Chapter 17 Hawk
HAWK
Seven Years Earlier…
Scarlett Ramsey gives me a bad feeling.
I know she’s the sister of Leif Ramsey, Falcon’s best friend from high school who’s now a Navy SEAL. Leif was always a great guy. He and Robin were involved in high school, but that didn’t work out for whatever reason. Their other sister, Laney, is cool too.
But Scarlett?
She gives me bad vibes.
I watch her from across the crowded bar, her fiery red hair standing out like a beacon in the dimly lit room. She’s surrounded by a group of guys, each one clearly trying to win her attention, but Scarlett only has eyes for one person.
My brother Eagle.
Which concerns me. He’s in the bathroom at the moment.
Hell, he shouldn’t be here at all. He’s still underage. And sober.
Scarlett’s gaze is intense and probing. It makes my skin crawl.
“What’s up with you?” my buddy Colt asks, nudging me with his elbow.
“Just thinking,” I take a swig of my beer.
My first beer as a legal twenty-one-year old.
Eagle just turned nineteen, but no one checks IDs here.
So I’m keeping an eye on him.
And on Scarlett.
Colt follows my gaze and laughs. “Oh, I see. Scarlett’s got you all wound up, huh?”
“I just don’t trust her,” I say, keeping my voice low.
Colt raises an eyebrow. “Really? She’s harmless. Flirtatious, yes, but harmless.”
Maybe Colt’s right. Maybe I’m reading too much into this. But every instinct in me is screaming that Scarlett is trouble.
And Eagle can’t steer clear of trouble.
First, she’s older than Eagle. Why she’s interested in a teenaged boy is beyond me.
Second, there’s something predatory about the way she’s watching him, like a lioness stalking her prey. It’s unsettling and it makes me uneasy. She’s used to getting what she wants. And right now, she wants Eagle.
“Maybe,” I mutter, finishing off my beer.
“Hawk,” Colt says, his tone serious. “You need to relax. Scarlett is just a girl, and Eagle can handle himself.”
I want to believe him, but something in my gut tells me otherwise. Eagle has a tendency to dive headfirst into trouble. And from the way Scarlett’s watching him, I know she’s trouble.
When Eagle returns, I catch his arm. “We need to talk,” I say, leading him away from the crowd, away from Scarlett’s predatory gaze.
“What’s up?” Eagle asks, looking…not like himself.
It’s a look I haven’t seen on him in over a year.
“God damn it,” I say. “What the fuck did you do in there?”
“Dude, take it easy.” He swaggers toward the bar. “I need a drink.”
“And fuck up over a year of sobriety? I don’t think so.”
I grab him and yank him toward the bathroom.
Scarlett watches us, despite the gaggle of men surrounding her.
The two restrooms—both single use—are both vacant at the moment.
I’m not sure which one Eagle was in. “Which one?” I demand.
He points to the one on the right.
I yank him inside and lock the door, and then I scour the place for drugs.
I check the corners of the stalls, behind the toilet paper holder, and even the trash can. I don’t find anything, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t already use whatever he had.
Nothing.
“Nice try,” I say.
The other bathroom is still vacant, thank God. I yank him in and lock the door again. First thing I check is the toilet.
And I strike gold.
A small Ziplock floating in the water.
“Plastic doesn’t flush too well, huh? Didn’t you learn that lesson back when you were using?”
He looks at his feet. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
I grab both his cheeks, scan his face, specifically his nostrils.
He sniffs hard.
No trace of powder, but my brother’s not a moron. He can cover his tracks.
“What? You want me to take a drug test right now?” he says sarcastically. “I’m clean.”
“Fine. Then prove it. We’ll go to a pharmacy and get an at-home drug test. If it’s negative, I’ll apologize and leave you alone.”
“If you can’t believe your own brother, then fuck off.” Eagle unlocks the bathroom door.
I follow him, but he walks right past Scarlett and out the door of the bar.
I tap Scarlett’s shoulder. “We need to talk.”
“Anytime, handsome,” she teases. “Except for now. As you can see, I’m pretty busy here, and you’re late to the party.”
“Uh…now,” I say. “Come on.” I take her arm and lead her to a quiet corner.
“What the hell, Hawk?” Scarlett yanks her arm out of my grip, her fiery eyes blazing with indignation. “You can’t just drag me away like that.”
“I just did,” I retort, folding my arms over my chest. “What the hell are you thinking, Scarlett? What game are you playing with my brother?”
“Game?” She raises an eyebrow, crossing her arms to mirror my stance. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The drugs,” I snap, my patience wearing thin. “Did you give them to him?”
