Page 42 of Hawk

There are several black Mercedes SUVs parked nearby, and we park our bikes next to them. The rumble of the pipes must have caught their attention, because Risk comes out of the barn to greet us. There are several Mafia soldiers standing guard, and three men, one of whom I assume is Reno, come out to greet us alongside Risk.

Risk greets his brothers first, then comes over and puts his arm around me. “How’s it going, Hawk? Good ride, I hope.”

“When is riding free on your bike not good?” I counter, giving him a grin.

“True enough,” Risk admits, and then turns to the three other men with him. “Let me do the introductions.” He nods to the man on the left. “This is Reno Viale, capo ofNostra Casa.”

Reno takes my outstretched hand. “I hear good things about you and your club.”

“Thank you for meeting with us today. This is a unique situation, and we could use your help.”

“This is my brother, Sebastian. He’s my consigliere, and he hates missing out on the bloody fun,” Reno states with amusement in his tone.

“Fuck off! It’s my turn,” Sebastian jokes, but he’s quick to shake my hand with a smile. “Risk says you’re a friend, and I take him at his word. Don’t make a liar out of him,” he warns.

Definitely odd how close Risk is to these guys. I’ve got to get Risk alone for the full story. “Never, man. I’ve come to make sure none of us is sucked into more of a mess. The Jackals are going to try to screw us over…again.”

“I am Gino Benito, the head of the Benito family.” Gino Benito is an older man in his late sixties, but he looks great for his age. His gray hair only makes him more distinguished looking, and I can tell that he takes good care of himself. “I understand that you have news that our family is being undercut, and this does not make me happy.”

I’m about to respond when Reno interjects, “Let’s go inside.” We move past the guards and into the barn. Some barn! The place is fully equipped for war. The walls are solid, and there’s a target range, boxing ring, and obstacle course situated within the massive space. We reach the stairs leading to the loft, where there are several offices, but we move to the end of the hall to the largest space, which is set up like a boardroom.

“This is a very impressive place,” I tell Reno.

“Dante’s suggestion. My other brother is extremely disciplined, and his mind thinks strategically. Training our men is a huge undertaking, and Dante had this vision,” Reno states.

“Shall we get down to business?” Gino asks impatiently.

“Watch your tone, Gino,” Reno replies, his tone low and lethal. “I’ve allowed you to keep the Benito name for your men, but in an instant, I can remove it. You are all underNostra Casa, and you know it.”

Gino quickly changes his tune. “No offense, Capo. There’s a lot to be done, and I want to move things along.”

“I decide when and how to move things along. You will listen,” Reno warns. Then he points to the chairs around the table. “Take a seat. I’ve had Dante key in the information you’ve sent me.” He then looks at Sebastian. “Do you have Dante on the line?”

“He’s here,” Sebastian responds.

“I’m ready when you are, Capo,” a voice says through the conference phone set up in the middle of the table.

“Go for it,” Reno instructs, then takes a seat and turns his attention to the screen where the audio file pops up and begins to play. It’s the information we sent Guard, but I can see that this is the first time Gino’s heard it because his face is red with fury. I think the final straw is when he hears Gunner saying, “Cicco’s an idiot, and he thinks he’s taking over for his uncle. Fucking priceless. Two stooges. Once we take over their territory, we can hit the big guys.”

The recording ends. I don’t know this Reno guy at all, but his anger is obvious. He hasn’t said a word, but his silence speaks volumes. That and the stony expression as he comes to his feet and glares at Gino.

“This is the second time I’ve heard the recording. It’s not a good feeling to trust a man only to find out he can’t control his own men. I left you in charge, Gino. I did this out of respect for our traditions and history in the old country between families. That ends today,” Reno states.

“Wait, Reno!” Gino implores. “I’ll take care of Cicco.”

Reno slams his hand down on the table. “Oh, no,” he responds, so quietly scary, I can feel the hair on the back of my neck prickle. “I’lltake care of Cicco. Our business is going to change, and you should be happy that I don’t kill you here and now. The only thing saving you, Gino, is the kindness you showed me as a boy, but as of this moment, any international business will go through me.”

Gino seems to know that his time as boss has ended, and to tell you the truth, he almost appears relieved. “My family?—”

“Your wife and children will always be protected as long as they understand that the Benitos no longer exist. We are allNostra Casa, and I am capo. I’ll make this clear, and for their sake, so should you,” Reno says.

“Just saying, brother,” Risk starts, “but we need the Jackals out of the way. And they’re the ones skimming from your pot of gold. Our business is to eliminate them from our territory. We’re asking for a little help in trapping them at their own game.”

“Gunner is mine,” Reno demands.

“Because of him, a good man and brother is sitting in a jail cell,” I tell Reno. “Gunner scared my woman half to death, and he’s ramping up for a war between MCs. But I don’t give a shit about who kills him. I just want him gone.”

Reno gives me a scary smile. “I like you, Hawk.” I don’t know whether I should be alarmed or relieved. He goes on to explain, “You see, with you, it’s not about revenge. It’s about making sure your people are safe.” He looks to Guard, then at Risk. “I’ve never had much use for bikers, until Risk. I see now that your brotherhood is much like our family.”

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