Page 73 of Sweet Ache (Driven 6)
“You know why he’s pissed, right?” Vince asks, clearly expecting an answer from me. He’s overprotective of Hawkin but I feel like I’m about to be tested and I’m not sure how I feel about it. The fact that he’s testing me though means he senses that I might be more than just a wannabe groupie.
“I’m assuming he’s pissed about something with Hunter.” It’s a safe response on my part that causes Vince to drum his fingers on the table, an internal debate warring over his features as he decides how much to divulge.
“You follow the rags much?”
“You got a point, Vince? Because I’m sensing you want to get something off your chest. I’m worried about whatever is stressing Hawkin out, and honestly, I want to take him upstairs and have my way with him, so patience is not my virtue right now.”
A grin spreads over his lips. “Well damn, woman. You sure know how to get a man’s attention.” And where a moment ago I was annoyed with him, he’s already won me back with his response. “Hawke talk to you at all about his drug charge a couple months back?”
I glance down to his drumming fingers and then back up with a quick shake of my head. “Nah … I figured if he wanted to bring it up he would. His business.”
He raises his eyebrows with a subtle nod of his head. “In a sense it’s a whole lot of people’s business…. Hawke won’t admit it, but he’s taking the fall for Hunter.”
“What? Wait, I’m confused. How’s that even possible?” I ask, but Hawke’s confession about his brother last night rings in my ears, and before Vince answers, I know it’s true.
“Same place, same time, identical twins although they’re anything but identical.” He shakes his head when I just narrow my eyes at him. “Shit, we can’t even tell them apart sometimes. They have their own style now, but when we were younger each would dress up like the other one, and we’d have no fucking clue until they started laughing. They know each other’s mannerisms, speech, everything … so as stupid as it sounds, it’s easy to believe how they could pull it off.” He takes a sip of his beer and tips the bottle toward where Hawke stands. “Look, Hawke’s complicated, stubborn, but he’s also loyal and family comes first. Always. Even if it’s fucked-up family.”
“He told me about his dad,” I murmur and notice Vince widen his eyes and turn his head. “And Hunter and the band.”
“Hm. Well, that should tell you something….”
I can take his comment a few ways and I’m not sure which way I should. Is he saying it’s a big deal Hawkin told me because he doesn’t talk about his past and his confession means he really likes me? Or is he saying, see, he’s fucked-up, a head case from his childhood, and I should lace up my running shoes and run far away?
I know which one I hope he’s saying but I’m uncomfortable now, talking about Hawkin and him not being here. The last thing I want is for a misconception to be made that I’m digging for info on him. I have a feeling that would end any chance of something more between us, so I just sit there, play with my poker chips, and wait out the silence.
“Hunter’s had some run-ins with the law, a pair of drug convictions for one. Hawke won’t elaborate about what happened this time other than the two of them were at a party, he laid his jacket on a chair at some point, picked it up to go just about the same time cops showed up … and somehow the bag of blow was in the pocket and he was busted.” He waits for me to look up and see that he doesn’t buy Hawke’s story. “The way I see it, Hunter gets convicted again, he’s tried under California’s Three Strikes law and gets a lengthy sentence. I don’t know the details but I know that jacket isn’t Hawke’s, and I seem to remember seeing Hunter having one just like it. Hawke’s taking the fall to prevent destroying his family even further. Willing to risk himself to live up to the cruel promise the memory of his father makes him keep.”
We sit there in silence as I gather my thoughts. “Why are you telling me all of this, Vince?”
“Because I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Quin. It’s not a normal thing for Hawkin to let someone into this world of ours unless it’s for …” He stops himself, scrunching his face up, and the expression alone tells me where he was going with the statement.
“Thanks but I get it. You’re rock stars, right? Women are willing and in abundance. No need to sugarcoat it.”
His shoulders fall when he exhales the breath he’s holding. “Thank fuck you’re a cool cat, Q,” he says with relief. “I’ll cut to the chase. He agreed to do the seminar as a way to get in the judge’s good graces, hopefully a slap on the hand for his first offense after doing the lectures.”
Puzzle pieces begin to fall into place for me. The answers in regard to his sudden appearance at school, his refusal to give me a straight answer as to why he agreed to do the lecture.
“The thing is, doing the lecture doesn’t guarantee a lighter sentence. He won’t admit to anything, but I find it odd that out of the blue he’s making Hunter go to some kind of drug counseling. I swear he’s taking the fall for his brother and trying to use it as leverage to get Hunter to get help…. It’s fucked up.”
Loose strings begin to tie and the picture becomes more and more clear. The only gray area is their mother but as forthcoming as Vince is being, that’s not something I’m going to ask about.
So I look at Vince and twist my lips in thought. “And if Hawke goes to jail, then the band gets damaged too, right? Why are you telling me all this?” I stare at him, not liking what I think he’s asking of me. “Oh. I get it. You want me to convince him to turn his brother in so that the band doesn’t catch the fallout if he’s sentenced. I’m not a pawn. Ask him yourself—”
“You think I give a fuck about myself or the band?” He pounds his fist against the table, which makes the chips rattle loudly as fury flashes through his eyes. “He’s like a brother to me! The band will be here for him regardless of what happens, so I suggest you take that accusation and shove it,” he says, his voice full of spite and his love for Hawke palpable.
Chills race over my skin as we stare at each other in a silent standoff. I don’t know why I pushed that button of his when I already knew the answer. Maybe I just wanted to reaffirm what I thought about their bond. Maybe I like Ha
wkin way too much, and I want to make sure that everyone is looking out for his best interests since his own blood obviously isn’t.
“Point shoved.” He breaks out in a ghost of a smirk at my response and I know he’s let my comment go. “It’s not my place to say anything, Vince. If the topic arises, if he tells me about it, then maybe … but as of right now he doesn’t even know that I know….”
“True,” he muses as we hear laughter. I look over to see Rocket’s arm slung over Hawkin’s shoulder, their heads thrown back.
They approach the table and Hawkin looks at me and then back to Vince. “You guys okay?”
“We good here, Q?” Vince asks me with a knowing smile on his face.
“We’re good.” I nod, our chat affirming that he most definitely has Hawke’s back.
