Page 63 of Filthy Love

He needed to deliver her to her brother, so he could …. What? Mope like a jackass like he’d been doing for years?

Hawk wanted nothing more than to get back to Colorado where he belonged. But now with Gia about to transfer there, he had to rethink that decision.

Maybe he should stick around in Austin. As chapters went it wasn’t a bad one. And someone needed to keep an eye on Krusher.

Quicker than he expected he heard the door opening and closing five minutes later and out strolled Ajax in heavy footfalls. He had one direction and that was toward Hawk. Fury dictated his hurried steps.

“Didn’t I warn you, boy?”

Back molars grit tightly. “I’m no boy.”

“I warned you to stay away from my girl. Didn’t I? And here you are getting your fuckin’ feet under her table.”

If Hawk was the eye rolling type his would be taking a tour around his fucking skull. Being squared up to by this Marinos wasn’t the first time. But he’d be damn sure it was gonna be the last.

Hardening his voice, he looked head on and glared. “Why don’t you focus on the shit I’m sure Gia just told you or doesn’t it bother you that thebratvaknows she exists?” And then Hawk tested the waters to what Ajax might be tangled up in by adding. “I’m guessing not since you allowed your brother to hand over her name just like that…”

“The fuck did you just say to me?” Though his tone didn’t raise, the darkness seeped out of the old man and for a second Hawk wondered if he’d gotten it wrong. But those two were thick as thieves so he wasn’t giving the fucker the benefit of the doubt just yet.

“You heard me. Your brother told Grigori who Gia was and where she’d be. It was Rex who put Gia in fucking danger. Don’t pretend you don’t know. They never would have thought to use her against Rider if not for fucking Rex so think on that old man before you ask what the fuck I’m doing here. Did she tell you they caught her in public? I’m doing the job Rider asked me to do and that’s watch his sister until she gets to Colorado because I’m the only fucker here in this goddamn state he trusts to do it.”

“You’ll watch your fucking mouth with me,” warned Ajax. The street light showing the tightness around his lips.

“Or what? Threaten to put me in the ground? Been there, done that and look at me, old man, still walking.”

Having a face-off with Gia’s father was not in his plan for tonight but then nothing in the last weeks had been planned.

Before one of them blew up outside her house he took the few steps and plonked his ass down on the small wall, legs out in front of him.

“Gonna deny it then?”

“Fuck you. I owe you nothing.”

Hawk smirked. “Nah. But you do the girl in there. The one who was held by Grigori and his greasy men with their hands on her.”

He heard Ajax curse.

“Yeah, that’s right. Fuck knows what they would have done if I hadn’t been there.” He left out the detail of telling the Russian she belonged to him. Somehow Hawk had the feeling Ajax wouldn’t care for Hawk being his fake son in law.

“This is the first I’m hearin’ about it because my goddamn son didn’t tell me shit.”

“Hard to believe you don’t know what Rex is up to. You were his VP. Thick as thieves the way I hear it. As for your son, ask yourself why he doesn’t hold any faith in your loyalty.”

“Werebeing the keyword and that was a long fuckin’ time ago. And he wouldn’t do that to my daughter. Not my Gia.”

Hawk jeered. He could tell him a lot about the precious brother he was defending. He could tell him all about the plotting he was doing to put Rider in the ground and take his mantle back.

“And yet he did. So, you ask him what the fuck is going on that he’d hand over an innocent in something that has nothing to do with her.”

“That boy of mine will be hearin’ from me. He should have told me what the fuck was going on, so I could protect my own goddamn daughter.”

“Funny then that Rider has no stock in what he thinks dear old dad can do.”

Hawk rose to his feet and smirked with petty glee that he towered over the tall man glowering at him.

“Word to the wise, Mad-dog. Your brother has no fucking loyalty in him. If Rex has handed over Gia, there’s no saying what else he’s done or will do. I’d run on home to your old lady…don’t wanna leave Annie alone for too long…” He didn’t need to go on.

Ajax stiffened.

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