Hawk: Jagged Edge Series #3

by A. L Long

  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when an older bald-headed gentleman looked up at me, I thought I was going to die right then and there. Not only was his head as bald as could be, but a long scar ran from the top of his left brow, down the side of his face, and curved just before it disappeared under his chin. Holding my composure, I said in a stern tone, “I have a tire that I need to get replaced.”

  When he looked up at me like I was out of my mind, I knew that my tire wasn’t going to be getting fixed anytime soon. “Ma’am, we are kinda busy here. Could be awhile. There’s a diner up the street if you want to wait.”

  “How long are we talking? I need to get on the road,” I said, frustrated.

  “At least a couple of hours. You take your pretty little self to the diner, I’ll have one of my guys come getcha when it’s done,” he said as he picked his teeth with a toothpick.

  After I left the service station, I did as the mechanic suggested and headed to the small diner. It didn’t look like much on the outside, but sometimes looks could be deceiving. Walking up the wooden steps, I swung open the door and was met by the scent of cinnamon and coffee. Whatever it was, I knew that was what I wanted.

  Sitting at the counter, which reminded me of a 1950’s burger joint, I watched a younger waitress take an order from a customer sitting on the other end. One thing that I had to say, the little pink uniform was kind of cute on her, especially with the silk yellow daisy pinned to her lapel. Looking down at the menu, I looked for anything that was made with cinnamon. As I skimmed over the dessert section, there it was, ‘Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Rolls.’ Placing the menu on the counter, I waited for the waitress to finish up with her customer.

  As I waited, I took in my surroundings. The little diner was definitely like something out of the fifties. The booths were red with white tables. Even the bar seat I was sitting on was red. There was also an old jukebox in the corner, which was playing ‘Johnny Angel.’ I also noticed that the curtains were red checkered and the floor was black and white tiled. Nothing like being sent back in time.

  “Are you ready to order?” the waitress asked as she poured me a glass of water.

  “Yeah,” I said, picking up the menu.

  Once my order was placed, I pulled out my phone and began looking at the pictures I had taken of my friend in New York. God, how much I missed her. I wished I didn’t have to leave my job and my friend. But when the strange calls began to happen, I knew that they had found me. My only option was to find a different place to live and dump my phone and get a new one. Knowing my uncle, he would be tracking my every move. I couldn’t risk him finding me.

  While I was lost in looking at my pictures, the young waitress came back with my order. Placing my phone on the counter, I looked down at the cinnamon roll and licked my lips in delight. It was an ooey, gooey, mess of perfection with caramel running over the edge and walnuts following its trail. When the first bite hit my mouth, I knew I was in heaven. Little old grandma really outdid herself with this recipe. It didn’t take long before the last bite was down. Picking up my phone to check the time, I heard the little bell above the door chime. Looking over my shoulder, I saw one of the men from the garage. Throwing a ten on the counter, I twisted in my chair and walked over to the man in greasy overalls.

  “Hey, Dex, can I get you anything?” the waitress asked as she picked up my empty plate.

  “I’m good, Abby,” he said.

  The waitress smiled at him and headed to the kitchen. Turning my attention back to the mechanic, I asked, “Is my tire fixed?”

  “All done and ready to go,” he said.

  As he held the door open, I stepped in front of him and headed back to the garage. I was so glad that it didn’t take the two hours the other mechanic thought it would. As much as I enjoyed this quaint little town, I needed to get going. The last thing I wanted was to be late for my first day on the job.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Hawk

  How can a woman I hardly know have such an effect on me? My dick had never been so hard. I never thought the day would come where a woman would be immune to my charm. But that woman, she was like no one I had ever met. Not only was she beautiful, she had a cheeky side that I found sexy as hell. Normally it would have been a turn-off for me, but holy hell, wow.

  Pulling into Stillwater, I could see that nothing had changed since the last time I was here. Just a lot of bad memories that I chose to forget. Even the ‘Welcome to Stillwater’ sign didn’t change. The old bell tower that was built when I was a kid still had the same pewter statue of some historical founder of the town or some shit like that. Even though I had never been to the nursing home that my mom was in, I knew exactly where it was. Driving up the street, I noticed another thing that never changed. It was the old men sitting in front of the only diner that was worth a shit, rocking on the wooden chairs that were older than dirt.

  Turning off the main street, the nursing home came into view. Even though I had never been here, there was something about the place that gave me a somber feeling. It was the last place most of the people went to until the good Lord took them. I think I would kill myself first before I lived in a place like this. Depending on someone to wipe my ass was not what I envisioned my older age would consist of. I hoped that when the time came for me to go, I would die quickly and painlessly.

  Pulling the Mustang into the parking lot, I turned off the engine and headed to the front entrance. As I walked up the sidewalk, there were several residents sitting in wheelchairs with their heads hung low. Yeah, this was definitely not the life I want for myself. Passing the path of the sleeping, I swung open the entrance door.

