting quite the talking to once they were face to face.
I am incredibly tired, but I can’t rest my mind enough so I could sleep. When I close my eyes, all I can picture is my head is Hawk’s face. It soon turns into a mask of death, and I get so scared, my eyes pop open, and I can’t get any rest. Then I start crying until I run out of tears. I end up with a headache. I doze off, but it doesn’t last long. The cycle repeats.
A sudden knock at the door scares the life out of me. It is a lot louder than the usual when they come to ask me if I want to eat anything.
“Miss Santiago, would you please meet me in the living room in five?”
Devereaux doesn’t wait for me to respond. His footsteps echo softly out in the hallway until they disappear altogether. The place is big enough where we wouldn’t have to see each other at all if needed.
Wondering why he would want me out there for, I walk to the bathroom to wash my face. I am hoping that he’s calling me to discuss where I could go and how I could recover my money. Not having financial stability eats at me with each hour that passes.
I take a moment to stare at myself in the mirror. My hair is a tangled mess, my face is blotchy in places. I am still wearing Hawk’s hoodie, although at least I took the time to spot clean it. And I did take a shower this morning, so I don’t stink. That’s sort of progress, right?
My cheeks look a bit hollow. I’m not sure if it is caused by how tired my body is, or if I actually lost weight in such a short period of time. Stress could do that to you, I suppose.
I take a deep breath in before letting it all out. When done, I don’t feel any better than before, but I brace myself for what’s to come.
I make my way out of the bedroom, realizing with a start that the house sounds busier somehow. I don’t see any extra people, and I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s just a gut feeling.
When I enter the living area, I look around, expecting to see more than just Devereaux sitting on the couch, waiting patiently for me.
“Ah, Miss Santiago, I appreciate your promptness.”
I don’t have the energy to smile. I only nod and take a seat across from him.
“It dawned on me that I missed your birthday yesterday,” he says. “You have my deepest apologies for it.”
My eyes widen in shock. No one has ever celebrated my birthday in my life. I was in middle school when I realized that was a thing that people did.
“How do you know yesterday was my birthday?”
“Miss Santiago, I know more about you than anyone you’ve ever known, your parents included.”
I roll my eyes and look away. “That’s not hard to do. My parents never cared about me.”
“That is my understanding as well,” he agrees.
When he doesn’t say anything more, it becomes uncomfortable.
“Well, thank you for your well wishes, Mr. Devereaux. I…” My voice shakes a little. “I appreciate it. A lot.”
He nods and gives me a kind smile.
“Twenty-two is a big deal. And it deserves a present.”
“A present?” I sound incredulous. I’m not sure what’s happening, or why.
Devereaux picks up an elegant looking envelope from the coffee table sitting in between us. I didn’t even notice it there. With another nod toward me, he encourages me to take it from him.
I start shaking from head to toe when I reach out and grab it. My hands are clammy, and I worry that I will ruin the beautiful envelope.
“It’s just paper,” Devereaux comments when he notices my hesitation.
I break the seal and look inside, only to find a bunch of documents neatly stapled together. Glancing at him for approval, I pull them out. I turn them over and stare, unable to make sense of the words I’m reading.
My lack of education hits me hard right now, and I want to cry. I don’t know what any of these big words mean. The only ones I am comfortable with are the ones spelling my name, I know that much.
“Miss Santiago,” Devereaux intervenes when he sees I’m not saying anything. “I have been in contact with your financial advisor. I took it upon myself to have all your funds transferred to my own personal firm that I deal with. They will make sure to invest it all for maximum profitability.”
I stare at him with wide eyes and dry mouth. It’s crazy that he was able to do everything without me signing even one piece of paper of consent.
“On page six of the document, you should find the total amount you currently have. Of course, should you wish to cash it all out, it is your choice.”
He waits for me to get to page six. My eyes look over the top of the page before they drop to the bottom. The number I see on there can’t be right.
“You did very well in saving your money,” he praises. “I took the liberty of adding to it. You will find that the dividends coming from the investments will provide for a very comfortable living for you.”
In my head, I try really hard to do the math. I have no idea how to figure it out in percentages, but the total number I’m looking at is triple of what I had before, maybe more. I don’t even know. It’s a lot of money.
“The investor you had was decent,” Devereaux continues. “But mine will be better, and lower fees.”