She recoils, her eyes widening a fraction. “Drugs? I—”
“Don’t play dumb with me,” I interrupt her. “You know my brother’s history. He’s been clean for over a year and I won’t let you or anyone else jeopardize that.”
She shakes her head. “He’s not using, Hawk. I swear it.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t take your word for much. Stay away from my brother.”
“You mean the one in prison?” she taunts.
“Fuck you, you conniving little bitch.” I take a step toward her. “I see right through that schoolgirl act of yours, even if Eagle doesn’t. Stay away from him.”
“Fuck you too,” she retorts. “But he’s not using. I even offered him a hit earlier. He turned me down.”
I grit my teeth. “Oh, man. If I didn’t believe in never hitting a woman…” I face her. “If you ever offer my brother drugs again, I will make sure you pay for it. Trust me.”
I walk out of the bar, leaving Scarlett stunned.
But not for long. She’ll be back to holding court over her harem of guys before I get a few steps farther.
“Hawk!” Colt yells.
But I ignore him.
I walk around the back of the bar, and—
“Eagle!” I yell.
He’s exchanging money with a man dressed all in black.
And he’s getting a bag of what I already know is coke.
I run toward the guy and give him a left hook to his jaw.
“What the fuck, man?” he yells as he hits the brick building.
“Get the hell out of here, or I’m going to pummel you before I call the cops and get your ass dragged to prison.”
“Fuck…” He pulls himself together, throws the cash from Eagle on the ground, and runs.
“You said you were clean,” I say.
“Yeah?” He leers at me. “And I was. You didn’t believe me.”
“Give it to me.”
He grasps the small bag of drugs. “No.”
“Eagle, please. Give it to me.”
“Fuck you.” He tears open the bag, slides some powder onto his finger, and inhales.
Right there.
Right in front of me.
“There,” he says defiantly. “Now it’s true. You thought the worst of me, and now it’s fucking true.”
* * *
Present Day…
“Hawk.”
I jar out of my memory.
“Are you okay?” Daniela asks, her voice barely above a whisper. She places her hand on my arm, her touch as comforting as always.
“Just reminiscing,” I say, my voice raw. “I can’t stop thinking about Eagle.”
She squeezes my arm and gives me an understanding smile. “It’s normal to worry. He’s your brother.”
“I know. But it’s more than that.” I grip the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles turning white. The memory of that night still makes my heart ache, the sting of betrayal still fresh as if it happened yesterday.
“I’m here for you,” Daniela says. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through, but you’re not alone.”
I take a deep breath, letting her words sink in. Somehow, with Daniela by my side, the world seems a little less daunting. I reach out, take her hand in mine. “Thanks.”
She and I are driving to the hospital to see Eagle.
We reach the hospital, and I leave the truck with the valet.
Daniela and I don’t talk as we ascend the elevator to the fifth floor.
It stops on the third and a nurse gets on.
Oh God. Great timing. It’s Grace, the nurse from my father’s ward.
The nurse I asked to coffee and then had to break the date because my mother decided to make a huge dinner to celebrate Raven and Vinnie’s engagement. Never mind that our father couldn’t—still can’t—string two words together.
“Hawk,” she says. Then her gaze drops to Daniela’s hand in mine.
“Hi, Grace,” I say. “How are you?”
“Good.” She smiles, though it seems forced. She holds her hand out to Daniela. “I’m Grace. I’m a nurse here.”
Daniela has to release my hand to shake Grace’s. “Daniela Agudelo. Nice to meet you.”
“Goodness, that’s a mouthful.” Then Grace clamps her hand to her mouth. “I’m sorry. That was… I didn’t mean that to come off the way it did.”
Yeah, this isn’t awkward at all.
Grace pushes the button for the fourth floor, where Dad is.
It’s a painful few moments, the three of us standing in silence while the elevator slowly ascends.
Clearly Daniela’s curiosity is piqued by my interaction with Grace, but she remains silent.
As for Grace, she glances between the two of us.
Not that it was difficult to figure out what’s going on.
When the elevator doors open at the fourth floor, Grace steps out, flashing us a polite smile.
“Nice to meet you, Daniela. See you around, Hawk.” With that, she turns and disappears down the hall. The doors close again, and we continue up to the fifth floor.
Daniela finally speaks up, her voice soft. “Old girlfriend?”
I laugh, shaking my head. “No, just a nurse from my dad’s ward. I asked her out for coffee once but had to break it off.”
“Hmm,” is all she says, but the tension in the elevator eases a bit.
We arrive on the fifth floor and walk hand in hand toward Eagle’s room.
