Chapter 9
Falcon
Hawk let Petrov know we were headed up for a personal visit. The likelihood of the news not traveling there was slim. It was better he heard it from us and knew we were going to address it. Organized crime was a small circle, and it was hard to keep things quiet.
But if we could keep our partnership with the Bratva, we’d be fine. Just like we ran the South, they ran the North. And groups of all varieties knew of us both.
The run was unexpected and unscheduled, so we didn’t need the truck for this. It wasn’t a pickup; it was a meeting of the minds to show we were stronger than ever and would be the last club anyone wanted to fuck with now. Vengeance was on all our minds. We had our time to mourn, now we were ready for payback.
We just needed to get this out of the way so we could all be together and start the search. Keys was working on going back through the traffic cams near the accident, hoping to get a shot of the plates but that was a lot of info to go through with so many exits and so many black Escalades in the area.
After a good night’s rest, we hit the road. We took the highway since the truck wasn’t with us and it shaved off a good bit of time.
It was a nice day, sunny and warm with a cool breeze. After the last couple weeks, it was like a balm to my soul to be out on the pavement. Nothing like the open road with your brothers to ground you.
The sun was still out when we made it to the meeting spot. This time it was at Petrov’s family restaurant instead of the warehouse. I’d only been in one other time, but the food was good and the vodka was plenty. It was pretty stout even for us. The Russians could definitely drink us under the table, so we took a couple shots and then laid off. I wasn’t sure this would be the same kind of visit.
“Hawk!” Petrov shouted as we walked inside.
Nobody batted an eye at us and even the patrons enjoying their meals didn’t seem to notice a group of huge bikers in the fancy restaurant. It was just as you’d imagine a Russian place would be. Red everything and dark wood. But the smells were rich and there was a glass case with a bunch of pastries with some kind of cream filling, pies, and cakes. I had a bit of a sweet tooth, so I lingered for a second longer than the other guys.
“You pick anything, my friend. But first, we have dinner.” Petrov was smiling as he waved me over.
Hawk glared at me, so I caught up. We followed a stuffy guy in a tux up some stairs into a room. The table was set for a formal dinner, but everyone treated us like we belonged and catered to everything we asked.
A huge man, likely in his late fifties with a bit of a gut, still probably capable of beating a man to death, walked in in a well-tailored suit. His hair was light like Petrov’s but appeared to have grey peppered in.
Petrov stood and hugged the man. This was the Pakhan. He never came to our pickups. I watched carefully as he greeted his son then walked to the table. Hawk stood, so the rest of us did as well.
I took in his actions, his movements, even his tone. None of my alarms were going off.
“Hawk, it pains me to meet on such terms.” His accent was much more prominent than his son’s. “Your father was a great man.”
He opened his arms and Hawk accepted the invitation. It wasn’t overly intimate but an assuring condolence.
“Thank you, sir. He’s already sorely missed, but only in our hearts. The club has grown stronger in the midst of this tragedy.”
The big man cupped Hawk’s shoulder. “I have no doubt, son.” He tipped his chin toward his son. “I know my boy wouldn’t rest until my death was avenged, and I know you to be cut from the same cloth.” He wasn’t wrong. But he forgot about the rest of us. He was more than just the President to all of us. He was the head of our family. Raven had an entire club gunning for his murderers.
He waved us to take a seat, so we all settled back into our chairs. I was more relaxed now that we got that out of the way, but as we recently learned, we couldn’t let our guard down. Several servers started bringing out food.
The Pahkan relaxed into his chair, unbuttoning his coat. “We celebrate Raven, and the next generation of Destiny’s Enforcers.” He held up a small shot glass as a server walked around to offer us all one.
We toasted and tossed back the pricey vodka, then followed the lead of the Pahkan and began eating.
The conversation was what you’d expect from a high-end dinner party. Much different than our normal meal at the clubhouse, but we knew how to act when the occasion called for it.
There was talk of how business was going for us all, and excitement for our ongoing partnership. With this locked down, we could focus on the important task at hand—destroying our cowardly enemy. Only some chicken shits would attack the way they did and not make it known who they were. They clearly were scared. As they should be.
A server brought me a tray of various desserts and Petrov Jr. stared me down. “You try,” he said.
I waited for the server to fill a mug with coffee and place it in front of me before I grabbed a spoon and dug into one of the fluffy pastries. “Damn, that’s delicious.”
Petrov, Jr and his father both grinned like Cheshire cats. “ My sister is an accomplished chef, yes?”
I nodded and took another bite. “Yeah, please send her my compliments.” Shit. I didn’t want them to get the wrong idea. These folks loved arranged marriages. “I’m sure her husband appreciates it.”
“My daughter is yet to be wed,” the Pahkan laughed out. “But she is also still quite young. And as much as I want her to find happiness, my own greed can’t let her go just yet.”
Close call. I was sure she was great and all, but I had no interest in a lady raised by the Pahkan. They understood the life, but I couldn’t handle a princess. I needed a tough woman. MCs and Bratvas were similar but still had their differences, lots of them.
