Page 118 of Hawk
I sat down and crossed my arms over my chest as he tried to take a seat within arm’s reach of me. Claw pushed him to the other side of the table, and Lucian glared at him before taking a seat. His eye was swelling, and I kept moving my jaw back and forth as we stared at each other, not saying anything.
Gunner, knowing what Skid told us a few weeks ago, turned to Lucian and asked, “What the fuck is your problem?”
“He’s my problem. I’ve been on a wild goose chase for two weeks looking for Stella, and he’s been hiding her here all along. I demand to see her. Now!”
“I haven’t been hiding anyone, and it’s not my fault you’re too damn dumb to know when you’re chasing your tail,” I returned, and he tried to jump over the table at me.
I sat calmly as Basher pulled him back into his seat and kept his meaty hands on Lucian’s shoulders, ensuring he stayed seated. I smirked at him, and that seemed to piss him off even more, but he was basically powerless to do anything about it.
“I think there are some things you need to explain, Lucian. Then, and only then, will I let Hawk explain,” Gunner reasoned, and Lucian cut his eyes to my President.
“Show him respect, asshole,” I told Lucian, and Gunner signed heavily.
“Get everyone a beer and give us some privacy,” he yelled, and half the brothers began to move outside, staying just far enough away to have technically followed orders but close enough to help in case we started fighting again.
Three beers were placed on the table, and I lifted mine, taking a swallow and feeling the burn on my busted lip. Lucian took a swallow before lifting the cold bottle to his eye as Gunner watched us both intently.
“Does Hailey know you’ve been hiding her mother?” Lucian asked.
“I told you, no one was hiding. Stella and Hailey have spent every day together, so your silent threats have no weight here,” I returned, and some of the wind was taken out of his sails.
“What about Devlin? Does he know?” Lucian questioned, and part of me felt bad for him.
The rest of me was still pissed about what Skid uncovered. I nodded and explained, “Devlin was doing what Stella asked, so you don’t have any reason to be pissed at him.”
“Why . . . why would Stella not want me to know she’s been found?” he asked without malice in his tone.
I cut my eyes to Gunner and lifted them to the random brothers still within earshot. He looked at both of us and said, “I’m going to send them away, but don’t make me regret it.”
He snapped his fingers, and everyone left except Skid, Jackal, and Claw. They all pulled chairs up to the table and took a seat, making sure we didn’t go at each other again. When I glanced over my shoulder to see the other brothers were outside, I sighed and placed my beer onto the table.
“I’m going to ask you something and the complete truth is the only possible thing that can save you. Understood?” I asked, and he leaned forward and placed his bottle onto the table.
“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know as long as it’s not a guarded secret, but then I want some answers,” Lucian returned.
I looked at Skid, and the subtle shake of his head told me he was no closer to finding the girl than he was when he told us about her. I still wasn’t sure what to think of it all, but I was going to ask Lucian and he’d better be honest with me.
“We uncovered a report from the feds’ file that cast you in a very negative light. Do you have any idea what I’m talking about?” I inquired, and he shrugged his shoulders.
“I’ve done some fucked-up shit for our government, so it could be anything.”
“Jesus, how fucked-up can you be?” I asked and shook my head, not wanting an answer. “Tell me about the girl who says you raped her then left her on the side of the road without a backward glance. Or is that something you did so often, you don’t remember?”
He stood from his chair and slammed his fist into the table, yelling, “I never raped anyone, and I don’t appreciate the accusations.”
“He didn’t make the accusations,” Skid interjected. “I read her statement to the feds. They buried it in the files on your father, but she swore it happened. So, explain that.”
Lucian collapsed into his chair and raked his hands through his black hair. When he lifted his eyes, I could see the years of guilt weighing on him. He cleared his throat and tried to explain. “I swear, I never raped anyone, but I did have to do something pretty vile years ago to save someone. I won’t tell you the details because, frankly, they aren’t your business. I will tell you this, though. I wouldn’t hurt a woman like that and still be able to look at myself in the mirror.”
“Then she lied to the federal government when she made her statement? Right,” I added and shook my head.
“Is that why Stella didn’t want me to know she was here? Why you all kept it a secret?”
“Partly,” I responded, and he looked hurt by my response. I leaned forward to speak, suddenly not feeling good about my anger to him. “We were going on sworn statements, and the fact your handlers buried the information. What would you think?”
“I would’ve asked instead of assuming. There’s so much you don’t know, and so much I can’t speak about, even if I wanted to,” Lucian replied.
My phone rang in my cut and I ignored it, not needing the distraction right now. I wanted him to explain. I knew that, at times, things weren’t what they seemed, but in this situation, he was going to have to give me something more to go on if he wanted me to let him near Stella. After what she’d lived through, the thought of her own brother raping someone was too much for her to comprehend.
