by S. K. Hardy
Hawk immediately shook his head. “Nope. Uh-uh. Angel and I gotta get some things straight. He knows if the situation was reversed and I questioned him about his wife I’d have hell to pay. This ain’t no different. Just like I won’t let my family interfere in our relationship, I refuse to let Angel or Nikki do it.”
“I know, and you’re right. But things are stressful enough as it is. I’m just asking you to wait, let things die down a little, then discuss it calmly. I really don’t want to be the cause of the two of you arguing. Please, Hawk. Will you do this for me? Please.”
Hawk stared at her for a good ten seconds before he closed his chin dropped to his chest. “Fine, Rae,” he said lifting his head. “Fine. But I’m tellin’ you now, if this comes up again he and I are gonna have a problem.”
“Thank you, baby.” Rae stood on tiptoe and rained splashes of kisses over his face. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you so much for doing this for me.”
“Yeah, I love you too,” Hawk said, smacking her on her butt. Taking her hand he led her out the room. “But when I get back I’mma need you to give me more than a few kisses to show your gratitude.”
“Come back to me safely and you can have whatever you want.”
Hawk looked back and her and gave her a tender smile. “Deal.”
Once downstairs, the two of them were still laughing and talking softly until they heard raised voices coming from the great room. Hawk walked into the room with a curious expression and saw both Joseph and Isaac going word for word with Lucas, who sat relaxed on the sofa looking at them with an unbothered expression.
“What’s goin’ on?” Hawk asked cautiously. “We could hear you before we even made it to the room.”
When Joseph saw Hawk and Raven, he gave up trying to reason with his eldest son and instead turned to Hawk. “For some crazy reason, your brother seems to think he needs to stay here in order to protect Raven from me and your uncle. Would you please tell him that it’s unnecessary?”
Hawk caught himself just before he rolled his eyes at the “for some crazy reason” part. That almost took him out. His father had a selective memory when he chose. Joseph knew exactly why Lucas wanted to stay, but Hawk didn’t have time to get into that with him right now.
Suddenly, he felt Raven give his hand a quick squeeze. He squeezed her hand back to reassure her. She didn’t have to worry. Lucas was not going to leave.
Before he could answer his father, Lucas stepped in so that he wouldn’t have to. “Pop, don’t drag Hawk into this. He didn’t ask me to stay. Until I’m convinced you two know how to behave yourselves I’m staying and that’s final. After all, Raven’s comfort is all that matters here, isn’t it?”
Isaac waved away his nephew’s concern. “The last time was just business, Luke. Things are different now. I hope Raven knows that.” Both Isaac and Joseph turned their attention to Raven as if waiting on an answer.
Raven looked like a deer caught in headlights. “I...um...well...”
Cursing softly under his breath, Lucas stood up. “Okay, stop. This is exactly what I’m talking about. It doesn’t matter what answer Raven gives you. I’m staying.” Throwing them a stern glare he walked over to Hawk and Raven. “Plus, it’ll give me time to get to know my future sister-in-law, find out if she understands exactly what she’s getting into with this one.”
He playfully started punching Hawk, who immediately went after Lucas. Before long the two of them were shadow boxing and ducking away from the other’s jabs like they used to do when they were kids.
Joseph shook his head at them. “Okay, that’s enough. I swear, sometimes I wonder if you boys will ever grow up.” But it was clear to see how much he loved his sons.
“You better get him, Pop,” Hawk said, getting another lick in. “He don’t have King and Lo to help him like he usually does.”
“I don’t need back up to kick your butt, little brother.”
Lucas grabbed Hawk in a headlock before letting him go. Grinning at each other they gave each other a hug before Hawk took Raven’s hand and led her out the set of double French doors. Pulling Raven to a stop, Hawk let the rest of his family walk a distance ahead of them. With his hands resting on her waist they stared at each other in silence. His heart tap-danced in his chest when he saw the way her eyes welled up with unshed tears that she tried her best to stop from falling.