“What are you young men off to do after this?” he asked as he lit a cigar. I guess if you were him, nobody was going to stop you from smoking inside, ordinance or not.
Hawk scoffed. “I promised they could stop at this club on the way out.”
Petrov Jr. sipped his espresso. “Oh? Which one? Maybe we own it. Or at least know who does.”
“I think it was Sweeties, or maybe Pinkies?” Hawk tried to recall with a rub to his beard. “If the guys want to blow off some steam, I let them.”
Goddamn. Just the mention of the place had my dick twitching in my pants. She was just a stripper. Why was I so hung up on this woman I’d seen one time?
The Pahkan mumbled something in Russian and his son seemed to tense up. I was curious as to why they reacted that way, so I asked, “Something wrong with that place?”
Petrov Jr. straightened his shoulders. “We believe the owner to be part of…unsavory business dealings.”
My brow cocked. Unsavory . Where my woman worked? Goddammit, there I went again. Internally shaking off that sentiment, I pressed for more info. “Unsavory? I don’t like the sound of that considering our business dealings.”
Everyone laughed, but now Eagle was paying closer attention, too. “For real, though. What are they into that you don’t approve of?”
Hawk shot us both a look, but went on to say, “If you don’t mind sharing, of course.”
As I waited for an answer, I finished off my dessert and sipped the tiny little cup of insanely strong coffee. I liked coffee and drank a lot of it, but this shit was like licking coffee grinds. I managed to keep a straight face, though. Didn’t want to offend them at their own place.
“We haven’t investigated too much because we haven’t had an issue with them directly, but we believe they may be involved in human trade.”
Trafficking. Through a strip club? I didn’t understand the logistics of it, but the Russians had no reason to lie to us. We would have known about the club if they were arms dealers and competition. Plus, Raven built the relationship with the Bratva because it made the most sense for one of the largest MCs to be working with the most powerful Mafia. We didn’t need to shop around and fuck up a good thing and surely Raven, and now Hawk, would understand that.
Eagle rubbed his beard. “Is that so? I personally don’t want to support that kind of business, but I wonder about the girls. Do you think he’s trafficking his own dancers or just using that business as a front?”
My skin heated as the conversation went on. I needed to know the answers. What if she was in trouble?
“Unsure of the details, but if you like, we can look into it. Why so interested? Have you been there many times?” Petrov Jr. asked.
Hawk answered, “Just once before. But maybe we’ll skip it. I appreciate your candor.”
Fuck. We had to go now. But I wasn’t about to question Prez in front of the Pahkan. I’d have to wait until we left. Even if I just went alone, I needed to at least talk to her. Make sure she was okay.
“Let’s not dwell on such atrocities, gentlemen. My son will find out more for you, but let’s not end our lovely evening this way. Hawk, how is your sister doing? She’s in college, yes?”
Hawk’s jaw ticked. He wouldn’t spout off at the Pakhan, but he was not likely to offer her up. Raven surely already excluded her from any conversations. Was he testing him? Jr. wasn’t married, but wouldn’t they want another mafia princess or something?
“She is. She took some days off recently. I felt it best to keep her close for now, until we sort things out. ”
The Pahkan nodded and sipped his tiny cup. “Yes, I agree. We hope this was an unfortunate incident, but always best to be sure and protect the family. And your mother? How is she holding up?”
Hawk relaxed his shoulders. “As best as can be expected. But she’s tough. She’ll be fine.”
The Pakhan pulled something from the inside of his coat jacket and passed it to Hawk. “Can I trust you to pass this to her for me?”
Hawk took it and nodded. “Absolutely, sir. I’ll see to it first thing when we get home.”
The large man stood and patted his belly. “Gentleman, I am sorry to have met under such poor circumstances, but it was a pleasure to see you. I do hope when you return for business you’ll visit the restaurant again. But I must excuse myself.”
We all stood, and Hawk stuck out his hand, but the man drew him in for a hug. “No handshake for us. We are family.” He patted him on the back then smiled down at him.
Hawk nodded, then the Pahkan left. Petrov Jr. walked us out. “My condolences to you all. He will be greatly missed. I should have a report for you when you return in a few weeks.”
Hawk thanked him and we headed back to our bikes. Our bellies were full and we were all wide awake from the espresso.
I cleared my throat and walked up to Hawk so I could speak without the others hearing. “Prez, I know you mentioned we should skip the club, but I’d like to go. Just check the place out, see if I notice anything, ya know? ”
Hawk smirked. “Wow. She got in your head, huh?”
Blowing out a heavy sigh, I answered, “I just want to be sure she’s safe. Or at least knows the rumors.” She could make her own choice, as long as it was an informed one. She could find a job anywhere, so hopefully she’d at least consider it. If Petrov had that info, there had to be some truth to it.
He nodded. “If it was Penny, I hope someone would tip her off. Guys,” he called out. “Let’s run by this club to take a once over.”