Page 72 of Hawk's Sapphire

“Yeah, no shit.”I agree.

“Sadie is afraid and feels unwanted and unloved.Like she’s an obligation more so than a family member.She loves you all very much, some more than others.”He holds my glare.“She deserves to know the truth about who she is—and what she means to you most of all.If you want to lay claim on her as your woman, you’ll need to earn her trust.And if you want to keep her safe, you’ll need to earn her submission.She’s not going to change her mind about getting into that compound, but she might change her mind about being more careful and making it out alive.”

“She was going to sacrifice herself?”I shake my head.“Not happening.”

“If she believed your sister’s life would be saved by sacrificing herself, we both know Sadie would do it.Especially if she believes no one will be waiting for her when she comes back,” Matteo says.“But just so you know.We would never allow her to sacrifice herself.”

“Nope.Sadienotcoming out alive is not an option.”I turn on my heels and sprint out the door, storming through the hall until I hear Sadie shouting at Avery.I push the door open and watch as Sadie paces the room, her eyes glassy and her shoulders so tense they’re up near her ears.

She really is carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders—literally.

Avery announces loudly, “You’re on speaker, Sadie.Say that again.”

Sadie repeats herself.I’m ready to jump Jake’s ass for the way he shouts at Sadie over the phone.

“Where the fuck are you and where’s Hawk?I want to talk to him.No.Actually, make him call Pres.Fucking now, Sadie.Pres is ready to rain hell down on the Parisis.Backlash be damned!And we are in no way equipped to take on a fucking Mafia Kingpin!”he roars.

Shit.I forgot to call Pres in all the commotion.

“Okay.Okay.Calm down.”Jake can handle his shit, but right now it’s Sadie who needs to calm down.I stalk toward her as she paces, her eyes meeting mine.“Hold on, Jake.He’s right here.”

As I get closer, she softly says, “You need to tell Jake you’re okay.Gabe is about to go to war with Vincenzo if you don’t.”

“I’m here, brother.Put Pres on the call.I’ll wait.”Sadie turns to leave the room, but I call out and halt her movements.“Don’t you move another fucking inch.You stay right here where I can see you.We have shit to discuss as soon as I’m off this phone.”

Her shoulders stiffen as she scowls at me, pissed and looking for a fight.As soon as I’m off this phone, I’ll let her get everything she needs to off her chest, and then I’m going to set the fucking record straight.I eat up the space between us, gripping her hand in mine.“Sapphire.Stay.Please.”

29

SADIE

Please.He actually said please.

I listen as Hawk tells Gabe what happened, about Agent Galina being killed and his being shot at, cut and stitched up.He leaves out the part about how they drugged him to get him out of the party, but I don’t blame him.Gabe’s already straddling the edge of sanity.

“I’ll send you the locations and everything I have on the foster care facilities.I’m going to need some time though.I’ve got a few things I need to set my attention to here first,” Hawk tells Gabe, who grunts his response.

“There’s a possibility we know where Shea is, Pres.Vincenzo and his men have a plan to go in and get her, but we’re going to need a few days to pull this off.It would help us out if you and the club could distract the main attention from us.Think the club can work with Kayce and his men to destroy the foster care facilities?That could be the distraction we need to keep them from sniffing around us.”

“You want me to work with Kayce after what he did to you and Sadie?”Gabe asks, his gruff voice carrying through the room.“That son of a bitch breeched my clubhousetwiceto help our enemies.Why the hell do you want me to work with him?He can’t be trusted.”

“Uncle Gabe.”I interrupt.I know this isn’t protocol, but I think Hawk is on to something, and I can help shed light on what Kayce and his men were actually doing.“Kayce only helped Thomas because they are working together to help Vincenzo end the trafficking in our area.Thomas’s job was to free the people Marco Cusenza has currently stashed away in places like these homes.Kayce’s team is intercepting shipments of people being moved around before they get sent to Cusenza’s island.”

“Kayce set you up as the one responsible for Nate’s death, Sadie Jay.Then they set Hawk up when they killed the three Devils and Drea.Kayce isn’t playing on the same team as the club, sweetheart,” he says in a low, dangerous tone.“You know how I feel about people fucking with the Kings.”

“I do, but I need you to hear me out on this.Please.”I take a step back, releasing Hawk’s hands, creating some space between us.His brow creases, but he doesn’t move closer.Instead, he studies my face.When his eyes hold mine, my knees buckle slightly, but I’m quick to recover.

“Although Kayce was the one who helped Thomas get off the club’s property, it was my idea to sneak him in.I’m the one who brought him through the gates and helped him get to Nate, and if I’m completely honest, I’m the one who planned Nate’s death.I researched the effects of insulin on the body and where to inject it so it wouldn’t be noticeable.He deserved to die for everything he did, and I didn’t want anyone I love to carry the weight of his death on their shoulders.”Tears drip down my cheek, but I keep going.“We’ve all suffered enough because of both Thomas and Nate.Thomas wanted to make amends with me, wanted my forgiveness.I asked him to prove he loved me by killing Nate and sparing you all from the task.When his part in all of this is finished, Thomas will get what he deserves as well.It’s in the deal.He knows his time is measured.So, you can’t blame Kayce for Nate.I orchestrated everything.Kayce was simply the escape plan so Thomas can fulfill his contract.”

There’s a loud sigh on the other end of the line.

“You can trust Kayce to help in this, Uncle Gabe.You have my word,” I promise.“Plus, I have shit on Kayce and his men.Copies of files.Names of clients.Receipts of payments received.If he crosses the Kings, I’ll fuck his shit up in ways he never could’ve imagined.”

Gabe’s boisterous laughter fills the air, relieving some of my tension.Hawk is still staring at me, but he’s smirking now.If I was a person who believed in miracles, I’d even say he looks proud.But I’m not delusional enough to believe he won’t tear into my ass for being reckless and irresponsible once he hangs up the phone with Gabe.

“All right, Sadie.If you say we can trust them, I’ll take your word.But if they try to screw us over …”

He trusts me?

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