Page 26 of Hawk

“That’s what I’m talking about,” Lion says, then fist bumps with Dragon.

“Hawk, what’s your ol’ lady’s relation to this man?” Bishop asks.

“They were together while I was locked up. She broke it off with me, started seeing him a few months after Lilly was born and—”

“I got it! I know that rat bastard! He was one of the idiots who robbed that bank with your brother.”

Blood rushes to my head and all I see is red. That’s his connection? He was one of them? And my brother Gage is stupid enough to tell him where Ivy was staying? It had to be Gage who’s been feeding him information, and if it was, he’d feel my wrath later. For now, I have to make sure to handle this pressing business.

“What are we going to do to this fool?” Dragon asks.

“I’ll figure that out when I get there,” I say.

“Where is there?” Bishop asks.

I say, “We’ll swing by Gage’s place, rough him up a bit and he’ll tell me where to find his idiot friend.”

“Okay, then let’s ride,” Loki says.

We grab our helmets and follow in succession as Loki leads the formation. I had already given him the address to Gage’s run-down duplex and now, we’re pulling up. I told the boys I’ll handle it because they’re liable to kill him on the spot. I mean, so am I – you just don’t mess with a man’s family – but at least I’ll give him grace along with the black eye he’s got coming.

I jump off my Harley, ready for redemption when I walk toward the door. Gage opens the door before I can kick it open and he catches my right fist to his right eye.

He winces. “Hey, what the hell, man?” he asks, covering his eye that will be bruised by morning.

I punch him again. This time he falls backward into the living room, if you can call it a living room in this dump. The place looks and smells like something on Hoarders – exactly how I imagined he was living.

He spits blood and looks at me like he’s befuddled. He probably is. I’ve always had my brother’s back, even when he didn’t have mine, but he crossed the line when he messed with my family.

“Whoa, man! What are you doing?”

“Cash Brooke—you know that prick, so don’t play dumb. That’s one of your bank robbery buddies, isn’t it?”

He wipes blood from his mouth.

“Isn’t it!”

He winces some more like the punk that he is, touching his mouth and looking at the blood on his hand.

I say, “You better start talking, Gage, or I swear I’m going to knock every tooth out of your mouth.”

“Okay, okay! Yeah, I know him!”

“Did you know he was with Ivy while I was locked up?”

“I mean, I saw them together a few times.”

“You’re a friggin’ liar!”

“I’m not lying, Gideon. I swear!”

“Imma ask you a question and if you lie to me, I’m going to unleash the gates of hell on you. Did you tell him where I lived?”

“Ye-yeah. He said he had something to give Ivy.”

“And how did you know Ivy was at my place?”

“Brandon told me.”