Page 37 of Hawk's Sapphire

“What is it you need from me?”I watch and wait as Vincenzo takes me in, searching my eyes for something he can use against us, but he won’t find it.I’ll never betray my club.If Pres tells me to help Parisi I will, but it will be at his say so, not Vincenzo’s.

Expecting him to say he needs me to hack into some federal banking system or something like that, I’m completely taken aback when what he says he actually needs is for me to find a rat.

“You want me to do what?”

Vincenzo sighs, pulling a drawer open on the side of his desk and tossing a manilla folder at us.Pres reaches for it, opening the contents and moving so we can both see what’s inside.

“These are photos of the night George brought the truckload of kidnapped women and children to meet me and my men so we could free them.No one knew about our arrangement.Which means someone had to have found out and told the Feds.”

“The second was the night George died.See this car here, in the background?”He points to a black SUV almost too far and dark to see in the photo.“That’s a federal vehicle.”

“Where did you get these?”Gabe asks.

“Kayce’s men took them.The night George brought the first shipment to me, Kayce and his men intercepted us, and we came to an understanding.He was looking to rescue and relocate the survivors, and we were looking to shut down the ring of traffickers using our territory as their shipping grounds.We made a deal.I’d help find the head of the snake and cut it off, if Kayce kept the authorities off our trail.Then he showed me these photos.George was being watched, only it wasn’t George the Feds wanted.They were looking for Nate.”

“That’s the shipment Nate lost, the night they took Shea as his punishment.”The pieces are starting to click into place.“The Feds probably caught up to Nate and when his daughter went missing, he struck a deal.”It’s a proposed idea, but Vincenzo nods, so I guess I’m right.

“The problem is, he became a snitch to the Feds, giving them everything he could on the Devils, but the Feds have done nothing to find his daughter.So, Nate came to me.”

“Why the fuck would he do that?”Gabe growls, his voice low and menacing.

Vincenzo smirks at Gabe’s irritation.I think he enjoys pissing Pres off.“Because he needed a shark to handle the little fish in the pond, he was drowning in.”

“Explain.”Gabe snarls.

“The Devil’s Order work for Marco Cusenza.Being a mafia head himself; Marco has friends in high places.Friends who wear badges.Marco caught wind of Nate and his deal with the Feds.When Nate found out, he came to me to make me an offer.I find his daughter and bring her to safety.”

“And what did you ask for in exchange?”Gabe asks, his voice tight.With Nate having information on so many different people and clubs, he could’ve given Vincenzo anything on anyone, including the Kings.

“I asked for his surrender.”

“What?”Me and Gabe both ask.

“I needed Violet’s dirty ex dead, and her son returned to his mother.You needed two traitors in order to work with me in accomplishing that task.”Vincenzo says nonchalantly, like it’s the simplest thing to do.

“Thomas is still in the wind.”Gabe narrows his eyes, his tone still bordering lethal.“I haven’t forgotten that you had something to do with that.”

“I had nothing to do with it.I merely kept my word to keep him and his daughter alive until he completes the task he’s agreed to do for me.After that, you may do as you wish with him.But Sadie is off limits to any retribution for her actions as she is fulfilling her debt as well.”

“Oh, you son of a bitch!”I’m up, leaning over his desk with my hands on the lapels of Vincenzo’s jacket, my eyes seeing fucking red.Gabe grabs me by the shoulders, pulling me back and shoving me back into my chair.

“He knows where Sadie is!”I shout, pointing at the guilty fucker in a three-piece suit who’s simply grinning like the ass that he is.“She took off and he knows where she is!She fucking betrayed us, and it’shis goddamn fault!”

“Hawk!Stand the fuck down!NOW!”Gabe is in my face, nose to fucking nose, the collar of my shirt held tight in his fist.“You will do as you are told or I’ll let the fucker shoot you right where you sit, you got me?”Gabe’s tone saysobey or die,but his expression tells me to trust him.And I do.I always do.

I give a slight nod, agreeing to do as he’s ordered.

“Perhaps an etiquette class on manners would be appropriate for your men, Gabriel.”Vincenzo suggests.My chest is heaving, my blood boiling, I’m ready to strangle this fucker til his eyes pop out of their goddamnn sockets and he wants to throw shade?

“What is it you want from Hawk, Parisi?Cut to the shit.”

Vincenzo shrugs.“The Feds are looking for a way into the trafficking parties.”

“Parties?You mean like auctions?”I ask.

“Sort of, but no.”Vincenzo starts.“Cusenza has men who set up these parties in various locations where women are brought to beseen.They come as a guest of someone they’re involved with or perhaps related to.They’re from all walks of life.These men on Cusenza’s payroll then watch these women, how they interact with others, with their masters, their lovers and the like.If they like what they see and they feel they have a place for them, the men will call them back to another location for a private dinner where the women will be drugged and taken away and their curator will be well compensated, and the women will disappear.”

“Holy fucking shit.”I mumble.

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