Page 31 of Hawk's Sapphire

Sergio spent the whole dinner watching me, being his unusually quiet, creepy self until I forced him into conversation.

“So, what’s Matteo doing tonight?Where’d he go?”I ask tearing a small piece off the corner of my bread and shoving it in my mouth.Sergio doesn’t answer, only raises his brow at me.He doesn’t like small talk.But that’s too bad, because I need to know things.

“Is he working for the boss or did he get a lead on one of these parties?Come on, Serg, I need details.”I whine.

“What you need is to learn when to enjoy the silence.Like now.While we’re eating.You should be silent.”He sounds gruff, but I’ve spent enough time with him to know it’s all a façade.Sergio is a big softy under that suit and scruff.He just doesn’t want anyone to know it.Much like Matteo, he’s a big -I could kill a motherfucker-teddy bear.

I narrow my eyes and watch as Sergio shovels another bite of food into his mouth.Clearly, my typical level of nosiness is not going to work this time.So, I switch tactics.

“Is he with a woman?”I ask, making my voice tight, filled with jealousy.

Sergio’s mouth hangs open, his bite of food hoovering on his fork.The look on his face is comical and I have to fight not to laugh.

“Why the hell would you ask me that?You’re notwithMatteo.This is a job, girl.”

“Oh, so now I’m nothing more than a whore.”I dramatically shove my plate back and cross my arms over my chest.If Matteo was here, I’m certain I’d get my ass roasted, but since he’s not, Sergio can’t do shit about it.

“The fuck are you going on about?”He mumbles something in Italian under his breath that I don’t understand, but if the redness of his face is anything to go by, he’s getting pissed.“No one called you a whore.But you and I both know you are not Matteo’s woman.This is all a job to catch these assholes running the sex ring in our territory.”

“So, tell me then.Is he on a date with someone?”I push.

“I don’t know where he is, what he’s doing…or who for that fucking matter.It’s not my business to know.My job is to babysit you and teach you how to protect yourself.Nothing more.”

“So, you think he is out fucking someone.After everything we’ve been doing in that dungeon.Making me parade around in the nude for him.Kneeling at his feet and following his every command.He goes out to get laid by someone else?”I swear if Jayde or Jinx were here to see this performance, they’d be falling over with laughter.It’s hard for me to hold back my own amusement, but I want to see how far I can push him.

“Again, not my place or my business.Not yours either.”Sergio groans.“Why do you care, anyway.You two aren’t romantically involved.You’re not having sex.You’re faking a relationship.So why do you fucking care what he does or doesn’t do with another woman?”

Seeing the irritation on his face, I’m unable to hold it in anymore.I pull my plate back, scoop up a fork full of food and shrug with a smile.“I don’t.I just think it’s totally unfair for him to get to go out and get laid and I don’t.”

“Dio mio.”Sergio grumbles and then rattles on in Italian again to himself.My shoulders shake with laughter.He points his fork in my direction and snaps, “Laugh now.But don’t think I’m not going to tell him what just went on here.He’ll probably turn your ass red for pretending to be so upset with him.”

“No, he won’t.He doesn’t care that I give you shit.He only cares when I do it to him.”

He smirks.“No, but he does care when you curse.”My smile drops and my eyes narrow.

“Tattle tale.”I snap before taking another bite.Sergio laughs and the sound is jarring.Not in a bad way.I’ve just never heard him laugh before.He’s always so stoic and blah, with a sprinkle of sarcastic, that I’m genuinely shocked to hear him laugh.When he catches me staring, he sobers up instantly.

“What about Hawk?You don’t worry about him being with another woman while you’re away?”It’s my turn to sober.The thought of Hawk with another woman has always hurt, but now, it’s so much worse.I’ve tried to push out the memory of our night together and all the hurtful things he said afterward and just focus on my training.It was working.Sort of.Until now.

“Hawk’s like any other brother.He can do whatever and whoever he wants.It makes no difference to me.”I lie.The words are like acid on my tongue.Thought of Hawk with Candi and the other club girls run through my mind like watching a video montage of the last few years.My chest tightens and my heart aches, but this is the life of a biker.Right?No commitments.No strings.And now, with me gone, no obligations or promises to keep.

“Finish your dinner.”Sergio nudges his fork at me as I absentmindedly play push my food around my plate.My appetite and playful mood have both vanished into thin air.“What are you going to do with your free time tonight?”This is what I love about Sergio.Once the jab is made and landed, he’s back to business.

I shrug, tearing more bread and popping it into my mouth.“I need to answer emails and check on the status of Snitch.Maybe watch some trash reality tv.”

He nods but doesn’t say much more for the rest of the meal.

After Marta clears the table, I go straight to the office Matteo had set up for me with all my equipment.I make sure to shut the door and lock it.Not that a lock would stop any of Matteo’s men from coming in if they wanted to, but at least I’ll have a heads up if anyone tries.

Firing up my computer, I get the screens up and pull Hawk’s phone and my own phone out and lay them on the table plugging them in to charge.I’ve had both phones shut down since I got here, so I’m not surprised when they both start chiming simultaneously given a little power.

I scroll through mine first.Nothing too serious.Mostly emails about the Snitch prototypes and purchase orders.Matteo found someone to start promoting and pushing the Snitch for children with Autism and adults with Alzheimer’s to local hospitals and group homes.I was shocked when we had such an overwhelming response.Currently, we only have the bracelet version and a set of earrings we are currently toying with, but knowing there’s a desire for my tracking device and the fact it will help so many people warms my heart and fills me with a sense of pride.

The Snitch ismyprogram.From proof of concept to the finished product, it’s my baby.I created it.There’s something about knowing I’ve made something on my own, and it’s being well received.

Hawk’s phone is going off beside me.I put mine away and pick his up to find out who has been blowing him up.I expect it to be the guys from the club, with Nate’s death and my disappearance, I’m sure Gabe is losing his shit.With the video and Hawk’s opinions of me being laid out before them, I have no doubt they’ll be looking for me.They’ll all want answers I can’t give, and they won’t give up easily.

When I see the first six messages aren’t from the club, but are from different women, I immediately want to throw the damn thing against the wall and burn it in a bon fire.

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