Page 186 of Filthy Love

She smiled at him gently and shook her head.

The phone clasped in her hand vibrated and lit up a message from the man himself. Her heart constricted like a cobra crush. Almost as if he could sense her subterfuge from all the way across town. God, she hated lying to him.

Hawk:On my way back into town. Duck or beef for dinner, little bit?

Gia:You choose, baby. Ride safe and come home to me. I love you so much. Xoxo

Because he wanted her to go to him with every little issue she might have fabricated needing something from Fort Springs for her office. He’d been only too happy to go for her, further cementing Gia in guilt.

“That’s all I can share, Capone.” She answered finally. “It’s deeply personal for Hawk, if he wants to tell you all he can. Again, I say I wouldn’t be bringing this to you if there was another way. But I want her dead.”

“So, she’s a bitch then? Why hasn’t Hawk done the deed?”

“Because it’s his damn mom, you idiot.” Snake sucked through his teeth answering Tag. “Bitch or not, still blood, that’s gotta be tough.”

She didn’t want to tell the men Hawk avoided being around that woman at all costs.

To Rider she said. “Thanks, guys for your time. As I said I’m going to insist you don’t speak of a word of what was said here. Do you think you can give my brother and Lawless the room for a minute? Is that alright, Rider?”

Perhaps for the first time in their lives Gia could see she’d rendered those hard-worn men stupefied. They left muttering and mostly silent. It was Capone who stopped at her side. Laid a hand on hers, dark eyes penetratingly deep. “If this is for Hawk then I know it’s important,bomboncita. But be safe. Know what you are doing. I’ll say a prayer for him and for you.” He kissed Gia on the forehead leaving her with Lawless and Rider.

Gia didn’t feel any less sick ten minutes later after details were discussed and both men asked her repeatedly if this was what she truly wanted.

For Hawk.

Yes.

Her answer would continuously be yes.

******

As Lawless expertly filled the syringe with hardly an inch from the top to spare with A-grade heroin bought only an hour ago from his old dealer of all people, he was hit with a nostalgic blast from the past. If he were the type to look back and dwell all starry eyed he would be knee deep in memories of his darker days stoned out of his mind on some sticky motel room floor waiting for the next high and the next and the next.

As it was, he couldn’t give a fuck to look back at his less than finer days.

He’d rode for hours for one reason only and it wasn’t to get maudlin over seeing a man who sold him pills and coke when he wasn’t even legal enough to buy liquor.

Fucking dealers, no shame at all.

Ah, whatya gonna do. Once a bad boy, always a bad boy, his nana would have said, if the old crone wasn’t pushing up worms in a cemetery out west.

He knew all about mothers.

Those rancid, deviant bitches.

He didn’t have Hawk’s problems, poor bastard.

But demented mothers? He knew all too well the shit storms they could cause.Hey, momma, fuck you.

It was easy to break into the ramshackle of an apartment. She lived in the basement of a seven-story building. The window popped open like melted glue.

Silly fools with their trusting nature assuming no fucker would climb in through the window.

Surprise, bitches.

“Who the hell are you?” A nasally voice shouted followed by a hacking cough that sounded like the bitch was already a step toward death.

If only he had the time to let mother nature do her glorious thing and drag the whore to her grave naturally.

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