“Don’t cry, Rae. Everything–”
“Will be fine,” she finished. “I know. Just...hurry back. And–”
“Be careful.” This time Hawk was the one who finished her sentence. “I know,” he said with a teasing grin.
That drew a reluctant smile from Raven for which he was grateful. Hawk didn’t want to leave her with tears and fears and sadness. Cupping the side of her face in his hand, he leaned down and gave her a tender kiss, then another. He didn’t want to go anymore than she wanted him to leave, but it was something he had to do. That thought didn’t make it any easier, though.
Giving her one final kiss, he gave his father and uncle a hug. No matter how much they might argue or get angry at one another there really was a lot of love in his family, because in the end, they were all they had.
Lucas walked down the steps with him, leaving the others to wait on the veranda. “Before you go, I wanted to tell you that Angel called me right before you came downstairs.”
Hawk stopped and looked at him with anger simmering in his eyes. “Let me guess. He was checking behind me to make sure you would be here with Raven while I was gone.”
“Yes, and to warn me that if anything happened to her my life wouldn’t be worth shit.” In direct contrast to Hawk’s anger Lucas ginned in amusement.
Lucas and Angel had been friends for a long time; there was a lot of history between them. Charming, handsome, and wealthy the two men used to treat the world and the women in it as their playground before Angel settled down with Nikki. Because of that, Lucas knew Angel a lot better than Hawk. No matter Angel’s prior issues with his sister-in-law, her safety was of utmost importance to him.
Slipping his shades on, Hawk made sure their backs were turned to Raven’s ever seeing eyes and let out a long string of colorful curses. “If I hadn’t made a promise to Rae that I wouldn’t get into it with him, he and I would have a serious talk after all this was over.”
“For what it’s worth, I agree with Raven. Angel’s just concerned about her welfare. You can’t blame him for that. If it were Leah, we would be the same way.” Lucas’ gaze intensified as he stared at his brother. “You would be the worst out of all of us.”
Hawk automatically started to argue, but the perspective Lucas put out there made him pause just as it was meant to do. Lucas was right. Even now, he made sure eyes were always on his sister so that no harm came to her. She didn’t know it, of course. If she did he would have straight hell to pay.
With those thoughts in mind, he had no choice but to reluctantly agree with what Lucas said. “I guess I see your point. I can’t deny that fact no matter how much I want to.” He turned his head to peer at his brother from behind the tinted sunglasses. “Do you always have to be right about everything?”
Lucas’ white teeth flashed brightly against his caramel colored skin. “Hey, it comes with the position of being the oldest. Plus–I’m just good like that.”
“Whatever, man.” But Hawk joined him in laughter, effectively cooling his anger. They clasped hands and gave each other a hug before Lucas patted his shoulder and stepped back to look at him.
“Again, be careful, Hawk. Do what you gotta do then get your ass back here, okay?”
“Most definitely, man. No unnecessary risks. Can’t afford them.” He looked back at Raven who was staring at him with an intensity that hit him right in his gut. “I got a wedding to plan.”
Lucas turned to look at Raven as well. “You’re a lucky man, bro. I’m happy for you.”
“Yeah. I got a real one, that’s for sure,” he said before giving his brother a
mischievous grin. “Now I’m just wondering which one of ya’ll got next.”
“I’ll tell you who it’s not gon’ be,” Lucas exclaimed, eyebrows raised high. “That life ain’t for me.”
“A few months ago I said the same thing. Never say never, big brotha.” Chuckling when Lucas called him a foul name, Hawk turned and walked towards the helipad. Once he climbed into the chopper, he looked out the window one last time and saw that Raven stood at the railing to watch him take off. He kept his eyed on her as well until she was out of sight.
Sitting back in the leather seat, Hawk closed his eyes as he thought about Thompson. Before the earth was blessed with that man’s death, Hawk vowed to make him answer for each and every wrong he’d done to Raven and her family.
Once that was done, he would never think about him again.
