Page 129 of Hawk
Does he really know who Hailey’s father was, or was this all a ploy to piss off Lucian?
How deep does Devlin’s reach really go?
“How do you know, Hawkins?” Lucian asked, and I shook my head.
“What I know and how I know it is none of your business. Stella asked us not to push the issue, and I respect her and what she lived through enough to listen to her,” I returned and saw Devlin’s cheeks push into another smile.
“Lucian’s men have cleared their zone, and our men have two blocks left to sweep,” James said as he started typing again. “The Death Hounds are almost finished with their area but have about nine or ten blocks left on the front of the Flats.”
“Where are you, darlin’?” I asked quietly and felt a hand on my shoulder.
Looking to see who was touching me, I saw Lucian’s worried eyes as he said, “Wewillfind her.”
“In what shape?” I asked, allowing some of the vulnerability to seep through.
I’d waited almost a decade to be with Stella, and the three weeks we’d had weren’t enough. I needed more. And I feared how Hailey, Matthew, and Anna would survive without her. She’d come into our lives like a whirlwind, and to think of life without her was almost too much to think about.
Images of her bloody body, damaged and discarded, flashed through my mind, and I barked at Devlin, “Stop the car.”
He yanked the wheel to the side of the road and stopped alongside the curb. I pushed open the door and stepped out, letting my hands fall to my knees. For the first time in my adult life, I threw up out of fear. I hadn’t been this scared since I was a kid.
When I got back in the truck, Devlin handed me a bottle of water and a napkin. I wiped my mouth and swished the water around before spitting it out on the sidewalk. Looking at Devlin, I said, “Drive.”
He nodded and pulled away from the curb as we continued without success to locate Stella. The sun was going down as I picked up my phone and texted Sadie.
Me: How are the kids holding up?
Three dots appeared as I dropped my phone into my lap and continued to look for any sign of Stella. My phone pinged and I picked it up.
Sadie:They’re with Hailey and Jacob while I make them something for dinner, but they’re a mess.
Me:Can you tell them . . .
I didn’t know what to tell them, so I left the sentence unfinished. Sadie immediately responded.
Sadie:I’ll tell them you’re still looking but to not give up hope. The same goes for you, Hawk. Don’t give up hope.
Me:Thanks.
We’d just turned down Avenue G, working our way toward the Death Hounds, when Devlin’s, James’s, and my phone all pinged at the same time. Looking down, it was a group text from Skid.
Skid:I have Stella and a teenage girl who she refused to leave behind. She doesn’t appear hurt and we’re on the way back to the clubhouse.
“Thank god,” I remarked as Devlin stepped on the gas, rocketing us out of the Flats and back to the Death Hounds compound.
I sent another text to Sadie.
Me:Skid found her. Please tell Hailey but keep the kids at the cabin until I see how Stella is.
Sadie:I’ll tell her and meet you at the clubhouse with Doc.
Taking the corners too fast, Devlin sped through the stop signs as we raced back to the compound. I needed to see her with my own two eyes, and until I did, I didn’t trust anyone’s word about her condition.
The last block of the Flats flashed by us as Devlin drove faster than he should have. As we approached the front gate to the compound, I could see the guards still patrolling. Devlin laid on the horn, and one of them scrambled to the guard shack and pressed the button to let us in.
The gate rolled open as Devlin shot through the barely wide enough opening. I was holding on for dear life, fearful he was going to kill us before I got to her. Skid’s bike was parked alongside the clubhouse, and the SUV was barely stopped before I jumped out and sprinted inside. I swung my head around, looking for her, and when I didn’t see her, I began to panic.
Sadie was speaking with Gunner outside his office, and when she saw me, she waved her hand in the air, drawing my attention. I ran to her, passing Skid along the way. Stopping briefly, I pulled my brother into a backslapping hug and whispered, “I owe you for saving my woman.”
