Page 27 of Hawk

I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to feel, but I had the sudden urge to hug Vic, though I’d never done so before.

I stepped forward, ignoring Hawk’s attempt to keep me behind him.“Vic.”My voice broke on his name.

Vic’s eyes widened slightly.He glanced at Knuckles, who nodded almost imperceptibly, then at Hawk, who reluctantly stepped aside.The gate creaked as Knuckles unlocked it, opening it just enough for me to slip through.

I didn’t hesitate.I threw my arms around my brother’s waist and pressed my face against his chest.For a moment, Vic stood frozen, as if he didn’t know what to do with this display of affection.Then his arms came around me, holding me tight.

“Be careful,” I whispered against his shirt.“I just found a family, but I don’t want to lose my brothers.”

His hand came up to stroke my hair, the gesture awkward but sincere.“I’ll be fine, Carrie.I’ve been planning this for years.”He pulled back slightly to look down at me.“You know how Flagg always said I was his best student?”There was a glint in his eye I’d never seen before.“He was right.”

I nodded, not exactly understanding what he meant, but I knew whatever was going on, Victor would win.

Victor kissed the top of my head, and I knew it was time to let go.“Will I see you again?”The question slipped out before I could stop it, and I hated how childish I sounded.

“Count on it, honey.You’ll see all of us again.Soon.”

Chapter Nine

Hawk

Something in the early morning air… shifted.Every instinct I had in me said to hit the ground, but I couldn’t see a threat.“Everyone inside.Now.”I snarled the command before I thought better.I wasn’t the SAA of Kiss of Death anymore, but the sense of urgency was so strong I couldn’t stop the order.

As I turned my head, I reached out for Carrie.Her eyes widened in shock right before she launched herself at her brother.Carrie hit Vic hard enough for him to stumble back a full step.The steel post of the chain link gate next to where Vic had stood pinged with the sound of a ricochet.

“Sniper!”I wasn’t sure who yelled out the warning, but everyone scattered.Vic rolled with Carrie through the gate while three prospects scrambled to shut and barricade the entrance.There hadn’t been even a delayed retort so whoever was doing this had a suppressor.

Another shot hit the other side of the gate, almost like the first shot had missed intentionally when I was certain it had been meant to take out Vic.Once fully inside the gate to our compound, there was camo netting covering the alley-like streets between our warehouses.It wasn’t where we needed to be, but it made it harder for our attacker to pick us off one at a time.

“We need better cover.”Victor had Carrie pinned beneath him, his body shielding hers completely.

“A hundred yards behind you.Get Carrie inside the clubhouse.”The interior of the compound went dark a second later.

“The fuck!”Vic crawled over the pavement and dirt deeper into the canopy cover.“Did they cut the electricity?”

“No.”I led the way to the clubhouse entrance.“We did.”I knew Vic would understand it was to take advantage of the darkness.Once at the clubhouse entrance, I shoved Carrie inside.“Stay here.I’ll be back shortly.”

“You’re going hunting.”Carrie looked up at me with a mixture of shock and anger.

“I am.Stay here with your brother.”

“You know the sniper is Flagg, right?”Vic leveled a look at me.

“That’s what I thought, too, Hawk.”Carrie moved into my arms, and I couldn’t help but pull her close.She’d been so close to where the bullet had hit it took my breath.I hadn’t planned on holding her yet because I knew the urge to take her to the basement of one of the warehouses, wrap her up in my arms, and hide us both away from the world and any possible harm would be too strong to ignore.Spoiler alert!It was.

“We’ll know soon,” I said as I squeezed Carrie to me tightly.“Because I intend to bring whoever this motherfucker is back to kill him.”

“Not before me, you’re not.”Vic’s voice was calm, but his eyes were like steel.I’d seen that look on enough killers to know this wasn’t a debate we were having.Vic would do what he Goddamned well pleased, and I honestly didn’t blame him.

I hurried deeper into the clubhouse to the bar where Chains was readying weapons we kept locked away in a hidden locker.Several of them, actually.There was a weapons locker on every floor of every warehouse, all tucked away where they were safely hidden.All of us were ex-cons, so guns were a hard no, but we had plenty of knives and blunt instruments we could legally have on the property and not go back to prison for.And, of course, wedidhave guns; we just controlled when they were brought out and who had access to them.Again, that had been my job and it was hard not to fall back into that role when it wasn’t yet mine again.I picked a large hunting knife as well as brass knuckles, then turned back to Carrie.

“I want to go with you,” she said, picking her own knife as well as two push daggers she tucked into the straps inside her vest put there for just this purpose.

“Not a good idea, honey.”I motioned to Knuckles who was shouting orders as he stomped through the big front room.“Let me take care of this.It’s what I do.I’ll be distracted if you’re with me.”

“We’ve got to go now,” Knuckles said.“Knight says he has him, but he’s not sure how long he can keep from losing him.”He tossed me a radio.“Prospects are gettin’ our bikes.Me, you, and Tiny.Bohannon too.The rest will stay here to keep the women covered.”

Knuckles looked Vic up and down.“You gonna turn on us if we let you go with us?If this is your old man --”

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