Hawk #2
He doesn’t say the words, but I have to face reality. He’s got an old lady now. Violet’s cool as fuck. She supports the club, but she’s not like Claire or Poppy. Poppy’s the unofficial godmother of the club, and Claire practically raised her kid at the compound for the first few months of her life.
Their women may not love what we do to make a living, but Violet, of all the girls, seems the most nervous about it. I don’t blame her. The guns. The violence. The drugs. We don’t do them—not all of us, at least—but we move product. Pills and powder are very profitable jobs when we get them.
“You got ideas?” I ask him, sipping on my beer.
He shakes his head. “That’s what’s so annoying.
I’d need a crew to run a clean op. Something that brings in legit business and cash.
I just feel trapped. As much as I’m good at what we do…
” He cracks his knuckles. “These fists are getting old as fuck, man. I’d love to do something not quite so hard on the joints. ”
Shadow enforces a lot of the club’s money deals.
Collects on debts. Intimidation that very often leads to more than just that.
I get it. I do. I’m two years away from forty, and my knees and back aren’t gonna hold out forever.
I have a Glock just inches away from me, but I don’t want to have to use it, when a good old-fashioned beatdown would send a message and get the job done.
“So, what are you…” I tense then as a car moving incredibly slowly down the street comes to an almost complete stop in front of the house.
Both Shadow and I stiffen, and I can tell he’s reaching for his weapon. My hand is already on mine. It’s gotten dark enough now that I can’t tell who’s inside, but the body style and color look enough like the SUV from this morning that I am damn sure it’s the same vehicle.
Neither of us says a word, the tension between us so thick I’m afraid to move or we’ll both snap.
“You know them?” Shadow asks, his voice tight and low.
“No,” I tell him. I set down my beer and prepare myself for anything, my heart thundering against my ribs, my adrenaline priming my fists and my feet for anything.
The SUV idles in front of the house, but I can’t make out what the driver is doing or who it is. Then, the vehicle’s lights turn off completely.
“What the—”
I hold up a finger to silence Shadow as I slowly rise to my feet. I’m about to tell him to get his ass inside to protect the girls when, suddenly, the car’s lights come back on. It crawls past the house, then picks up speed and drives away.
I squint, trying to spot the license plate, but it’s too dark, and I can’t run after it without the driver knowing they’ve been made.
“Fuck,” Shadow growls. “You want backup here tonight? I can call Tank and take Violet home. Bring the girls to the compound or our place?”
I text Phantom and ask him to check the security system for anything out of the ordinary. If there is something to be concerned about, he’d fucking fry my ass if his daughters were in harm’s way and I didn’t use every possible asset at my disposal.
Then Shadow and I finish off our beers, but nothing happens. No people out walking their dogs, no stray cars. Not a soul in sight. Quiet. But I feel far from calm.
“We’ll pick this up another time,” I tell Shadow.
He nods, and I feel half bad that I can’t solve this for him right here.
But the truth is, we each have to make our peace with this way of life in our own way and in our own time.
If Shadow’s having regrets or second thoughts, that’s his choice.
He’ll come to us when he needs us; that’s how this shit works.
“Hey.” I stop him before we go back inside.
I’ve been with the Heat for the only part of my life worth remembering. These assholes are my family, my friends, my social life, and my safety net. I’m that for them as much as they are for me. Even when it feels like one of them is pulling away.
“Let’s get Tank out here for the night,” I tell him.
Shadow nods and pulls out his phone to make the call.
“And when you’re ready, say the word. We’ll keep your hands clean,” I assure him.
Something in Shadow’s face changes then, and he softens. He nods, and we head back inside.
Violet and the girls must be on the second floor, because the dishwasher is running, and I hear voices echoing from upstairs.
When I shout out that we’re back inside, the sisters come downstairs, a thin layer of gunk covering their faces.
“Your turn, Uncle Hawk. When was the last time you gave your pores a deep clean?” Daisy bounces into the kitchen on bare feet, and I shake my head.
“I don’t even know what the hell that means. So, never, and that ain’t changing. It’s bedtime. We’re up and out on time tomorrow,” I call after them as they head back up the stairs.
“We know,” they answer in unison.
I swap texts with Phantom about the car casing his house while Violet and Shadow wait around for Tank.
Phantom assures me everything looks fine on the security cameras, but he’s grateful that I’m looking out for his kids.
I hear one of the girls’ phones ring upstairs, so I assume that’s Poppy calling to wish them goodnight.
Tank finally pulls up in one of the club’s new SUVs. We have a collection of cars, bikes, and trucks, but I have no clue why he’s driving this thing tonight.
“I need to swap,” he tells me. “We need the truck you’ve got for a job tomorrow. You can drive the SUV.”
We talk about the job going down tomorrow, a job that I won’t be at personally since I’ve got a couple runs to make for the club.
After Shadow and Violet leave and Tank and I sort out business, I clap Tank on the shoulder and tell him to stay up and alert. I’ll set an alarm and take the early shift since I have to be up to run the kids to school anyway.
By midnight, the house is quiet, and Tank’s sitting out on the front porch in the dark.
I climb into Phantom and Poppy’s bed, but I can’t sleep.
I stare at the ceiling for what seems like hours, my eyes burning and something unsettled gnawing in my belly.
Call it instinct, call it suspicion. Someone has been casing this house. I’m sure of it.
When I finally open my eyes, the house is quiet and still dark.
Tank was supposed to wake me for a shift, and in my exhausted haze, I’m not sure if it’s day or night.
The blackout curtains in Phantom’s room help with that.
I tear out of bed and yank my phone from the charger.
Holy fucking shit. We were supposed to be on the road to school ten minutes ago. We’re gonna be late…again.