17. Viale and Benito

SEVENTEEN

Viale and Benito

HAWK

I t takes every ounce of strength I possess to leave Etain this morning. By the time I make it outside, Drifter’s waiting in the driveway, his ass leaning on the seat of his chopper, arms crossed over his chest, but he isn’t facing my direction. His gaze is set on Sasha’s house. I follow his line of sight and see the silhouette of Sasha through the curtain as she does her yoga exercise. Each pose is meaningful and completed with grace and ease. Drifter is transfixed and doesn’t hear me approach until I’m nearly at his side.

He tears his eyes away, barely. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” I expel a heavy breath. It’s going to be a long fucking day, but if all goes well, it’ll be the beginning of the end for the Jackals.

“Etain, doing all right?” Drifter asks. What he really wants to know is if Sasha’s okay after yesterday’s incident with her father.

“I think hanging out with Sasha was a good idea. Etain would have been worried sick if she had to leave her and it gave the two of them time to talk,” I tell him.

“Did Sasha say anything more about her father?”

“Nothing much. Etain said she shut it down whenever she brought it up.”

“He’s an asshole,” Drifter grits out.

“I think that’s a fair assumption based on yesterday’s antics,” I reply.

“More than yesterday. He was a fucker before he married her mother, and if anyone should have been neutered and not allowed to have kids, it should have been him.” Drifter knows more than he’s saying, and for him to get this pissed, it isn’t good.

“Then Sasha wouldn’t be here. And that would be a tragedy,” I remind him.

He lets out an exasperated breath. “Yeah, there’s that,” he grunts. “We gotta get moving.”

I climb onto my motorcycle, catching Lee’s eye. He waves us off, letting me know that Etain is safe with him. Any one of my brothers would protect my woman, but I can see that Lee and Declan are committed to making sure that she stays safe. I’d still rather be the one by her side, but this is the next best thing. I remind myself that the Jackals will soon no longer be a threat, and Etain and I will have lots of time to spend together.

T he meetup point for Guard and his crew would normally be a nine-hour ride; Drifter and I made it in eight. We’re used to long rides, and since we love the open road, it’s no hardship for either of us. We make it to the gas station, where Guard is already waiting for us. He has his brother, Ghost, and his VP, Orion, with him. The other two men are Saint and Thunder. These men and I go way back. Saint, Orion, and Thunder from our special ops days in the army. Ghost was in special forces too, but I got to know him more after we were both out of the military. Couldn’t have asked for better men to serve beside, and they watched out for me. I was the youngest of the unit and worked my ass off to prove myself. They encouraged me and trained me to be the best I knew how to be. I’ll forever be grateful for how they took me in.

I climb off my bike, and without hesitation, Saint and Thunder are the first over to me. Their arms come around me in a manly hug.

“Fuck, brother, so good to see you,” Thunder says.

“You look good, man. Being the prez works for you,” Saint teases.

“Thanks. How are Izzy and Rose? All good?” I ask. The clubs have always worked together, but it wasn’t until Rose came into some trouble that Guard asked Redemption Riders for help.

“Rose is great. Still wanting you to come for a visit, though,” Thunder says.

“Izzy’s doing great. We’re pregnant, you know,” Saint tells me with a grin. Saint’s gonna make a great dad, and Izzy is one of the cutest, most adorable women I’ve ever met. She’ll make an awesome mom.

“That’s big news! Happy for you, brother,” I tell him.

Guard steps up with the others, stretching out his hand to shake mine. “Good to see you again. I see things have changed since the last time I saw you at the diner,” he teases. Guard was there when Etain caught my eye, and as he often does, he called it. I merely shake my head and smile. No point in denying it. “We’ve got to get on the road. Reno’s expecting us. Risk is already there. He went last night. They’re having their own brand of family reunion.”

“You’re going to have to tell me the story behind that,” I say. I’ve met Risk and Hanna and their son, Romeo. Hanna is shy and cute and no one you would ever imagine with a biker. Yet they make it work. Normally, bikers and Mafia men don’t get on well. At best, they try to stay out of each other’s way, but it seems like Risk has found a way to bridge the gap. This works in our favor, seeing as we need Reno Viale and his brothers on our side.

“It’s Risk’s to tell, but a fine bottle of scotch loosens his tongue,” Orion says with a chuckle.

I could use a little more time before hopping back on my motorcycle, but Risk and Reno are waiting for us. Guard and I lead the pack, Drifter and Ghost right on our tail, and the others following behind them.

If I didn’t know Guard, I would have thought we were heading to the middle of nowhere to be ambushed when we veer off onto a gravel road that leads off fields and farmland. We’re riding for at least another hour before the Guard leads us onto a long dirt pathway. It’s wide enough for cars, but I can tell that it isn’t used often. We come up on an old farmhouse, but we continue on past it to the barn behind it.

There are several black Mercedes SUVs parked nearby, and we park our bikes next to them. The rumble of the pipes must have caught their attention, because Risk comes out of the barn to greet us. There are several Mafia soldiers standing guard, and three men, one of whom I assume is Reno, come out to greet us alongside Risk.

