Chapter Seventeen

Hawk

"S late, did you find anything?" We'd all convened at the clubhouse for an unofficial meeting after some unknown asshole had followed Laura last night. "Please tell me you found something." I raked a hand through my hair, re-tying it to keep it out of my face.

"Not yet, but you only gave it to me about five minutes ago. Rebel, keep him calm, would you?"

Rebel's gaze flicked to me, and he shrugged. "I don't think anything will keep him calm. Apparently, our club brothers get bat-shit crazy when someone comes after their woman."

I opened my mouth to remind them—hell, to remind myself—that Laura wasn't my woman, but the way they looked at me with laughter in their eyes, I knew it would be pointless. "You're fucking with me," I accused.

"I'm not, actually, which is pretty fucking weird all on its own. Let me work my magic and I'll let you know when I find out who it is," Slate said.

"Describe the car again," Diesel requested.

"Red four-door with a slightly rounded body that she pegged as about five or ten years old, max. She didn't get a make or model, but she got the plate."

"Smart cookie," Rocky added with a smile. "Slate will figure it out. Eventually."

"Everybody's a fuckin' critic," he groaned before he tuned us out.

"You think it's Los Ochos." Maverick wasn't asking a question because he probably knew me best.

I shrugged absently, my mind still stuck on the fear on Laura's face when she'd gotten home. "I don't know. They make the most sense given every-fucking-thing that's happened. But it doesn't feel right. Los Ochos couldn't be discreet if their lives depended on it, and they do. But we've got no other leads, and one of the Los Ochos members paid her a visit at the ER last night. Seems too much like a coincidence." My jaw clenched and fire raged through my veins when I thought about the way Laura shook and clung to me as she fell asleep.

"A red sedan isn't exactly discreet," Rebel agreed. "But a nurse managed to flag her tail pretty quickly. Are you sure she's not into some other shit?"

"I'm sure. And since Los Ochos know she's protected by us, they would've been more discreet about following her. The point of this was to scare the fuck out of her." This was something else, I was sure of it.

"We'll figure it out," Diesel promised. "Right now, I need you and Maverick to get to the Fifth Street brothel. Gio says Ochos are harassing the customers."

Fuck. Brothels worked because they were discreet, and harassing the clientele outside the property was a damn good way to piss off the neighbors and get the law involved. "Let's go."

"Handle it without your fists," Diesel instructed. "If you can."

Maverick grinned. "I'll keep Hawk in check," he promised.

"No need. I'm fine." I was so fucking far from fine that I'd be surprised if I didn't slide my blade into one of those fuckers on sight. "We going or what?"

"Right behind you," Maverick answered, a smile in his voice.

***

Fifth Street was only a few miles from the clubhouse, which meant we made it there before the Ochos could get gone.

Gio stood on the porch wearing an intimidating scowl to keep them off the property. "Step on the property again and I'll get to shoot you."

"Fucking Gio," Maverick mumbled under his breath.

"What the fuck is going on here?" I shouted, and everyone stopped moving and a half a dozen gazes swung in my direction.

A guy in a blue suit lifted his hands. "I'm just trying to get to my appointment with Lola."

I clapped him on the shoulder. "You're one of Lola's regulars? She'll be glad you're on time. She hates when her men are late."

The man smiled and nodded, walking beside me as I led him up the stairs and into the house. "Thanks."

"Have fun." I turned back to where the Ochos were calling out to an older guy who sat frozen in his car. "Cesar, I thought we had a fucking deal, man?"

The young shit starter turned with a grin. "Yeah, so did I." He shook his head and moved away from the old man's car. "But I was wrong, wasn't I?"

My brows dipped in confusion. I didn't have a fucking clue what he was talking about. "You've been following my woman and you tried to run her over, seems like you boys are looking for trouble."

"Don't know what you're talking about, white boy. We left your woman alone." He grinned. "Why do you think we're here?"

"You're not making any fucking sense," Maverick growled, surprising Cesar, who'd been so focused on me he didn't see Maverick coming. "Make some. Quickly."