I look up at this man who is so incredibly polite and well spoken. A polished criminal of sorts.
“Mr. Devereaux, I… Why?”
“Because I always reward those who help me, Miss Santiago. Your assistance proved to be invaluable. And this is the least I could do for you. Happy birthday.”
My throat hurts from the need to cry, but I hold the tears back. While I am humbled by his gesture, I do believe that I deserve it. After all, I lost the man I fell in love with because of his scheme.
“Thank you, Mr. Devereaux.”
“I would also like to offer you my protection, Miss Santiago.”
Just when I thought I couldn’t be surprised anymore…
“No one will touch you for as long as you need me for.”
I get a bitter taste in my mouth. “If you think I’m going to sleep with you…”
It is now his turn to look surprised. “Maybe I should move on to my last gift to you. That way, there won’t be any misunderstandings.”
He stands up and waits for me to do the same. I get up from the couch, papers pressed to my chest.
“This way, please.”
I follow him out of the room and down a long hallway that leads into another one. I’m not sure how many times we turn before we stop in front of a massive door. In the corner of my eye, I notice people rushing back and forth. They look like they could be house staff.
“Miss Santiago, before we go in, I want to assure you that I did not cause what you’re about to see. So, please, no hysterics.”
I watch him carefully, with my heart in my throat, worried about what I might find in this room.
Devereaux opens the door and walks in before holding the door for me to enter. At first, I don’t find anything interesting about the room. It is just as luxurious as the rest of the place. But then, my eyes fall to the beautiful bed that’s in the middle. The shape of a person is under the covers.
“Go closer.” Devereaux presses a gentle hand to my back, propelling me forward.
The closer I get, the harder it is to breathe. I look at the beaten face of a sleeping man, and I can’t believe my eyes.
“Hawk,” I whisper in the quiet room.
A sob erupts from my chest. I try to force it down, but it’s too late. He hears it and moves his head to look at me. Only his eyes can barely open.
“Hawk,” I repeat his name. “You’re alive…”
“Barely, babe,” he groans.
With the envelope from Devereaux sliding to the floor, I drop my head on the bed next to him and finally cry. As if in a dream, I feel his hand gently patting my hair.
“Don’t cry, Ruby,” he begs. “I came back to you.”
“I thought… I thought you were dead.”
He coughs a little. “And I thought you’d be far away from here. You didn’t listen to me, Ruby,” he teases. “But I’m happy that you didn’t.”
“H-how?”
“The man behind you,” he grumbles. “He struck a deal with the club. They voted me out…”
“Because of me,” I whimper.
“No, Ruby. Not because of you. Never you,” he promises. “But I wanted to live for you. I regretted not telling you before I left you at the bus stop…”
Every word he says sounds labored, like it physically hurts him to speak.
“I should let you rest,” I cry out. “But I can’t believe you’re here. I don’t want to lose you again.”
“I love you, Ruby,” he cuts me off. “The meds are about to make me sleep. But I just want you to know that.”
“I love you, too, Hawk,” I cry again. “I’m so happy that you’re here,” I whisper.
I look at his beaten face, wondering how bad of a shape the rest of his body is in. Like he said, sleep is pulling him under.
“He will be okay.”
I jump in distress when I remember that Devereaux is still in the room with us.
“Once he recovers, you two will have a lot to talk about. When he’s up for it, I will offer him the same thing I offered you. My protection.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that I will be forever in your debt, Miss Santiago. And I always keep my promises of taking care of those who took care of me.”
Without looking away from Hawk, I think about what he’s saying.
“I still want to leave this state,” I confess. “Move far away from here.”
“Hawk has to leave as well,” Devereaux informs me. “It was part of the agreement with the club.”
I turn my head to stare at him. “Where can we go?”
“Montana is beautiful,” he says. “I think you’d both like it.”
I nod but don’t say anything. I will have to think about it. Make smart decisions for once. Hopefully, with Hawk by my side, because if not, it was all for nothing.
Devereaux takes his leave, and I am now alone with Hawk. Unable to resist, I lie down next to him and place my head on the pillow next to his. I watch him until my eyes start closing and a deep sleep pulls me under. When we’re both up for it, we’ll talk.
Montana doesn’t sound so bad.
As long as we’re together.
The End