Risk greets his brothers first, then comes over and puts his arm around me. “How’s it going, Hawk? Good ride, I hope.”

“When is riding free on your bike not good?” I counter, giving him a grin.

“True enough,” Risk admits, and then turns to the three other men with him. “Let me do the introductions.” He nods to the man on the left. “This is Reno Viale, capo of Nostra Casa .”

Reno takes my outstretched hand. “I hear good things about you and your club.”

“Thank you for meeting with us today. This is a unique situation, and we could use your help.”

“This is my brother, Sebastian. He’s my consigliere, and he hates missing out on the bloody fun,” Reno states with amusement in his tone.

“Fuck off! It’s my turn,” Sebastian jokes, but he’s quick to shake my hand with a smile. “Risk says you’re a friend, and I take him at his word. Don’t make a liar out of him,” he warns.

Definitely odd how close Risk is to these guys. I’ve got to get Risk alone for the full story. “Never, man. I’ve come to make sure none of us is sucked into more of a mess. The Jackals are going to try to screw us over…again.”

“I am Gino Benito, the head of the Benito family.” Gino Benito is an older man in his late sixties, but he looks great for his age. His gray hair only makes him more distinguished looking, and I can tell that he takes good care of himself. “I understand that you have news that our family is being undercut, and this does not make me happy.”

I’m about to respond when Reno interjects, “Let’s go inside.” We move past the guards and into the barn. Some barn! The place is fully equipped for war. The walls are solid, and there’s a target range, boxing ring, and obstacle course situated within the massive space. We reach the stairs leading to the loft, where there are several offices, but we move to the end of the hall to the largest space, which is set up like a boardroom.

“This is a very impressive place,” I tell Reno.

“Dante’s suggestion. My other brother is extremely disciplined, and his mind thinks strategically. Training our men is a huge undertaking, and Dante had this vision,” Reno states.

“Shall we get down to business?” Gino asks impatiently.

“Watch your tone, Gino,” Reno replies, his tone low and lethal. “I’ve allowed you to keep the Benito name for your men, but in an instant, I can remove it. You are all under Nostra Casa , and you know it.”

Gino quickly changes his tune. “No offense, Capo. There’s a lot to be done, and I want to move things along.”

“I decide when and how to move things along. You will listen,” Reno warns. Then he points to the chairs around the table. “Take a seat. I’ve had Dante key in the information you’ve sent me.” He then looks at Sebastian. “Do you have Dante on the line?”

“He’s here,” Sebastian responds.

“I’m ready when you are, Capo,” a voice says through the conference phone set up in the middle of the table.

“Go for it,” Reno instructs, then takes a seat and turns his attention to the screen where the audio file pops up and begins to play. It’s the information we sent Guard, but I can see that this is the first time Gino’s heard it because his face is red with fury. I think the final straw is when he hears Gunner saying, “Cicco’s an idiot, and he thinks he’s taking over for his uncle. Fucking priceless. Two stooges. Once we take over their territory, we can hit the big guys.”

The recording ends. I don’t know this Reno guy at all, but his anger is obvious. He hasn’t said a word, but his silence speaks volumes. That and the stony expression as he comes to his feet and glares at Gino.

“This is the second time I’ve heard the recording. It’s not a good feeling to trust a man only to find out he can’t control his own men. I left you in charge, Gino. I did this out of respect for our traditions and history in the old country between families. That ends today,” Reno states.

“Wait, Reno!” Gino implores. “I’ll take care of Cicco.”

Reno slams his hand down on the table. “Oh, no,” he responds, so quietly scary, I can feel the hair on the back of my neck prickle. “ I’ll take care of Cicco. Our business is going to change, and you should be happy that I don’t kill you here and now. The only thing saving you, Gino, is the kindness you showed me as a boy, but as of this moment, any international business will go through me.”

Gino seems to know that his time as boss has ended, and to tell you the truth, he almost appears relieved. “My family?—”

“Your wife and children will always be protected as long as they understand that the Benitos no longer exist. We are all Nostra Casa , and I am capo. I’ll make this clear, and for their sake, so should you,” Reno says.

“Just saying, brother,” Risk starts, “but we need the Jackals out of the way. And they’re the ones skimming from your pot of gold. Our business is to eliminate them from our territory. We’re asking for a little help in trapping them at their own game.”

“Gunner is mine,” Reno demands.

“Because of him, a good man and brother is sitting in a jail cell,” I tell Reno. “Gunner scared my woman half to death, and he’s ramping up for a war between MCs. But I don’t give a shit about who kills him. I just want him gone.”

Reno gives me a scary smile. “I like you, Hawk.” I don’t know whether I should be alarmed or relieved. He goes on to explain, “You see, with you, it’s not about revenge. It’s about making sure your people are safe.” He looks to Guard, then at Risk. “I’ve never had much use for bikers, until Risk. I see now that your brotherhood is much like our family.”