  Scoping out the area, I spotted a nurse’s station to the right of the entrance. There were two women dressed in colorful scrub tops sitting behind the counter, one older and one much younger. Leaning against the countertop, I asked, “Can you let me know which room Nadine Talbott is in?”

  The older one looked up and asked, “And you are?”

  “My name is Jayce Talbott. I’m her older son,” I replied with a smile.

  My smile must have warmed her cold heart, because I could see a hint of a smile cross her face. “Mrs. Talbott is in room 102. Straight down the hall and to the left.”

  As I headed that way, I wondered what I would find once I entered her room. By the way my brother spoke, she didn’t have too much time left. Just as I was getting ready to enter her room, a man dressed in a black shirt with a white collar exited. When I looked at him, I knew that I was too late. Stepping past him, I entered the room to find that Drew was leaning over my mother's body, with his hand placed on her.

  Stepping closer, I placed my hand on his shoulder, letting him know that I was here. He didn’t even look at me as he choked, “She didn’t make it, Jayce. She held on as long as she could.”

  I could tell by the sound of his voice that it really affected him. I stepped beside him and looked down at the woman that used to be my mother. Her body was gray and lifeless. Going by the way she looked, she had been struggling for some time. Her cheeks were sunk in and her hands were paper thin. When Drew told me that she would be spending the rest of her life under the care of a nursing facility, I had no idea how bad she really was. God, what a stupid woman she was. If she had just listened to me when I told her to get away from my father, she might still be alive. But, at least now she will be at peace. No one will ever hurt her again.

  ~****~

  By the time we filled out the necessary paperwork, it was close to eight o’clock. Drew and I decided to meet up in the morning to work out the details of the funeral arrangements. This was the part where I had no problem with Drew planning the whole damn thing. For one thing, I wasn’t much on funerals, and for another, planning them was one thing I knew nothing about.

  The one thing I did know was where the bar was. Getting in my car, I turned on the engine and headed to a brew that had my name on it. I would have invited my brother to go with me, but I knew he w
anted to get home to his perfect family. Never quite understood why he married a woman he barely knew only because he felt it was his obligation as a gentleman, seeing as he knocked her up.

  Hell’s Gate was already in full swing when I pulled up to the best bar in this little town. I will never forget the first time I came here. I was only seventeen, with a fake ID my friend Jimmy managed to get his hands on. It was supposed to be the last hurrah before I went off into the service. Only my last hurrah ended up being my first fight over a damn girl who was four years older than me. That was the day I decided to ward off women completely. Well, not completely. A man still had needs.

  As I opened the door, I could smell the scent of liquor and cigarette smoke in the air. Stepping up to the bar, I asked what they had on draft and scanned the room while I waited for my beer. My eyes were glued to the vision at the end of the bar. There she was, Ms. Sassy Pants herself. It should be illegal, the way she bent over to pick up the case of beer. I had never been so turned on by looking at a sweet little ass like the one she had. All I could imagine was how it would feel to press that tight ass against my hard cock.

  Taking a swig of my beer, I watched as she maneuvered between a couple of guys standing at the end of the bar. One thing I had to say, she sure did know how to carry a case of beer bottles. I just about lost it when she pushed the swinging door at the end of the bar with her butt. Man, oh man, did I ever need relief, but there was no way I was going to move and miss out on the show I was watching. Even the way she was stacking the bottles in the cooler had me turned on. Her sizable breasts peeking out under her tank top had me wanting to put my hands over them and caress them to no end.

  When she looked up, her eyes met mine like a lightning bolt. I had never seen anything like it. The way the dim lights caught them, I swore they were made of glass. Like a shimmering light bouncing off of the blue sea. But what got me most was the look she was giving me. I wasn’t sure if it was a look of delight or disgust. Whatever it was, she had me, hook, line, and sinker. With her hands on her hips, she walked over to where I was sitting. I knew then that the look she was giving me was a look of anger, but I had no clue as to why.

  “Are you some kind of stalker or something?” she asked as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

  “Don’t get your lacy panties in a wad, doll. I grew up here and my mom just passed, so give a guy a little break,” I replied.

  “Oh, God, I’m so sorry. I thought… never mind what I thought. My name is Paige,” she said, holding out her hand.

  “It’s okay, my mom and I weren’t close. I’m Hawk, by the way.”

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Hawk. Can I buy you another beer?”

  “Yeah, but only if you promise to have one with me.”

  “I can’t drink on the job, but I get a break in about fifteen minutes, we could maybe talk then.”

