Page 11 of Hawk's Sapphire

I don’t’ regret what we did tonight, but he will.

4

HAWK

The next morning when I wake, it’s to a cold, empty bed and the sound of my phone ringing.Jake’s name flashes on the screen.“Yeah.”I answer.

“Where the fuck are you?Pres has been calling all over for you.”

“The fuck?Why?”I ask wiping the sleep from my face.

“It’s Nate.”Jake says, sounding unsure.“He’s dead, Hawk.”

I’m up, grabbing my jeans and pulling them on, scrambling around to grab the rest of my things.“How?Who?”

“No one, brother.He just … died.Prospect found him in his bed unresponsive.”

A cold chill skitters across my spine.

“Did anyone go down there to check on him last night?”I ask through gritted teeth.

I grab my shirt and cut, throwing them on.Shoving my feet in my socks and boots, lacing them up, I’m on the move, heading toward the kitchen on the hunt for Sadie.I don’t know the whole story, but Jake’s right, we need to get moving.But as soon as I get to the living room, I feel it.A cold sense of dread.

Something’s wrong.

Sadie’s standing behind the counter, already dressed and ready to go with a cup of hot coffee in her hand.She’s not looking at me.Her eyes are glued to her phone.Her face scrunched in a cute scowl as she reads whatever is on her little screen.She’s so invested in whatever it is, she doesn’t hear my boots as I come into the room.

“What do we know about how he died?When’s the last time someone saw him alive?”Saide’s eyes snap to mine, both her eyebrows raised with a question,

“Last night.Trevor took Nate dinner at around six and then no one else went down there.There was no reason to.None of us were alerted by the alarm system.Were you?”

“No.”

Sadie goes back to typing something out, still focused on her cell phone.It’s a little strange for her to not be grilling me with questions, as nosy as she usually is, but maybe she’s still in her head about what happened here last night.Hell, I’m still trying to process through it all.How am I going to tell the guys I’ve claimed her?Will Mack even give me his blessing?Not that he’s her father, but he’s damn near raised her, her whole fucking life, so if he said no, I would at least pretend to take his feelings into account.

“Avery’s a little freaked out.I had her text Sadie to come sit with her while we hold church.She said she was at home but would head this way.”I nod though he can’t see me, because that would make sense.Sadie and Avery are thick as thieves.If she knows Avery needs her, Sadie is probably reassuring her that she’s on her way.

“I’m headed that way now.”I tell him before hanging up.“Sadie.”

Her eyes snap to mine.She closes down her phone putting in her back pocket, reaching for her keys.There’s somethingoffwith her.

She’s probably freaking out.You claimed her last night, idiot.

We need to have a discussion about what happened between us, but I don’t have the time right now I need to get to the clubhouse and find out what the actual fuck happened with Nate.He wasfineyesterday so far as I know.No one said anything about him being sick or looking like he was struggling.

His bullet wound has already been cleaned and handled.He was on antibiotics and Pres was even nice enough to get him pain meds to keep him sleeping while we figured out our next move.It was always the plan to kill him,slowly.We still needed information from him about the Devils and what they’re up to.I have no doubt he was part of their drugging and trafficking bullshit.So long as he was getting his own stash of drugs and his piece of the payout, he would do anything for anyone.Loyalty means dick to him.

We already know they’re working with dirty cops and social workers.That shithead Swanson proved that when he tried to snatch up Carter.But the part Nate actually played, and the Devils’ next moves are things we hadn’t been able to pull from him yet.

I wanted to kill him the moment I saw him, but Pres thought making him believe we were going to give him a little time to recoup, and recover would improve our chances of getting him to talk.More than anything, it was for our own sanity’s sake that Gabe waited.He wanted to fuck with Nate’s head.Make him wait out his punishment.In truth he owes a debt for so many things - theft, dead family members, abuse- his death almost seems too simple.He deserved to suffer for all of it.

And now he won’t pay for any of it.

His own body giving out?It’s too fucking good for him.

Fucking pathetic.

“Babe.”I take two steps until I’m invading Sadie’s space.She’s furiously typing something on her phone again when her eyes snap to mine.Gripping the phone, I set it on the counter face down beside her, moving in closer, pressing my chest to hers.

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