Page 77 of Hawk
“So, my big brother helped save all of you?” I asked and they all nodded.
Sadie explained, “He saved Jacob from being killed when he was around eight years old, and through the years, I watched him bring a lot of missing and endangered women home. He may be unorthodox in the ways he handles things, but around here, that’s to be expected. Devlin’s a good man, and we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”
Everyone called him the madman, but to me, he was always my big brother, my protector, and until he was sold away from the family, my best friend. To hear them explain how he’d saved them, and apparently, countless others, gave me hope that the future I’d longed for was just within reach.
As long as Lucian didn’t show up. Then, all bets would be off.
Chapter 25
Hawk
Leaving Stella alonewith the DHMC ladies was a gamble, but I prayed they could help her adapt to her new life. I knew some of what each of them experienced, and I hoped by hearing their stories, she would be able to move past the shame and regret she still carried around with her. No one should live through what she did, and knowing it was her own father who sold her to Adrik made me so angry, I could scream.
The only redeeming thing about that was he was dead and unable to hurt anyone ever again. There had been rumors about who killed him, but so far, no one had taken credit for his demise. He made so many enemies with his selfish decisions, I imagined the list of potential suspects would be long.
I walked up to the picnic pavilion and joined Gunner at one of the tables. He was sipping on a beer and offered his closed fist to me as I sat down.
“How’s she settling in?” he asked as I took a beer from the cooler at his feet and opened the bottle.
Taking a swallow, I took a minute to really think about his question. “She’s struggling some, but I think she’ll come around.”
“I can’t imagine what she’s lived through,” he remarked with understanding in his voice.
Gunnar had been a newly patched brother with the club on the night the madman saved Jacob’s life. I’d heard the story about how Sadie and Jacob showed up at the patch party and she’d passed out from fear. He scooped her into his arms and made sure she was safe and protected while they determined what the club’s next move was.
They had been inseparable until the night he let a club slut touch him, and for the next year, he was in therapy and she was alone. The tales of his groveling and renewed determination to re-win her heart were legendary around the club. Especially when an attached brother was seen around the ladies.
“I just want her to feel welcome and know that she has a safe home here with us,” I said to him as he leaned forward and pressed his forearms against his knees.
“That’ll take time, but I’m gathering you’re not going anywhere, so time isn’t really the issue, is it?” he inquired, and I leaned my back against the edge of the picnic table.
Matthew, Anna, Iris, and a few of the other club kids ran out of the clubhouse with Jackal following closely behind them. He lifted his chin to us as he walked across the parking lot, always keeping the kids in his sights. Their laughter was good for the soul, and I couldn’t imagine at their age experiencing what some of the old ladies had.
“To be honest, I’ve wanted her for over a decade, but after everything she went through, I felt like leaving her with . . . her redeemer was the best choice. Then I got caught up with the ex and thought Stella had moved on with her life. Never in a million years would I think she would reappear and be Hailey’s mom.”
“And now that she’s here, what do plan to do?”