  With all the shit that happened today, it was beginning to look up. The girl who had me all hot and bothered for the last 24 hours finally had a name. The best part being, I might actually get the chance to get to know her better. Downing the rest of my beer, I headed to the men’s room to drain the beast. As I was going in, a dude was coming out. He had no regard for me as he bumped right into me. I knew that he may have had a little too much to drink by the way he was staggering to get past me. It wasn’t until I looked him straight in the eye that I recognized him. He didn’t change a bit over the last fifteen years. The only difference was that he was a little taller and a little stockier. He must not have recognized me though, because no sooner than his eyes met mine, they were focused on Paige, who was pouring drinks.

  As I grabbed his arm, I said, “If it isn’t Bobby Brennan. How the hell are you?”

  “Who the hell are you, fucker?” he asked, glaring at me with bloodshot eyes.

  “Jayce Talbott. I take it you don’t recognize me. Remember, I’m the one who planted a fist in your gut before we got kicked out of here some fifteen years ago,” I reminded him.

  There must have been something in what I said, because in an instant he suddenly became sober. “Yeah, I remember you,” he paused, looking me over. “You ruined my fucking life that day.”

  Bobby pulled his arm from my grasp. I thought he was going to explain to me how the hell I managed to ruin his life all those years ago, when he clearly was well on his way to doing that all by himself. Bobby was the biggest bully in Stillwater. Everyone did what he asked in fear that they would be getting their ass kicked if they didn’t. The day me and my friend Jimmy got in Hell’s Gate was the day that I finally got enough nerve to stand up to him. It only took that one punch to the gut and he was down. I must have hit him just right, because it took him a long time to get off the floor. By the time he finally did, Jimmy and I were already escorted out of the bar and on our way. We never knew what happened to him after that. I left the next day for the military and Jimmy later moved upstate to help his uncle with his landscaping business. Never heard from either of them again.

  “How the hell did I ruin your life? If I recall, you were an asshole back then,” I clarified.

  “Yeah, well, ever since that day, no one wants anything to do with me. I can’t even get a decent job,” he said.

  “Oh come on, Bobby. There is no way my hitting you in the stomach caused all the problems you’re having.”

  “I should just clock you right now and get it over with. You’re lucky, I’ve had too much to drink.”

  As Bobby walked away, there was something about him that didn’t seem right. I would never believe he would back down from a fight because he may have had a little too much to drink. Not thinking any more about it, I turned to the bathroom door to take care of business.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Paige

  I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into, but there was something about that man that had my panties wet. Offering to have a little chat with him during my break didn’t mean that I was going to jump his bones. It was the last thing I wanted to do or could afford to do. But holy Jesus, he was hot. And that smile of his just about made me explode on the spot. Whenever I felt a guy get remotely close to me, I usually put on the bitch attitude, hoping that they would get the picture that I wasn’t interested, but with this guy things were different. There was some thing about him that I couldn’t get my mind off of.

  My friend was right about this bar. Even though it was situated in a small town, it was the hot spot. I couldn’t believe how quickly the bar filled within a matter of hours. It wasn’t even a Friday night. I should have known when the owner said, “Hope you’re up for a killer night,” he wanted to make sure that I would be prepared to run my ass off. So when my break came, I was more than ready to rest my feet.

  Grabbing a diet coke, I walked over to where Hawk was sitting sipping his draft beer. Pulling up the chair beside him, I felt his eyes burning into me. Looking over to him with a confused look I said, “What?”

  With the touch of his hand, he swiped a stray piece of hair behind my ear that escaped from my loose pony. His touch was so tender, And God, there was that smile again. Taking a sip of my coke, I looked down the bar and asked, “How come you are in a bar instead of mourning your mom’s death?”

  “Long story,” he said.

  “I’d love to hear it, but I have to get back to work. Maybe we can grab a coffee when I get off,” I suggested.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  I wasn’t sure what possessed me to be so bold. I had never asked a guy for anything. Pushing from the bar, I picked up my empty glass of coke and took my place behind the bar knowing that every move I made, Hawk’s eyes were peeled to my backside, which was one of my best assets if I had to say so myself.

  As the night wore on, the bar was now standing room only, I knew there was an occupancy law being broken. The local fire marshall would have a heyday with this one if he came in to do an inspection. With the amount of people in the bar, I was also surprised to see that there weren’t too many fights.
With all the male testosterone inside, Bucky, the bouncer only had to escort a handful of guys out. It always seemed there was a girl involved. That didn’t surprise me either, considering the population of men to women was two to one.

  By the time last call came, I was ready to die. My feet had never hurt so bad. Even though I wasn’t new to the hard work that came with slinging drinks, I had never worked so hard in my life. If it was going to be busy like this every night, I needed to think about wearing something different on my feet. My cute sandals were not going to cut it.

  Hawk was sitting patiently at the end of the bar while I finished loading the coolers with beer. Bucky had already left, and Merrill, the owner, was in his office counting his profits for the evening. I knew he made out pretty good based on my tip jar, which was overflowing with money.