My mother is there, of course, which means only one of us can go in.
Just as I’m about to tell Daniela, Dr. Flynn walks by.
“Good evening,” she says. “Just doing my rounds.”
“How’s my brother?” I ask.
She smiles weakly. “Still unresponsive, but we’re optimistic. There’s still time for a full recovery, and he’s young, strong, and healthy. Your mother says that before his overdose, he’d been working out, eating right.”
“That’s right,” I say, a faint smile on my face. “He’s a fighter.”
She gives me an understanding nod. “That’s the spirit. It takes time. And patience. If you ever need to talk about it or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me.”
“Thank you, Dr. Flynn,” I say.
As she walks into Eagle’s room, I turn to Daniela. “Why don’t you wait out here? My mother is in with him.”
“Okay,” Daniela says, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll be right here when you’re done.”
Taking a deep breath, I push open the door to Eagle’s room. The sight of my brother lying unconscious on the hospital bed hits me just as hard as it did the first time, but I force a smile on my face as I approach my mother.
“Hey, Mom,” I greet her, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
“Hawk,” she says simply.
Dr. Flynn takes a look at the chart on the computer.
“She’s been at it since morning,” I tell her, nodding toward my mother.
Dr. Flynn gives me a sympathetic look before looking at Eagle’s monitors.
For a moment, we sit in silence, the sterile smell of the hospital filling the room. My mother’s fingers are entwined with Eagle’s, her gaze never leaving his face.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she finally says, her voice barely a whisper. “He needs us.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” I reply, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. “Neither is Eagle. He’s going to fight through this.”
She smiles, tears welling in her eyes. “I know he will. But it’s hard, Hawk. Seeing him like this.”
“I know,” I whisper, struggling with my own emotions. “But we have to stay strong. For him.”
“That’s the best thing you can do for him,” Dr. Flynn says. “That and talk to him. Remind him that you’re near and that you’re fighting for him.” She finishes at the monitors. “His vitals are stable. I have every reason to remain hopeful.”
The doctor’s words are a balm, soothing over some of the raw fear that’s been gnawing at me. I nod, managing a small smile. “Thank you, Dr. Flynn.”
She nods in return. “I’ll be back to check on him in the morning. Remember, if you need anything, just call.”
As she leaves, I grab a chair and sit on Eagle’s other side. It’s strange, seeing him so still, so vulnerable.
“Hey, buddy,” I murmur, reaching out to grasp his hand.
His skin is cool under my touch. I squeeze, hoping against hope that he might squeeze back.
“You’re going to beat this, you hear me?” I wipe a single tear off my cheek. “You’re not allowed to bow out yet.” I turn to my mother. “You need to take a break. Go get something to eat.”
She wipes her eyes. “I can’t.”
“You can, Mom. You’re no good to Eagle if you don’t take care of yourself.”
That gets to her.
Of course it does. She’d do anything for Eagle.
I tamp down my envy over her loving Eagle more than she loves me.
Right now, I’ll do anything for him as well. Especially since it’s on me—at least in part—that he’s here.
Once Mom leaves, Daniela comes in.
She takes my mother’s vacated spot. “You should eat something too, Hawk.”
“I’m not hungry,” I reply, my gaze flickering back to my brother.
His chest rises and falls rhythmically, the monotone beeping of his heart monitor a stark reminder of the reality we’re facing.
Daniela doesn’t argue with me. Instead, she sits there in silence, her fingers tracing over Eagle’s hand.
“What are you thinking?” I ask her after a while.
“I’m just praying for him,” Daniela admits, her voice soft. “And hoping that he’ll wake up soon.”
Her words hit me harder than I expect, and tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I swallow hard, forcing down the lump in my throat.
“Thank you,” I murmur, barely audibly.
My brother looks so small, and I imagine him as the scrawny teenager he once was—back when he first got caught up with drugs.
And the three of us paid for it dearly, Falcon most of all.
“I should have protected Eagle,” I say to Daniela. “But I didn’t. I promise I’ll protect you.”
She gives a weak smile as the door opens.
An orderly walks in with a large bouquet of flowers. It’s a lush, full bouquet—two dozen long-stemmed roses arranged in a clear glass vase. The blooms are a deep, velvety crimson. The fragrance is subtle but unmistakable.
The orderly sets the flowers on a table by the bathroom.
“I’ll grab the note,” Daniela says, rising.
She takes the note from the bouquet and—
“Oh my God…”
“What is it?” I ask. “Are they for Eagle? You can put them on the table in the corner.”
“No,” she whispers, her voice trembling. “They’re… They’re for me.”