Page 50 of Freeing Hawk
Chapter 11
Hawk
“You’re a woman?” The man jeered in disbelief.
“I do have a vagina.” I replied. “And usually, that’s what that means. Problem?”
“My men are afraid of a woman?” He snapped.
“I think we’ve already established that I have a vagina.” I took a step further into the light and waited. “Now, I need you to let him go.”
“I’m not going to do that.” The man replied. “But you are going to give me a clear path out of here.”
“We are?” Hawk asked. “Do you seriously think I’m going to let you just walk out of here?”
“Who has a gun to your friend’s head?”
“I don’t know. You haven’t told me your name.” I told him. “Wait, you’re Castel Ayala.”
I made eye contact with Dude, hoping he could read my mind. I took a step forward, but Castel merely wrapped his arm around Dude’s neck and tugged him backward. My heart did a little flip, but I tried keeping the fear from my face.
“You’re not listening, Castel.” I pushed.
“No!” He shrieked. “A path out of here and I walk away for the life of this miserable excuse of human flesh.”
“Name calling now, Castel?” I winked at Dude.
Dude smirked at me even as he brought his elbow back into Castel ribs and ducked once the surprised man released him. I did a quick draw, firing one bullet into Castel’s right shoulder. His fingers opened and his gun clattered to the ground. Dude shoved upward, using his body to slam into Castel to bring him to the floor—hard.
The man shouted in pain, but Dude held him to the floor with a muscular arm against his throat. “The only reason, you’re still breathing is that pretty little thing doesn’t want you dead—not yet.”
I walked over and went down on my haunches beside Castel’s head. He was moaning and trying weakly to get out from Dude’s hold.
Dude released him and Castel grabbed for me. Instead of moving away, I pressed the mouth of the gun to the front of his forehead and leaned in closer.
“Your transgressions are many.” I told him. “But the biggest one is grabbing my partner and my friend. We’re in a bit of a quandary, Castel. The question now becomes, what do we do with you? I can’t let you go because then you’re just going to go back to your mansion, rebuild your cartel and once again go after the people I love. I can’t call the police because—well, you own them, and the end result is the same. People I love will be in danger. See my problem?”
“Hawk, don’t.” Eris called in my ears.
To kill her voice of reason, I removed the earpiece.
“You don’t have the balls.” Castel told me.
“Balls are for cowards.” I smiled and moved the gun to his cheek. “Angel, Cadmus, take the kid out of here.”
“Hawk…” Angel started.
“I’ll be right behind you.” I replied without looking up. The strange thing was, I didn’t have to. That one word told me how worried he was.
Footsteps told me they left, but Dude remained by my side.
“I know that after you’re gone, they’re still a million other assholes like you waiting to get their turn in the spotlight.” I moved the gun to his mouth. “I can’t catch them all. That’s a fact.”
“Hawk.” Dude called.
“Look away, Dude.”
“Hawk, you don’t have to do this.” Dude reminded me.