“I would die for any one of them,” I tell Reno truthfully. I sense Drifter shift beside me.

“We have a plan, Mr. Viale,” Drifter says. “A way to solve both our problems. Guard is in agreement, and we want to run it by you.”

Sebastian moves next to Drifter and puts a hand on his shoulder, saying, “Lay it on me. I’m up for a good fight.” He lets out a laugh, and Drifter chuckles along with him.

We lay out our plan for Reno and his brothers. Gino’s listening but hasn’t said a word. His mind is on other things, I’m sure. I’m not in their Mafia lifestyle, but it’s obvious that this Cicco fellow is not going to make it out of this situation alive. Perhaps Gino is fine with this, but having to step down from his role of authority and being flat-out told that the Benito clan is no more has to be a huge hit.

It’s none of my business, but in Reno’s position, I would have come to the same conclusion. When Meteor betrayed our trust, he was gone. And gone in a way where he will never return.

“We agree, then?” Guard asks.

“Yes, we agree,” Reno confirms. “The Jackals owe us a pile of money.”

“You’re never going to see it. Gunner has a tendency to spend more than he earns, or steals, in this case. The Jackals have expensive tastes. I’m happy to let you go through their club looking for cash, but I doubt you’ll find any,” I explain.

“Based on the timeline when product’s gone missing, and noting the amount we’ve been short, that comes to over three hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars.” Dante’s voice resounds over the phone. I forgot he was still with us since he went dead quiet after Reno started in on Gino.

I shrug. “Like I said, you want to hunt for it, be my guest. I could be wrong.”

“You’re not wrong, Prez,” Drifter says, backing me up. “Gunner likes the ponies, and word has it he paid off a large debt a while back to the tune of seventy-five grand. Who knows how much he’s lost to his gambling debt, and let’s not forget the new bikes he’s been adding to his collection. Shooter tells me he’s had four custom bikes built to order, each one over twenty-five grand.”

“I could use a new bike,” Sebastian says, glancing over at his brother.

Reno shakes his head and grins. “Jesus, Sebastian. Go collect the damn bikes,” he says with a huff. He then turns to me. “When does this go down?”

“Three days,” I say.

“Looks like we’ve got some calls to make. I’ll take care of the cops. Gino will be delivering Cicco to me by noon tomorrow.” Reno looks at Gino, who nods quickly in agreement. “I’ll make sure he makes the call to move locations. We’ll be waiting on the other end to take care of Gunner,” Reno confirms.

“We’re planning a surprise attack after you have Gunner and whoever comes along with him. I want them gone,” I tell them.

“We’re in on that,” Saint reminds me, and Ghost gives a grunt, acknowledging his participation in what is about to happen.

“See you Wednesday, boys,” Sebastian says.

D rifter and I make good time coming back, but it’s nearing dawn before we make it home. I contemplated going straight to the club and climbing into my own bed, which I haven’t seen in a while, but I couldn’t resist the temptation of holding Etain in my arms while we sleep.

The street is dark except for a lonely streetlamp. I called Declan to let him know I was coming. He and Lee are taking turns making sure that Etain is safe. It doesn’t seem likely, with everything that’s going down with the Jackals, that Gunner would have time to make Etain a priority, but he’s a smug bastard, and I wouldn’t put anything past him.

My legs and ass are sore as hell. I’ve done long-haul rides with my motorcycle many times, but I normally take a few breaks along the way. I was desperate to get home; the only break we got was to get gas and take a piss. Gas station coffee is shit, and Drifter and I survived on candy bars for food. Yet, never once did Drifter complain. He knew I was on a mission to get home. He was so happy to see the compound that he lifted a hand to let me know he was off.

Declan is waiting for me in front of the house. He looks wiped out, but who am I to talk? I’m dragging my ass, my body screaming for a bed.

“Thanks, Declan. Where’s Lee?” I ask.

“Round back. I’ll go get him.”

“Good job today. You got tomorrow off. Sleep in, do whatever you want,” I tell him. “Lee too. You’ve both earned it.”

Declan grins. “Later, Prez.”

I wave him off and move inside. I beeline straight for the bedroom, where Etain is sleeping in her PJ shorts and tee with the sheets kicked aside. She’s lying on her belly with her hand tucked under the pillow. The shorts have risen up, giving me a glimpse of her ass cheek.

As tempting as it is to take a bite of her ass and wake her up to make love to her, I’m too damn tired. I strip down to my boxers and slip in beside her. Instinctively, she turns and cuddles into me, slinging her leg over mine and nestling her cheek into my shoulder, letting out a small sigh of contentment.

Time to let go of the day. The Viales were grateful to find out what was happening in their own family, and thankfully, it fed into our plan for the Jackals. Reno Viale and Gino Benito have their own shit to sort out. I learned quickly today that Reno Viale is not a man you want to fuck with.

I close my eyes and take in the scent of Etain’s sweet, scented shampoo. I lock my arm around her to keep her close and fall asleep.