CHAPTER 40
A couple of hours later, Hawk exited the helicopter at the private hangar in Vegas where he and Angel agreed to meet. He immediately saw Angel’s driver, Big Dre, holding open the back to a shiny, black Mercedes. With his sunshades in place to protect his eyes from the harsh glare of the cruel Las Vegas sun, Hawk made his way over to the car.
“Wassup, Hawk?” Dre said in the way of greeting.
They shook hands and leaned in briefly to touch shoulders. “Ain’t nothin’, Dre. You alright, my man?”
“Doin’ good.”
“Glad to hear it.” Hawk climbed inside the luxury car and leaned over to shake Angel’s hand. “Hey. How’s it goin’?”
“Everything’s fine. How is Raven?”
“She’s good. We’re good.” Hawk paused, then added. “I asked her to marry me. She said yes. She’s calling her sister today to tell her.”
Arching his brow, Angel slowly nodded. “Congratulations. I can’t say that I’m surprised.”
“Thanks,” Hawk responded before turning the conversation to business. “So Thompson. Where is he? You said something spooked him?”
“Yes. I don’t know if Chief caught wind of someone asking questions or if it’s just the street hustler in him. Either way, he’s not going to stay in one place for long and risk getting caught. When I showed up at the dump he was hiding out in he almost shit a brick.”
Hawk looked at him in surprise. “You went there yourself?”
“I did–which reminds me. I have something for you.” Reaching into his inside jacket pocket, he pulled out several miniature tape cassettes and gave them to Hawk. “I think this is what you were looking for in Miami.”
Hawk immediately knew what they were. The tapes Thompson used to blackmail Raven. “Where did you get these?”
“From Chief. He had to be...persuaded, but once we got on the same page he gave them to me of his own free will. One is the original, the others are the copies he made.”
“That son of a bitch,” Hawk said in a low voice before looking at Angel. “I suppose you listened to them...”
“You suppose right.”
Fuck! “So you know...”
“That Raven killed the men responsible for Jacoby’s death? Yes.”
Hawk gripped the cassettes tightly in his hand. “She didn’t want you or her sister to know. At least not yet.”
“Nikki doesn’t know and I won’t tell her. I’ll leave that up to Raven if that’s what she decides.”
Hawk let out a sharp sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“Chief is a sick fuck. Raven was young and naïve, barely seventeen years old. Any discernment she may have had about the situation would have been blinded by her grief of losing her brother. Chief knew exactly how to manipulate her and used that knowledge to his advantage. You have no idea how much restraint I practiced after I listened to what was on them. He’s lucky he’s still alive.” Angel’s emerald colored eyes shifted to a cool icy green. “Barely.”
“I appreciate it more than you know, bruh. Raven said she kept up with him throughout the years. When he got an early release she lost track of him after he skipped town. What are the odds of him turning up working for me.” Hawk shook his head at the irony of it all.
“And your father and uncle know all of this I assume.”
Hawk felt his body tense. Here we go. “They’re aware, yes.”
“Do you think it was wise to tell them?”
“They understand where things stand when it comes to Raven. She’s going to be my wife soon, which means she’s part of the Pattel family. They won’t let anything happen to her.”
“They’d damn well better not. I still don’t understand why you would even put her in the position of staying there.” The temperature inside the truck dropped significantly. Angel turned freezing eyes to Hawk. “I warned your uncle what would happen if he so much as sneezes in her direction. For his sake, I hope he heeds my words.”
Fire licked a slow moving path through Hawk’s body. If he didn’t feel the need to explain himself to his family he sure as hell wasn’t going to do it to anyone else. “Don’t lecture me like I don’t know what’s best for Raven. I’d take a bullet to keep her safe, the same as you would for your wife, so you need to...” Hawk’s teeth snapped shut to keep the tirade of words from tumbling out. He promised Rae that he wouldn’t get into it with Angel and he’d keep his promise to her if it killed him.
Angel’s eyes narrowed to thin slits of green, glittering jewels when Hawk’s words trailed off. “You’ve never been one to bite your tongue, Pattel. Don’t start now.”
