Page 17 of Hawk

“I trust you. I also don’t want you taking any risks that aren’t necessary.”

“I’ll call every night. If I don’t call, come burn the place down. But I’ll call, and we’ll be much further ahead.”

“Rave—”

“Revenge for Phantom, redemption to right our mistake in trusting that fucker, Meteor. Trust. Me.” I feel his pain as he speaks. I’m not going to be able to talk him out of it unless I make it an order.

“Twice a night, I want a call. Once at five, one at ten. If you hit trouble, you get out and call me immediately. If I don’t get a call, I’m going to take it as a sign that the Jackals have caught you. I’ll be calling, and the Jackals are smart. They’ll make you take the call. If they have you, then when I ask how you’re doing, you say, ‘It’s all good.’ I’ll know you’re in trouble, and we’ll come for you,” I instruct. “Three fucking days and we pick you up at the designated spot.”

“Two calls, got it. Letting you go for now.”

“Right, brother. Stay alive.”

That’s one call out of the way. I call Guard next. I tell him that Gunner and his crew came to Jake’s. He agrees that it’s Gunner’s ego and his way of psyching us out. I forward him the pictures Raven sent to me. He’ll have Orion and Wildcard, two of his best men, dive into the web and find out who the Jackals are hooking up with.

“We want in on this one, Hawk,” Guard says.

I let out a heavy sigh. Guard’s been asking to step in and help us on the delivery and to act as backup if shit goes south.

“Redemption Riders have got to fight our own fights. We’re never gonna be respected if Satan’s Pride comes to our rescue.”

“Bullshit!” he snaps. “Thunder needed you, and the Riders waded in to make sure he and his woman stayed safe. We owe you. Thunder’s been barking for days to get involved. Demon is losing his mind because, well, you know why. You make the plan.Wefollowyourplan.”

“I’ve got to run it past the guys.”

“Do it. Meanwhile, the photos are on their way to Orion. He’ll get on it ASAP.”

“Thanks, man.”

“No thanks necessary. We had a man go under, and it nearly cost me my brother. It hits too close to home,” he says before hanging up. He’s talking about Ghost, who is more than a member of his club; he is Guard’s brother. He was a shadow until Guard was finally able to bring him home.

Satan’s Pride has had its fair share of drama and has emerged stronger and more united than ever. Redemption Riders will do the same. But I fear that Guard is right in assuming that we’re going to need help with this one. The battle has started and is escalating. There’s too much at stake. The very existence of our club means we need to take a stand, no matter how much blood is shed.

EIGHT

A New Car

ETAIN

Step one in any project is to develop a plan. I did that and set about going through all the invoices and organizing them in numerical order and by date. Next, I made sure all suppliers’ invoices had the same filing system. Hawk and I decided earlier that day that I was going to go back twelve months and see if I could get it all to balance from that point on. I’m only into the first month before I find out he’s overpaid invoices two and three times over. Not only did he pay the original invoice, he did it again when the statement arrived.

The good news is that the company has the money. The bad news is that it should be earning interest in RR Mechanics’ bank account. There’s twenty thousand four hundred and seventy-five dollars and thirty-eight cents that’s owed to them from overpaid invoices, and that’s just from one supplier, in the first month alone.

Hawk’s going to flip his lid when he finds out. I know I would. That’s a lot of money! When I think of the Jimmy Choos I could buy with that money, ah! It’s going to be a while before Jimmy and I reconnect, and even when we do, it’ll be on sale items only, as always. Yes, I like my shoes and clothes, but I’m not the type who indulges often. And I can find some amazing deals at the retro vintage shops. I’d rather have quality over quantity. I get that from my mom. She knows how to save and how to maximize the income she and Dad make with the farm.

Hawk left me in the office. He didn’t look happy, and I could hear his muffled voice through the door. It sounded like he was giving orders. I popped my head out a couple of times, but the garage was empty except for Shooter and another older man, Eric. Eric doesn’t have the same jacket or tattoo as the other guys, so I’m assuming he’s one of the “regular” guys Hawk told me he hired on as a mechanic.

The first time I came out to take a break, Shooter came over as soon as he saw me. “What’s up, Red? You need something?” he asked. Shooter is hot, like the others, but with a more boyish look: blond, wavy hair, baby-blue eyes, and dimples. He’s handsome, but in my eyes, there’s no one better looking than Hawk.

“Just stretching my legs. Staring at a screen is making my eyes go wonky.”

“That’s not my gig. I like working with my hands and feeling the purr of an engine,” he says with a grin.

“And all I ever learned was how to change a tire. My father insisted that a girl needed to know how to change a tire in case of an emergency. I was okay with it, mainly because it meant I got to spend time with Dad. My sister, though…” I sigh. “She argued that since she has AAA, she shouldn’t waste her time.”

Shooter laughed, got me a Coke from the vending machine, and hung out for a little longer, then went back under the car he was working on.

When I check my watch now, I’m surprised to find it’s nearly four o’clock and Hawk isn’t back. It’s not that I need to see him, but I don’t want to just leave without letting him know what I’ve accomplished for the day. I believe that making a good impression on your first day of work is important, and since I know he took a chance on me, I want to prove to him that he made a good decision.

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