Page 29 of Crush's Fall

The next day… Axle

When Axle arrived at Milhawk Investigations with Skull and Pike, they entered the large lobby to wait for the Claws representatives to arrive. Michael “Mick” Hawkin, owner of Milhawk Investigations, leaned back against the receptionist desk when they walked in. As usual, Hawkin had his employees, Beckett Major and Teagan Banks, with him. Since the business was technically closed, Hawkin voiced they could meet in the large lobby to discuss any help M.I. could give the Howlers and the Claws with the battle that they were staring at with the Hell’s Dogs and their allies.

Hawkin was just under six feet tall with assessing brown eyes that missed nothing. Often clocking everything without letting you know, he tucked that information away for when he needed it. He wasn’t a bulky man, but he wasn’t lanky, either. Hawkin was strong physically, and no one would doubt that, but his biggest strength was his mind.

At first glance, you would assume he was just an older man who took care of his body, but the truth was he hid his almost genius level intelligence behind that well-defined body, shaggy salt-and-pepper hair, and gray soul patch.

Being CEO of Milhawk Investigations didn’t mean you’d find him in a suit, either. He always wore black jeans or cargos, a black tee, and black boots. If it was cold, or he needed to hide his weapons, he might slip on a black jacket. His less-than-professional wardrobe was part of the reason Axle felt comfortable around him.

If you chose to underestimate him, it was a choice you would regret. If he didn’t make you regret it, one of his crew most certainly would.

About a year ago, he caught Axle shifting into his wolf on a camera and held that information close, not sharing it with anyone else. Because of that, Axle trusted Hawkin, even if they sometimes had different views on what justice should look like.

“Just the six of us?” Hawkin had his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back and rested his ass on the front side of his assistant’s desk. That assistant happened to be Pike’s mate, Pixie, or as Mick knew her, Alyssa.

“Crush, Pinky, and Nails will be here soon,” Skull answered as he took a seat in one of the steel and brown leather chairs along the side wall of the lobby.

Axle sat in a chair directly across the space from Hawkin. Pike stood by Axle. Banks and Major stood across the room from Skull. Axle smirked at the way all of them had walls at their back. Even Hawkin had a wall just a few feet behind that desk.

“I can start explaining what’s going on while we wait for Crush.” Axle leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Is this room listening?”

Hawkin flashed a smile before he looked over at Banks and gave a nod. Banks rolled her light brown eyes. She was a handful of inches shorter than six feet tall, with long, dark brown hair that had a natural wave to it. Her standard outfit was a black muscle shirt and a tight pair of black jeans, a ponytail, and very little makeup. She was pretty, and she looked sweet, but she could take any man in that room without breaking a sweat.

She rounded the desk. “Ears and eyes are off,” she said after pressing a few buttons before returning to her spot on the wall.

Axle didn’t take offense to Hawkin having surveillance equipment running without announcement. It was what Axle would do if he were in Hawkin’s position. “We eliminated the charter who kidnapped Trip’s ol’ lady, Darlin’ and my siblings, tried to kill us, tried to force Pumps to go back with them, and also ran drugs through our state. We also eliminated three of the major drug players in SW Michigan, one of whom kidnapped Butterfly, Bullet’s ol’ lady, also kidnapped Sugar, Siren’s ol’ lady, and was also trafficking women and working with another chapter of the Hell’s Dogs MC.”

“That’s a lot of ammo you’ve just given me,” Hawkin said with narrowed eyes. “I could go to the police with that. You know that, which leads me to believe you want something from me and are trying to build trust.”

“Other chapters of the HDMC have teamed up with a few Reapers MC chapters and supposedly the UpRiders.” Axle met Hawkin’s gaze. “We have a war breathing down our necks. And we need all the help we can get.”

Hawkin turned his head and looked over at Major. The two of them just stared at each other, but Axle knew what that meant. He often had silent conversations with his brothers.

While they waited for Hawkin’s response, the door opened and Nails walked in, looking around before she stepped aside to let Crush and Pinky enter. As sergeant at arms, it was her job to protect her president. Axle always liked Nails. She was great at her job.

“Catch me up,” Crush said as she slid into the chair next to the one Axle was sitting in.

Nails flanked Crush the same way Pike was flanking Axle. And Pinky sat down next to Skull.

“I caught them up on what has happened between us and the HDMC as well as Alito,” Alito being Butterfly’s late monster of a husband, “and the shit stains that took Sugar. I also told them we’re facing a war and need as much help as we can get. That’s when you walked in.”

“Get him,” Hawkin said to Major.

Beckett Major was a very built and broad Black man with a bald head and stood well over six feet tall, dressing much like Hawkin, except Major’s jeans were blue instead of black. Crush had told him once that Major was a man that many women wouldn’t turn down, so Axle took that to mean he was attractive.

Major gave Hawkin a nod, before he turned and approached a door off the back wall of the room. After punching a code into a keypad, there was a click, and Major pulled the door open.

Growls and hisses rang through the room as Riles, the UpRiders MC president, and four other members walked through the door Major had just opened. The UpRiders had been allies to the Howlers for years, until they jumped into bed with the Hell’s Dogs to set up the Howlers for ambush. It ended in a handful of the UpRiders being taken out, the Hell’s Dogs being arrested, and the UpRides picking new leadership. Axle had given them another chance to prove that they could be trusted, and that the bad seeds were taken out, but seeing them in his territory without invitation or announcement crossed the fucking line. It was an unspoken rule in biker culture to announce oneself if you were going to be in another club’s territory. The UpRiders hadn’t done that. With the war hot on their heels, seeing the UpRiders unannounced in their territory had Axle’s wolf on edge.

“Weber,” Hawkin warned, “not here. Listen to them.”

“Why should we? They are partnering with our enemies.” Axle knew he was close to the edge of shifting. His wolf was prowling and snarling inside of him. The weight of protecting the club and their families was crushing him. Facing the people responsible for the suffering of people he loved only made it harder to bear.

Riles shook his head. “No, Axle, that’s not true.” He ran his hand through his hair and huffed out a breath. “I made a promise to you guys, and I meant that. I’m here to keep that. I just found out what some of my members are doing. They aren’t working under my orders or the orders of my VP.”

“If you can’t keep your members under control,” Skull said as he stood, “then we’ll eliminate the club and be done with it. We’ve already had this fucking talk with you.”

Riles glared at Skull. “My club has nothing to do with the HDMC. We have five members who were left over from BM’s days, who were on board with what he was doing. As soon as I found out what they were planning on their tubing trip, the rest of us rode down to warn you.”

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