“Look, let’s just drop it, a’ight?” Anger burned in his stomach like a vial of acid. It was best to remain quiet for the rest of the trip and wait for his temper to abate, but Angel’s next words taunted his effort.
“Ahhh. Okay. I see.”
Hawk’s eyes snapped towards Angel in a deadly glare. “You see what?”
Angel’s mouth quirked upwards with a hint of a smile. “Raven made you promise not to engage in an argument with me over this, didn’t she? That’s the only thing that would make you sit there and practically burn in silence rather than speak your piece.”
Angel’s amusement was almost Hawk’s undoing. He gripped the cassettes so tight he heard them crack. “And that’s funny to you why?”
A deep rumble of laughter burst from Angel’s chest. “Not funny, per se. Just...familiar.”
“What do you mean?”
“Let’s just say the Randolph sisters have a lot in common. My wife has the ability to manipulate me with just a look or a couple of soft words. Before I know it, I’m doing her bidding without even realizing it. Most of the time I’ll recognize her tactics and decide whether or not I’ll let her have her way, but for the most part...” Angel’s shoulder lifted in a slight shrug. “It’s a harmless indulgence.”
Easing his hold on the tapes, Hawk settled back into the seat when he heard Angel’s explanation. He hadn’t even realized how tense he was until now. “So...this shit is normal? Because I was beginning to wonder.”
“Completely normal, my friend. It’s something a man doesn’t understand until he’s found the right woman. And it seems as if you have.” Angel eyed him closely before nodding as if he’d made up his mind about something. “Okay, Pattel. I’ll trust that you know what’s best for you and yours. Just don’t make me regret it because I don’t want to have to deal with another crisis involving my wife and her sister.”
Now it was Hawk’s turn to look amused at Angel’s pained expression. “Was it that bad?”
“Bad is too mild of a word. Raven is crying in my ear on the phone, my wife is screaming hysterically in my other ear...” A shudder went through Angel at the memory of that night while he tried to do damage control. Before he married Nikki, he kept a virtual harem of women in his home and was adept at handling feminine plights, but he was out of practice. It was something he’d prefer to avoid if possible. “Anyway, I’ll let Raven decide if she wants to tell her sister what happened and will stand beside whatever decision she chooses.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.” Hawk star
ed at him for a moment. Something in Angel’s expression made him frown. “What’s wrong? I have a feeling there’s something you’re not telling me.”
It took several long seconds for Angel to answer him. “I still can’t stop thinking that there’s more to this than what Chief has said.”
“Like what?”
“I’m not sure,” Angel said slowly, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. “I have men working on it as we speak. Either way, we’ll find out the truth, one way or the other.”
Hawk turned to stare out of the window as he thought about what Angel just said. In this business, they had to learn to listen to their instincts because it could mean the difference between life and death. If Angel thought there was more to the story–more than likely there was.
CHAPTER 41
Almost an hour later, they pulled up in front of a monstrosity of a building that Angel said was an abandoned crematory. With most of the windows shattered or completely busted out, it had clearly seen better days. Ivy vines grew uncontrollably over the aging concrete, almost overtaking the exterior of the building. Landscaping that in the past would’ve probably been neatly kept up was now just a bunch of dead, overgrown bushes and weeds.
Hawk looked around after he got out of the car. The area was isolated, located off a long, winding road. He doubted if many people even knew about the building. Good. Even better.
Once he followed Angel inside, he noticed that the interior was even worse than the outside. Patches of the roof were missing, allowing beams of sunlight to pierce through in bright columns. Hawk kicked at shards of glass that lay scattered on the dusty floor. As they made their way through the building, he saw rusty pieces of obsolete equipment scattered about here and there adding to the clutter.
“Homey place you got here.” Hawk’s voice was dryly sarcastic as they climbed a set of stairs that led them down a darkened hallway. It wasn’t hard to visualize how many bodies had been brought there and prepared for cremation.
“It gets the job done,” Angel answered. Opening the door they stopped in front of, he glanced back at Hawk. “Plus, the cremation chambers still work. Easy disposal.”