Cesar stood taller, but he was still five inches shorter than Maverick. "Let me make this real simple for you assholes, you stole our drugs and we're here to repay the favor. If you'd rather us go after your girl, I'm sure we could have a lot of fun with her." He laughed and rubbed his hands together as if he was thinking about touching my—touching Laura.

"We didn't steal shit." I jogged down the steps until I was in Cesar's face. "If we did, you'd know it."

"No one else would be stupid enough to come after us." He put his hands on my chest, giving me a giant shove. "No one but the fucking Steel Demons."

"That's the plan, if it needs to be. Does it need to be the plan, Cesar?"

"You tell me. Give us our shit back and we'll stop fucking with your whorehouses."

"And my woman."

"Oh, we ain't started to mess with that fine thing yet."

I laughed, looking left at his crew and then right, where Maverick and Gio stood. And then I pulled my arm back and landed a jab front and center. "Wrong answer."

Cesar responded by shoving his shoulder into my gut and plowing forward in an attempt to take me down. "Bad move, motherfucker."

We fought, trading blow for blow for a few minutes. Behind me I heard the crunch of fists that told me Maverick and Gio had gotten in on the ass kicking fun as well.

As I fell backwards, I raised both of my arms with my hands clasped into one giant fist and brought it down against his back. Cesar cried out in pain, and when he tumbled back, I rewarded him with a kick to the face. "Leave her alone."

"Give us our drugs back or your bitch is next." He spat out blood and winced at the sight of it. "And we can go back to our deal."

I lunged forward and Cesar turned at the last minute, elbowing me in my stomach. I ate it and reached my arm around him before I settled my forearm under his chin. "Threatening my woman is a surefire way to piss me off."

"Fine," he shouted, struggling to break free of my hold.

I let him struggle for a few minutes before I released him and shoved him away from me. "We don't have your drugs. If you want to know who took them, look for some gang flushed with subpar coke."

"Our shit is good," he insisted. "Eighty percent pure."

"Forty-five at best," I taunted him with the truth. "It wasn't us."

He spat again and whistled, making a rally motion with his hands. "You fuckers better hope not," he warned. "Let's go."

They jumped into a royal blue low-rider convertible and sped off. I watched until the taillights faded from view because I didn't trust those fuckers as far as I could throw Cesar's little ass.

"As much fun as it was kicking their asses, something doesn't feel right."

Maverick's shoulder brushed mine on the left and Gio bumped me on the right.

"Agreed," Gio said. "I'm not sure all what's going on because it ain't my job to know, but both sides accusing each other of shit they're not copping to sounds like a third party is interfering." He shook his head with a laugh. "Sounds like some sitcom shit to me."

"Sounds like bullshit to me. If they really thought we took their drugs, they'd do more than harass customers at one of our brothels."

"Fuck, I hate that you're making so much sense right now. Something fucking stinks right now."

"I agree with that. The problem is that Cesar has every fucking reason to lie because Los Ochos can't beat us as they are."

"Yeah, that's for damn sure," Gio agreed. "But there have been some quiet rumors that they're looking to merge with Red Diablos. Nothing concrete, just rumors."

I turned to Gio with a smile and clapped him on the back. "Thanks for the intel, Gio. If any of the guys seem antsy, comp them an hour and let us know how much we owe the girls."

"Yeah, all right. You need another partner to whip some ass, think of me."

I laughed and shook my head. Gio was going to be a damn fine club brother soon. "This shit is fucking with my head. Ready to get back?" I asked Maverick.

"Fuck yeah. I don't like this feeling one goddamn bit, and the sooner we figure it out and kill whoever needs killing, I'll feel better."

"Amen, brother." I thought about Cesar and Los Ochos the whole time on the short ride back to the clubhouse and nothing about it felt right. Or genuine. Cesar wasn't as pissed off as he should've been if he thought we stole drugs, which equaled money, from his gang. I'd have set the brothel on fire if that was me. Los Ochos were reckless, they never thought about their actions until the consequences came back to haunt them. But harassment? That was small fucking potatoes by comparison.

Gio and Maverick were right, none of this shit felt right.

After we caught the guys up on what happened at Fifth Street, I took the long way home to clear my head before I saw Laura.

Sweet, sexy, beautiful Laura.