Page 95 of Hawk's Sapphire

By the time Pres and the guys arrived on the scene at the harbor, everyone who needed to be dead was.Parisi suffered the loss of a few men, but it was the Devils who lost in the end.There were no survivors.

Pres was pissed to have missed the action, but I think knowing it was Parisi’s men and his cousins who actually helped rescue Sadie and Shea, that is eating at him the most.He doesn’t want to be indebted to Vincenzo for any reason.

Now we’re headed into church to debrief and plan a way forward.

The sound of the gavel slamming down on the table calls the meeting to order.

“Hawk,” Gabe starts, scrubbing a hand down his face.His telltale sign he’s exhausted and fuckingovereverything.“What happened on the island and who were all those men Matteo was with at the docks?”

I run through the story, telling them everything from the moment I was shot at the party to the island blowing up in our wake.I leave nothing out.Recounting every detail I can remember, including the fact Sadie killed three people and how she’s still trying to make peace with the fact she feels no guilt or remorse.

“I get that Kayce and his men were on the island, and Parisi’s two cousins, but who were the men on the docks?Do you know?”It’s Mack asking.

I shrug.“Not really.Enzo said it was their friends.But I didn’t meet any of them.When we touched down, I got Sadie and Nora as far away from that shit as possible.”I look around the table and it’s then I realize the way everyone else is looking at each other.It’s like they have a secret they’re not telling me.So I ask, “What am I missing?What happened on the docks?”

“That’s just it,” Gabe says, shrugging.“We don’t know.”

“What?”

Ghost pipes up from his corner of the room.“Something weird happened at that warehouse down there, brother.We’re just trying to figure out what it was.”

“Weird, how?”

“All the dead bodies of the Devils …” Ghost starts, then looks at Mack to finish.

“There were very few gunshot wounds, and most of them weren’t deadly injuries.They were all dead, but …” Mack pauses.The way everyone keeps looking at each other makes the hair on my arms stand up.

“But what?Someone tell me what the fuck happened?”I shout, frustrated at all the uneasiness in the room.

“It’s like their souls left their body,” Caleb says.“Their eyes were black as coal.The entire eyeball.It was like some shit you’d see in a scary movie—only it was real,” he explains.“Their bodies were there on the ground, but they didn’t bleed out, Hawk.It’s like they were just …empty.”

“What the fuck?And everyone saw the same thing?”I ask the room.All my brothers who were on scene nod.“What about Parisi’s men?Were they the same way?”

“That’s what was strange about it,” Ghost adds.“Parisi’s men that were hit, bled out, but their eyes and shit were normal.It’s the weirdest fucking thing, man.Gave me the creeps.”

There’s a knock on the door, which isn’t supposed to happen when we’re in church, so that can only mean one thing.Trevor opens the door and proves my theory right.

“I’m sorry, Pres, but Mr.Parisi insists on seeing you now.He’s out there with Sadie and the other women, getting them all riled up.”

“The fuck you meangetting them riled up?”Ethan’s on his feet, ready to move.“He better not be messing with Skyler.Emily hasn’t been sleeping much, and Sky needs her rest.I only brought her with me today so the girls would take Emily for a little bit and let Sky rest while we’re in church.”

“I’m not upsetting your woman or your child, Mr.Anderson.Congratulations, she’s beautiful.I’m happy to see she looks like her mother,” Vincenzo drawls as he makes himself comfortable and sits down at the end of the table opposite Gabe.Smirking when Ethan groans at his obvious dig.

“Why are you here, Vincenzo?”Gabe asks, not trying to hide his irritation.

“I brought a gift, but I’m uncertain who to give it to.”Vincenzo waves his hand in the air.“Originally, I thought to give it to Sadie, but then thought perhaps Mr.Hawkins would prefer to take care of it for her.”

“Whatgiftare you talking about?”I ask.Not wanting to be taken by surprise, I move to stand up and lean my back against the wall.I still don’t trust this fucker.He may have taken care of Sadie and be helping with Nora and Shea, but I have my reasons.Especially after he sent me into a room in a Kevlar suit, knowing his own fucking men would shoot me.

“Asha Volkrov.”He lights a cigarette, then leans back, taking a long drag before blowing the smoke out in front of himself.

“The trainer who drugged her,” I explain to Gabe.He looks between me and Vincenzo, then back to me.

“Your call,” Gabe says to me.

“I’d prefer you dispose of the problem yourself.After all, she was in your employ when she fucked over my woman.She’s your problem to fix.”

“Very well,” Parisis says, taking another pull from his cancer stick.

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