Page 30 of Hawk

Carrie looked up at me, her expression conflicted.“Gage was always… unpredictable.Father never knew what to do with him.”She addressed her brother.“Why?Why betray him now when you haven’t all these years?”

“Honey, as hard as you had it, it was worse for us boys.We all learned to cope and avoid a beating in different ways.I went along with him, doing what he asked when I had to.Other times, I mitigated the damage and worked out something I could live with.”

“We need to get back to the compound,” I said, not wanting to be out in the open too long.“Knight will have the place locked down tight, but I don’t want to take chances if there are more of your father’s men around.”

“There aren’t.”Gage said.

“Get in the back with Knuckles and Vic,” I told him.

“No.”Gage shook his head.“I’ll get in touch with Vic later, but I’ve got to let my brothers know what’s going on.There will be a power void in the city if we don’t move to shore everything up.”He paused.“I’m assuming Flagg won’t leave that compound.”

“No clue.”He absolutely would not be leaving that fucking compound.“Come with us and find out.”

“Let me check with Vic first.”

“Tiny.”I spoke into the radio, hoping the road captain could answer me.Should be an uneventful drive to pick up some passengers, but things were always easy until something went to shit.

“Yeah, Hawk.”

“Give Vic your radio.”

“Stand by.”

A few seconds later, I heard Vic’s voice.“What is it, Hawk?”

“Do you want Tiny to swing back by and pick up your brother?”

“No.”The response was immediate.“He needs to prepare for what happens next.Otherwise, it’s going to fuck with everyone’s business.”I knew Vic was being deliberately vague and I approved.

“He said as much.He’s leaving now unless you have instructions.”

“Gage knows what to do.”

“Copy that.”

Gage reached for Carrie, but I stepped in front of her, not wanting him near her.Carrie put a hand on my arm and stepped around me.“It’s all right, Hawk.I see it in his face.Gage isn’t going to hurt me.”

“You’re too trusting, honey.”But she still moved past me and into her brother’s arms.

Gage heaved a big sigh and hugged her tight, kissing the top of her head.“I’m so sorry, Carrie.We should have taken better care of you.”

“You guys weren’t much more than teenagers yourselves.You helped me when it mattered.All of you, though, I admit I wasn’t sure what to think of you guys.Half the time it seemed like you hated me.The other half like I was an obligation you had to do right by for whatever reason.”

“That was to keep Flagg from using you against us.We all adored you.Still do.But if he knew he could control us by threatening you, things would have been so much worse.”He let her go and I felt like I could finally breathe again.“Go on.Your man there looks like he’s about to lose his shit.”I growled but Gage just gave me a half smile.“Take care of my baby sister.I know where you live.”

“With my life,” was all I said.Then I urged Carrie to climb on Knuckles’s bike.Tiny would come back for mine and Knuckles wouldn’t want to leave his here in the meantime.

The ride back was short and uneventful.Thank goodness too because I wasn’t sure how much more I could take.My protective instincts had kicked in big time.I wanted to hole up in a dark room with her for several days until I was sure nothing was coming for her again.Unfortunately, I couldn’t hide us away.Not yet anyway.There was the matter of her father and uncle to deal with.And I sincerely hoped I got to kill at least one of the bastards myself.

Chapter Ten

Carrie

My father glared at me from the chair the guys had tied him to.The man next to him looked bored.There was no denying the resemblance.They looked exactly alike.They could be twins.Flagg was gagged and screaming angrily behind the cloth they’d stuffed in his mouth.

“God, what a whiner,” Torpedo muttered.That surprised me.He had been more of an observer the few times I’d been around him.Of course, only one day here didn’t really make me the leading authority.But the lessons my father had taught me stuck more than he probably realized.I might lack physical strength, but I wasn’t stupid.My intelligence was a very strong weapon.I’d learned to read people.Just like Flagg had taught me.So, I knew Torpedo was angry as fuck without looking at him.His voice was just that little bit tight, and his tone had bite where I’d never heard him anything other than calm and even.

“You’re not in a position to be a dick, Flagg.”Knuckles went to the restrained man and backhanded him before taking out the gag.“Before you die, we have some questions.And by we, I mean Carrie.Whatever she wants to know, you’re gonna tell her.You don’t, then you piss every last motherfucker in here way the fuck off.”

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