Page 42 of Hawk
Hawk
Leaving Stella so abruptlywas killing me, but I needed to get home and check on Matthew. I hated that his anxiety was getting worse, and I blamed his bitch of a mother for it. He was a happy kid before she decided she didn’t want to be a mother, and since she left last year, he’d struggled with trust issues. I thought leaving him and Anna with Gunner and Sadie would lessen his worry, but now I see I was wrong.
The drive to Portstill was six hours straight through, but I would need to stop at least once, maybe twice, for fuel. The farther away from Stella I got, the more worry built in my stomach. I wasn’t worried about her safety. I knew her redeemer had given her the tools to save herself, but I was concerned she would change her mind about coming to Portstill for Hailey.
When I was about two hours out from Stella, I felt my phone vibrate in my cut, and when I saw the next exit, I pulled off and found a truck stop. Parking near the gas pumps, I started filling the tank as I checked the messages.
Gunner:Matthew’s fever broke after the Tylenol and Doc gave him something to stop the vomiting. I told him you were on the way home and he seemed relieved.
Me:Thanks, man. I’m still about four hours out but I’ll be there as quickly as I can.
Gunner:Be safe. He’s resting and I kept Anna out of school today just in case it’s a stomach bug.
Me:Good call. I’ll call at my next stop.
Gunner:Did you find her?
Me:Yes, but I need you to keep that under wraps. I’ll explain when I get there.
Gunner:That’s great, man. I know Hailey will be so happy.
Me:But the madman may be pissed.
Gunner:Fuck that asshole. Hailey is a Death Hound, so her mother is too. If he doesn’t like it, he can go fuck himself.
Me:Agreed. I’ll touch base soon.
After fueling the bike, I ran inside and grabbed something to drink, a snack, and used the bathroom. I knew the next stop would be at least two and a half hours and I didn’t want to take any more time getting home to my kids than I needed to.
I pulled back onto the highway and pushed my Harley a little faster than I should have, but the thought of Matthew being sick and me not being there was distressing. I knew his grandmother was there to help if needed, but when he got like this, all he wanted was his dad. I was the same way with my old man, and I hated that he was growing up without the love and affection of a mother.
Anna was tough and didn’t seem to miss her mother like Matthew did, but I think age had a lot to do with that. She was so young when Araneta and I started having trouble, and some days, I wonder if she even remembered having her around. Matthew, on the other hand, was a kindhearted little boy who was trying to adapt to his new normal. Most days, he did really well, but when I wasn’t around, his anxiety grew.
His grandmother, Doris, Araneta’s mother, knew how to handle his illness, and after the first few overnight stays with her, the upset stomachs tapered off. I didn’t want to ask a prospect to stand guard while I was gone, so I thought staying with Gunner and Sadie would be okay. Obviously, I was wrong.
I refused to beat myself up because I had reason to be happy. I found Stella and convinced her to return to Portstill to meet Hailey. Until I was sure she was on the road, I wasn’t going to say anything to Hailey or Hatchet. There was no reason for her to get her hopes up until I was completely certain Stella was on her way. I also didn’t want Devlin or Lucian to get wind of her arrival.
Hailey deserved to be the first person to see her, and I knew the brothers would invade their reunion. I wasn’t sure how their meeting would go, but I had high hopes that Stella would stay in Portstill permanently. That would be good for Hailey, and if I was being honest, it would be good for me too.
For years, she lingered in the back of my mind, and after seeing how far she’d come in her recovery, I hoped she would be open to being more. I tried not to think about the things that sadistic fuckwad, Adrik, put her through. He thought I was gay and I never corrected his train of thought. To him, I was a trained killer sent by her father to ensure she complied with the agreement.
He made me watch as he beat her, raped her, paraded her naked in front of others, and treated her like a piece of property. Thinking back to our last day in the house, I couldn’t help but cringe at how everything played out.
Adrik had been on a rampage most of the day. He was pissed to find out that someone was telling the feds everything about the family’s businesses, and his paranoia about being busted again was palpable. The last time he was raided, the feds took Stella and Hailey away from him and he went underground for almost two years.
I’d feared if something like that happened again, he would kill her before he let her escape. The man was demented and truly believed Stella was his property.
For hours, he’d been ‘disciplining’ the girls he pimped out at the house, reminding them he was their master. I fought to not kill him myself, but if that had happened, it would’ve been nearly impossible to get Stella away safely. I had to play my cards close to the vest, so there were only a few times I spoke with her about my plan.
I watched from my spot in the doorway as he left the last girl’s room and turned toward me.
“Where is Lilith?” he asked, and I shrugged.
“The last time I saw her, she was in her room reading another boring history book,” I responded, and he chuckled.
“She’s the only person I know who actually enjoys reading.” He began to walk away but looked over his shoulder at me. “Take her for a walk around the garden, then take her back to her room. I want to give her a little something before bed.”
He smirked and grabbed his crotch before he turned and walked away.
