Page 49 of Hawk's Cry

“Just give it to me, Prez.”

Wizard puts his hands on the top of the desk and clasps them together. “What you missed was an update from Mouse. He’s been tracking the feds who we believe are assigned to tracing the whereabouts of Archangel. Word is, they’re circling around Phoenix.”

My eyebrows rise. “That means they think he’s there, too.” I frown. “What’s in fuckin’ Phoenix? Last we heard, he was near the border. Thought he’d gone over into Mexico myself.”

“You know what the feds are like.” He avoids a direct answer to my question. “They follow leads, and may not have much concrete to go on. We know they want Archangel as he escaped from prison and caused the death of his guards. He’s a number one priority for them. One sniff and they’ll be all over it.”

“But they might be wrong.”

Wizard shrugs. “Might be there’s a bunch of those motherfuckers who call themselves the Real Americans getting themselves organised which the feds find of interest. Archangel might be there or not, who the fuck knows? Might have the wrong state, the wrong fuckin’ country.”

“Or they might have gotten the sniff of a trail and are closing in. Meanwhile, Archangel’s holing up in another town.” My eyes fix on him.

His nod and response shows he’s on the same wavelength. “Phoenix is only a two-hour ride away.”

I don’t need that reminder. Too fucking close. But why’s he telling me this now? “Eli?” I prompt him.

“The brothers want no distractions. Satan’s Devils were responsible for Archangel going down.” He rubs at the bridge of his nose. “If Archangel has discovered that information, then it’s only a matter of time before he tries to get his revenge. With rumours of him possibly closing in, the club’s focus needs to be on protecting ours and our own.”

“And Eli’s a distraction? Prez,” I don’t give him a chance to speak, “if Eli’s off compound and there’s danger coming, then I need to be with my son. I’d give my life for any of my family, blood or club. But Eli to me is both.”

“I hear you.” He gestures with his hands. “Wraith won’t want Olivia out of his sight, and she won’t leave Eli.”

“So what do we do?” I wonder aloud. I hadn’t realised how much I’d hoped this was just a formality, and that I’d be able to bring Eli back to the compound. Now it seems Wraith and I will be protecting our offspring on our own.

Wizard cocks his brow at me. “We bring them home.”

“Yes, but…” As the unexpected words reach my ears, I have trouble comprehending them. “We, what?”

He grins widely. “You know how the brothers are. They all want to have their say, then someone needs to argue a point and they go back and forth. I just had to give them time to come around to the view I’ve held since I saw Eli in the gutter outside that fuckin’ sex shop. Your son is a man in need of family, friends and support. Throttle spoke up after you left us. He catalogued what had made him approach Eli that day. While we might not have noticed, Throttle had. He saw Eli changing, becoming a different man. Said he wished like fuck he’d handled it differently, but I think that’s the view of most of us.”

“But you said no distractions.”

“Distractions like having one of us and their old lady living apart from the club.” Wizard looks grim. “What better way of hurting us than taking the son of the ex-prez and the daughter of the ex-VP, both men who are still valued members?”

“You think they’re targets?” I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of that.

“I think anyone connected with the club could be an object of interest to Archangel. We’re not going on lockdown exactly, but you know the drill. No riding alone, and old ladies to be escorted wherever they go.”

What Wizard has said is chilling. The Real Americans are white supremacists, stirring up trouble wherever they go and Archangel had been their leader. They’re known for their hot-headed violence and have been known to dabble in both drugs and sex trafficking. The feds had been chasing their tails trying to pin something that would stick on Archangel. Everyone knew how dirty he was, but officially they couldn’t prove it. Mouse had found the evidence to convict him, funnily enough for an unrelated crime but one which would lead to hard time. All we had to do was leave it out in the open for the feds to find. When he went down, leaderless, the groups following him had drifted apart, themselves becoming the targets. We live in hope that he hasn’t regrouped and found out who was responsible. If he has, I don’t want to think about what he’d think would be just retaliation.

“All we can do is be prepared, Drummer. We protect our own. And one thing I can assure you, when all was said and done, they said that included Eli.”

“Even Marvel?”

“Even Marvel.”

I smirk. That man’s been a thorn in my side ever since he patched over from San Diego. He’d argue just for the sake of it, but when it comes down to it, ends up on the right side. If truth be told, he makes us as least consider alternatives.

I breathe out as relief floods through me. My son won’t be alone anymore.

Chapter Eighteen

Olivia…

“I think you ought to see the therapist,” I tell Eli as I’m folding his clothes.

“Well I don’t. I spoke to Joker, then to Dad. You heard everything and don’t pretend you didn’t, Liv.”

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