Page 56 of Taming Hawke

Could it be? The accent is Colombian.

I stop pacing and whisper into the phone, “Santana?”

An evil laugh comes through the phone. It occurs to me they have Josie? What the fuck do they want with Josie?

“Hawke, you’re smarter than I thought. That’s right, it’s Santana.”

“What do you want?” I growl.

“I want you on a plane, and in New York tonight. Or else, Josie here will die a slow death,” he explains in his thick accent.

Santana is a drug lord, the head honcho of a syndicate that distributes into America from Colombia. Quill’s old man was his connection in the US, and now that he’s gone he’s coming for us.

“You’re the one who sent that fucking warning, aren’t you?” I question, looking around the garden to see if anyone is listening in on this conversation.

“Yes, that was me. I’m growing impatient here, Hawke. Either you get here tonight, or I will enjoy killing this señorita. But first I’m going to have me a taste, and then Nico, Emanual, and Javier will have their turn.”

I hear a scream, and know it’s Josie. She sounds terrified, like someone may be holding a knife or gun to her. “Hawke, please help me,” she cries out in the background. I pull at my hair as I kick a rock on the ground, my frustration and anger at the situation threatening to boil over.

“Don’t fucking touch her,” I growl into the handset. “She has nothing to do with this.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Hawke. She owes me money for the drugs she’s been stealing from me. So, I thought, how do you say it? Ah, I will kill two birds with one stone.”

How the fuck is Josie linked to all this? And stealing drugs form Santana?

“So, you’re going to leave your president’s wedding, and get your ass back here to New York tonight,” Santana continues. “I will be waiting, Hawke. And don’t even think of telling anyone. If I get word that you’ve mentioned this to your club, then she’s dead.”

Tonight?How the fuck will I explain leaving to Quill? And Lu? Fuck. Lu. What will she be thinking if I just up and leave?

“I don’t even know if there’s a plane back to New York tonight?” I’m trying to stall him, I need time to think about how I’m gonna handle this fucked-up situation.

“Ah, I’ve already organised my private jet to pick you up. It’s waiting for you at the airport.” Fuck! “Oh, and Hawke?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t think I don’t have eyes on you. I know your every move, and if you don’t do as I say, she will die tonight.”

I swallow hard. I know what has to be done. Josie doesn’t deserve to die. She may have chosen the wrong path to take but that doesn’t mean she has to die for this.

“I’ll be there,” I state and end the call.

I tuck my phone into my suit pocket, and begin to plan how the hell I’m going explain to Luisa that I need to leave all of a sudden.

“There you are.”

I stop in my tracks and look up. There she is, the very person I was going to see. “Hey, baby.”

“What’s wrong?” she asks, placing both hands on my chest.

I suck in a ragged breath. “Baby, I need to leave.”

“Now? You’ve got to be kidding me. What’s so urgent that you have to leave the wedding?” she asks, pushing me away from her and stepping back. I hate the look of disappointment on her face, and struggle to find the right words.

“Lu, listen. I have to go take care of club business. You need to trust me.”

She puffs out a breath. “You can’t be serious. Club business? You expect me to believe that? Has this got anything to do with your ex?”

The fact I’m not answering has her nodding her head. “You’re going to her? After everything we’ve just gone through because of that woman, you’re still running to her?”

---