Page 21 of Hawk (Road Rebels MC 1)
He was my home, and I wasn’t willing to give him up a second time.
“We need to figure out how to get that agent off your case,” he said breathlessly.
“I don’t know what to do, Hawk,” I said. “I just don’t.”
“Come here.”
He pulled me close to him, our legs threading together. His naked body pressed against mine was a feeling I would remember for the rest of my life. His hand lazily stroked my back as I looked up into his eyes, and I couldn’t help but smile. Even with the looming danger over our heads, Hawk was soothing to me. He had always had that effect on me, even as a little girl.
A scared little girl who didn’t know what to do after she’d lost her father.
“The Road Rebels have a plan to sic the DEA onto The Devil Saints, but we still don’t know how to get them off your trail.”
“Wait, you’re gonna blame the Saints for something?” I asked.
“No, we’re simply gonna turn their sights over to them. Talon had some serious information he brought our way. Shit that would promote whoever in the DEA could bust them and bring ‘em down.”
“Talon,” I said, smiling. “How is he?”
“Road Captain now,” I said, grinning.
“Quiet little Talon?”
“You helped him out a lot with that,” I said.
“Can you tell me about the plan?” she asked.
“You know I can’t. Just know we’ve got that part covered. I’m concerned, though, that getting the DEA off your trail means you coming back to The Road Rebels.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I’m gonna have to bring you to the bar. They gotta know what’s going on. I can keep you on the run, sure, but they can keep you safe. You know we can.”
“Hawk, I don’t know if that’s a good idea. What about Emery?” she asked.
“I’m sure my mother won’t mind keeping Emery, but it’s our only shot. Our only shot of getting the DEA’s stink off you is to somehow work you into this plan we’ve got goin’ on. I know you’re scared, but you know I’m right, too.”
“Hawk, they’re gonna hate me for what I did.”
I felt the tears rising in my eyes as quickly as they poured down my cheek. He leaned in, kissing away one of my tear trails as I sniffled lightly. This was what I was scared of. This was what petrified me at night. Going back to The Road Rebels, sinking Emery into his lifestyle, and her losing her parents at a young age.
Just like Hawk and I had lost our parents.
“I know you’re scared, but you know they all love you. You impacted every single person in that club somehow. I don’t know if they’ll take you back, but I know they’ll help,” he said.
“And this is the only way? After leaving them once, my father died?”
“It’s the only way I know to keep you safe for good. Please, Syd. Let me do what I do best.”
He was pleading with me, and that was something I’d never heard before. Hawk pulled me into his body, and I buried my face into the crook of his neck. I was terrified, yes. This had just as much of a chance of being successful as it did of backfiring. And what would happen once the DEA was off my trail? Were The Road Rebels gonna expect me to stay? I couldn’t subject Emery to that lifestyle.
Not with everything else she’s been through because of me.
That moment, Hawk’s phone rang out. He unwound himself from me and sat up, and I couldn’t help but admire his body. The way his tattoos cascaded over his skin. The way his muscles flexed with every movement of his body. Had we not been in such a dire situation, I would’ve been adventurous and sucked his cock while he was on that phone call.
But the moment I heard Mac’s name, I sat up straight.
“By the fucking windowsill? Outside? How the hell did I keep missing that thing? Painted over? Are you fucking-... yep. Yeah. Uh huh. Listen, there’s a part of this story that’s gonna make you angry, but I need you to understand that it doesn’t affect anything. Could you guys meet us at the bar tomorrow? Yes. Us. You heard me right. Nope, plan’s still good. Yes, I fucking promise, all right, Mac? Damn. I’m not that big of an idiot. Uh huh. See you tomorrow night.”
Hawk hung up his phone and started putting his clothes on. I stood up from the floor, wobbling a bit as a smirk crawled across my face. I felt Hawk’s arms wrap around me, helping to steady myself on my feet as he planted a kiss on the bare skin of my shoulder.
“Trouble walking there, beautiful?” he asked.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Badge of honor and all that shit. Got it.”
“Can’t say it’s not a beautiful sight. I’ve missed it a lot,” he said.
“I’ve missed you,” I said as I put my clothes on. “Was that Uncle Mac?”
“You remember him?” he asked.
“How could I forget? He was the one that taught me how to defend myself in hand-to-hand combat.”
“Yeah, that was him. He’s President now.”
“No shit!” I exclaimed.
“Yep. That was him calling me and telling me there was a fucking bug planted in the corner of my windowsill.”
“The DEA?” I asked. “They can’t bug your house, they didn’t have a-”
“It was on the outside. It’s how they got away with it,” he said. “They painted over that shit and everything so we couldn’t see it. Any conversation we had in that foyer was heard.”
“That's how tha
t agent knew my nickname,” I said.
“That’s right. No one else’s house was bugged, though.”
“Ah. That’s why you need to take me to the bar.”
“They probably think I’m cooperating or some shit. Bringing you to the bar will help me piece together for them what’s happened,” he said.
“Gotcha.”
“We can go talk to my mom, I’m sure she’ll be just fine with watching Emery until this all blows over. She’s gonna be safe with her, you know this.”
“I know, I know. I just… I’m so sorry, Hawk,” I said.
“Stop that.”
“I brought you so much fucking trouble, and all because I went on some stupid joyrides,” I said.
“Syd, for all I know the Iron Souls set you up to take the fall for this shit. We’re gonna fix this. We’re gonna make it better again. But you gotta trust me when I tell you that The Road Rebels can help you. We all can. You and Emery will be safe.”
“But won’t they expect me to stay? After this is all said and done, won’t they want me to stay with them?” she asked.
“We can talk about that when the time comes. Lot's changed since you’ve been gone. I think you’ll enjoy the dynamic a bit more,” he said.
“I’m scared,” I said breathlessly.
“And you have every right to be. But I promise you this, Sydney Marshall, so long as you’re by my side, you and Emery both will be safe.”
I looked deep into his eyes and threw my arms around him. I crashed my lips into his, soaking up his strength and courage as his hands dropped to the small of my back. I had no idea what I was walking into, and I had no idea how anyone would react, but all I knew was this.
If my next few steps ensured Emery a stable life, one where I wasn’t thrown into jail, then I would endure whatever ridicule came my way in order to give that to her.
After all the shitty decisions I’d made, it was the very least I could do for my daughter.
Chapter 15
Hawk
I took Syd back to my mother’s house, and we promptly sat her down. Emery was still sound asleep, even as lunchtime began to roll around. Syd wanted to go wake her up, fearful that she wouldn’t sleep tonight if she didn’t wake up now. But my mother insisted that she slept as long as necessary and sat us both down with cups of coffee in front of us.
