Page 10 of Hawk's Cry

Heart and Mouse are viewing me sorrowfully.

“Anyone got anything they want to say?” Wizard asks. “This is a serious fuckin’ situation and I don’t want anyone’s view to go unheard.” I suspect Prez would prefer to be anywhere but here right now. Fuck knows, I had hated sitting in his seat when we were discussing a member’s fate. I respect him for not showing emotion. Wiz was a good choice for prez.

Peg waggles his hand. “As ex sergeant-at-arms, his going worries me. He knows where the bodies are buried, knows the state of our armoury. Knows the strengths and weaknesses of everyone sitting around this table.”

Hound nods. “That too, concerns me. He’s the fuckin’ VP for fuck’s sake. He knows everything.”

“Is there even a decision to be made?” Marvel frowns. “Letting him walk seems too dangerous to me.”

“It’s Hawk we’re talking about.” Lady rolls his eyes. “The boy whose diapers we all saw being changed. I can’t believe we’re even discussing this. He might be leaving the club, but he’s still got blood family here. He’s not going to betray his dad, his mom or his brother.”

Joker grabs Lady’s hand and squeezes it as though hanging on to a lifeline. I wonder if he’s remembering a time he thought he’d have to leave the club. Not because he wanted to, but because he thought he’d be forced to if he admitted his sexuality.

Truck looks around the table. “I agree with Lady. I trust Hawk to keep his mouth shut.”

I try to read the expressions on everyone’s faces. Cast looks unsure, but then he probably would. While he’s been a member since prospecting beside Hawk, he’s only recently returned on a permanent basis having completed his final tour as a Marine. My gaze moves on. Roadkill looks undecided as well. Drifter looks stern, and Jekyll I’m sure is thinking of places he’d rather be, probably like all of us. This is a shock, a situation we’ve not been presented with before.

Or, perhaps we have, as Shooter reminds us. “We let Hyde go without a beatdown.” He shrugs.

All eyes shoot to him, then come to me. “Why?” Wizard asks. “Remind us, Drummer. Hyde left before I patched in.”

I glance at Heart. He probably remembers more than me, but I dredge up what comes to mind. “He prospected for eighteen months, mainly because Heart here, and Slick,” I pause while men put their hands over their hearts remembering our deceased brother, “had issues with him. He worked hard, got his patch, then found his old lady. He would have given his all to the club, but it didn’t come naturally. He wasn’t a good fit.”

“He was a good man,” Heart surprisingly agrees. “This wasn’t his place. We parted on good terms, and he’s always been a good friend to the club.”

He’s still our neighbour. He and Sarah had rebuilt her gramma’s house and live on the adjacent land.

“Hawk’s a good man too,” Lady insists.

Again, it’s Heart who speaks, this time to disagree. “Hyde was just a member, not the VP. He hadn’t sat around this table long and hadn’t much knowledge to take with him. Hawk’s been patched in seven years now.”

Wizard picks up the gavel and bangs it. “Three options to vote for, brothers. One, we allow Hawk to leave, no retribution.” Even I can see objections coming to that. I’ll have some myself. “Second, he gets a beatdown and third,” he pauses, and his face becomes dark, “we consider it too dangerous to allow him to leave. In that case, he’s dispatched to meet Satan.”

I let out a shuddering breath, but I can’t dispute Wizard’s options. If it wasn’t my son we were talking about, I’d vote for the third option to protect the club.

“Are we ready to vote?” Prez asks.

No. I want to scream. I need more time. If they vote for death, how could I explain it to Sam, or to Zane? Oh, I’ve already acted as a husband today, sharing more than I should have and tried to prepare her for whatever the outcome is. But how can you truly prime a mother for the possible loss of a son’s life? Ignoring the distress in my head, I force my face to remain stoic. I can’t allow my emotions to influence this vote.

“How you going to do this, Prez?”

“I want this over with. One vote. The majority have it. All agreed?”

Ayes are said, hands are raised.

He’s not calling for a unanimous vote. Would I have? Possibly. But it’s Wizard in the hot seat.

“Can I make one suggestion?” Throttle asks in a choked voice, continuing when Wizard raises his chin. “If it’s death, it’s delivered quickly.”

I go cold just thinking about it. But at least it’s agreed, a merciful end for my son.

I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in my life when Wizard starts the vote. My hands sweat, and I find it hard to breathe.

With a pointed glance at the empty seat by his side which should be occupied by his VP, Wizard moves his head a fraction and nods at Throttle.

“Beatdown.”

“Dollar?”

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