Page 33 of Hawk

“After Vic and I had our little discussion, we put a plan in place to get you to safety.”

“Which we did.”Vic grunted as he punched Randall again.“Worked pretty good too, except I lost track of you just long enough for those punks to assault you.By the time I found you, you were already fighting them.I killed the one attacker you lost track of and did it where I knew Knuckles’s people would see me.”

“I don’t know you.”Knuckles took a threatening step toward Vic.“And you didn’t lead with the fact you were here with Mr.Miles’s knowledge.”

“I wasn’t sure what your relationship with him was, and thought it better to get Carrie to safety than to play nice before I was ready.”

I felt like I was in some sort of bizarre dream.All these men, killers, criminals, whatever they were, all plotting and planning around me, for me,becauseof me.I looked at Miles, my grandfather, then at Hawk, the man I’d chosen, then back at the pathetic creatures who’d made my life hell.“So what happens now?”I asked, my voice steadier than I expected.

Miles looked at me with those piercing blue eyes.“Now?That’s entirely up to you, Carrie.These men hurt you.They killed your mother.They stole your childhood.What do you want to happen to them?”

Everyone in the room went still, waiting for my answer.I felt the weight of their expectation, but also something else.Power.Real power, not the illusion of it I’d been chasing all my life.

“I want to say kill them, but I’m not sure I can do that.It’s one thing to not mourn their passing, but to actually say that’s my wish and wait for you to make it happen isn’t something I’m sure I can live with.”

Miles smiled at me.“Sweetheart, you don’t have to.They killed your mother, but they also killed my daughter.”

I thought about that for a long moment.My grandfather simply stood there waiting patiently.Then, finally, I made my decision.“If they’d do this to my mother and me, they’ll do it again.Maybe to someone who doesn’t have anyone looking after her like I did.Though…” I turned my gaze to Vic.“I didn’t realize I’m not your full sister.”

Vic shrugged.“Honestly, who your mother was didn’t matter to me.You’re our sister.We protected you the only way we could until we were able to get you out.”

“Where are the others?”

“Taking care of business back home.Gage went to help, but it will take all of them to put us in a position to take over for Flagg and his brother.They worked together, since they looked so much alike.No one knew they were dealing with identical twins.The family were the only ones who knew we were their private army.We kept the other families in Nashville in line for them.We also had to protect them both, so there was no keeping it from us.”

“Any other questions, honey?”Hawk was behind me, one arm around my waist, the other at his side within easy reach of that big-ass knife he had strapped to his thigh.

“Yeah, but not for them.I’m done with Igg and Ook.”

“What is it?”

I lifted my chin.“What’s your relationship with Knuckles, Mr.Miles?”

“Before things went sideways for him, Knuckles and Kiss of Death MC were my muscle.He helped me keep the city running smoothly, and I gave him the drug highway through the prisons in the area all the way to Terre Haute.”

“And this is where we take our leave.”Torpedo offered his hand to Knuckles, and Knuckles grasped it in a firm grip.“You’ve got your club locked down tight.You’re following the natural order of the land and helping keep the void filled so supply chains aren’t disrupted.Any killin’ you do is the same as all of us.You don’t kill innocents.Having said that, I don’t need to know your business now.I’m satisfied this will be what the city needs.”

Knuckles tilted his head.“Are you guys leavin’ then?”

“Yeah.You’re ready to take over and I hate the fuckin’ city.”Torpedo grimaced.“We’re only a phone call away if you need help, but we’re headed home.”

“I appreciate your help, brother.”

“Any man who’d go to prison to avenge” -- Torpedo glanced from Knuckles to Gunnar -- “or to protect his sister, is all right in my book.Because, sometimes, a man just needs killin’.”

“No arguments there,” Bohannon said with a grin as he extended his hand to Knuckles.“You’ve got a solid, loyal club.You’ll hear no complaints from me.”

Torpedo and Bohannon shook hands with everyone as they left.I felt like I should stay.See the end of these fucks, but I was done.I simply couldn’t handle any more.

I turned and wrapped my arms around Hawk’s neck.“I don’t want to be here anymore.”

Without a word, Hawk picked me up and headed toward the stairs.I wrapped my legs around his waist and buried my face in his neck.

“You’re not stayin’, Hawk?”That from Knuckles.“You’re SAA now, like we talked about.”

My heart sank.I couldn’t expect Hawk to step away from a duty he had in order to take care of my fragile emotional state.

“Yeah.I’m also Carrie’s man.She’s not up to the killin’, and I’m not sending her to our apartment by herself.”I waved a hand in the air.“Get Tiny to fill in for me.He loves shit like that.”

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