Page 27 of Hawk

I grind my teeth and punch him in the gut. “You crossed the line, Gage. I’ve always had your back and you pull this on me, but this is it. I’m done. You hear me? Done! If you ever step foot on my property, you’re going to catch heat. Think I’m playing? Try me. Now, tell me where this fool is?”

“I don’t know. He’s in and out. I let him crash here for a few days last week, but I haven’t seen him since then.”

“Come on, fellas,” I say. “I’m going to search every corner of this city until I find him!”

“Ay, here’s a thought,” Loki says. “You got the name ‘Hawk’ because you don’t miss. Did you check the yard to see if you hit that fool?”

“No, I didn’t. I was too busy trying to get my wife and kid to safety.”

“I say we roll back to your place and check the yard,” Loki suggests.

“Good idea,” I tell him. “Let’s roll.”

In the cover of darkness, we roll through the muggy streets heading back to my place. When we arrive, everyone draws their weapon of choice and we converge on the place like a trained SWAT Team.

Loki says, “Bishop and Wraith—we’ll take the back. Hawk, take Lion and Dragon with you.”

“Ten-four,” I reply. “With my gun drawn, I walk in the front door, clearing room after room.

Lion says, “I doubt if he came back here.”

“You never know,” Dragon says. “I’m hoping he did. It’s been a while since I last stabbed somebody.”

They chuckle.

“Ay, out here,” I hear Loki say from the backyard. We run in that direction, stepping over broken glass to get out back. When we get back there, Loki has a flashlight pointed toward the ground. A man in all black, wearing a ski mask is lying face down on the earth.

“Is he dead?” Lion kicks him.

“Looks that way,” Dragon responds.

“I knew it,” Loki says. “Don’t know why you doubted yourself, Hawk. You got him with one shot. Impressive.”

Now, I start freaking out because I just got out of jail. It’s not a good feeling to think I’m going back there, leaving Ivy and Lilly behind.

I say, “Man, I got a kid. I can’t go down for this.”

“Why would you?” Wraith asks. “The prick had it coming. He tried to break into your house.”

“The law won’t see it that way.”

“Screw the law!” Loki exclaims. “We make our own laws. He did the crime and now, he’s paid for it. And don’t you worry about going back in. That’s not going to happen.”

“Yeah,” Dragon says. “The gators will be well-fed tonight. Woo!”

“Ain’t none of this coming back to you,” Loki says.

“All you have to do is keep your idiot brother in check,” Bishop advises.

“That won’t be a problem.”

“Good,” Loki says. “Now, bring a rug or something so we can get this garbage off your property.”

I go into the house, pull up the rug in the living room and bring it out to them. They spread it on the ground, move Cash’s body on it and roll it up. While they do that, I run to the garage to get a roll of duct tape and run back, helping them secure the rug and its filthy contents. Afterward, they pick up the rug and carry it to my car. I pop the trunk, they throw the rug inside and the package is ready for transport.

I follow Dragon to LeBlanc Gator Tours where we transfer the dead woman-abuser onto the boat.

Dragon says, “I got it from here. Go take care of your family.”