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18

HAWK

I stayed up most of the night sorting the information Sadie sent over. I still haven’t found her, but it’s only a matter of time now. I sent an email back to her and expect she’ll have something to say back once she reads it. I figure if I can at least keep her talking to me, it’s a start. It means she hasn’t cut me out completely.

I also happened to place an order with her company for a very specific set of sapphire earrings under a fictitious name and PO box. Because once I have her in my grasp, I’ll be damned if I let her sneak away from me again.

Sneaky little shit.

Pres called church early this morning so we could go over all the information Sadie sent over and everything we discussed with Vincenzo. Pres has come up with a plan to get the Feds on our side and pull off what Vincenzo is asking of us, while at the same time getting the guys in position to locate and clear out all of the transition homes that we have listed. We didn’t ask to go to war with the Devils, but they brought this shit on themselves by coming into our territory and stealing women and children, running their fucking drugs and fucking with our family.

Pres called a meeting with Agent Galina and asked her to come down to the clubhouse claiming we had some information that we thought might be useful to her. Of course, she doesn’t know that we know about my gun and has yet to reveal that she has it or how she found it.

I called my mom late last night to ask her if the house had been broken into recently or if she maybe sold my gun to someone. I knew it was highly unlikely for her to have sold it without talking to me since it’s my piece, but I needed to ask. She said she didn’t sell it and that she didn’t think the house had been robbed although, she remembered a few weeks ago coming home from the store and finding the front door unlocked. She assumed she had forgotten since nothing seemed out of place, but she never thought to check for my gun since she never really used it. I left it there in case she ever felt threatened. But she’d just as soon call me and the brothers to come than fire the weapon herself, so it stayed in its place in a box under her bed.

“Pres.” Trevor calls through the door of the sanctuary. When Declan opens it, he’s quick to inform us the Feds have arrived. Gabe calls Mason on his cell instructing him to let them through the gates.

“All right, everyone out to the common area and follow my lead. Hawk, you know what you have to do.” I nod to Pres and carry my laptop out into the common area and set up at one of the tables.

Pres reached out to Vincenzo early this morning telling him about the Feds coming into the clubhouse and needed him to get us into the auction party he told us about. An hour later a black envelope with gold embossed writing showed up at the gate and was hand delivered to Mason with the name Hawkins on it. Parisi had an actual invitation delivered.

“Holy shit.” Jake breathed. “How do you suspect he came upon that?”

“I’ve learned not to question how the tricky Italian fucker does anything anymore.” Ethan huffs out a laugh. “The less I know the safer my family is.”

I don’t doubt his logic, but the nosy part of me needs to find out how exactly Vincenzo is always a step ahead of us and who he has in his pockets, because one of them might be able to lead me to Sadie.

Agent Galina comes through the clubhouse doors with two of her men flanking her. I can tell by the smug look on her face she already thinks she has the upper hand. It’s almost comical when Allyson walks into the room from the kitchen blowing on the top of her mug of tea and Galina’s face falls. She didn’t know we called our lawyer in to help us negotiate this little deal.

“Well, Mr. Hawkins, you said you had something of interest for me.” She swings her arms out wide. “I’m here. What do you got?”

“Why don’t we sit at the table? Gabe.” Allyson ushers Pres and the agent to where I’m already seated with my laptop.

“So, are you going to tell me or am I supposed to guess what this is all about?”

“Well, Agent Galina, my clients are willing to share information that may be beneficial to your case, but we want a guarantee from you first.” Allyson says, stirring her tea while holding Galina’s glare.

“What kind of guarantee?” Agent Galina leans back in her chair clearly feeling like she has the upper hand. It’s what makes this moment that much sweeter.

“We know you have Hawk’s gun, and the bullets found at the crime scene at the motel with the dead Devils match his gun. However, you don’t have fingerprints and Hawk’s alibi is iron clad. What we want to know is where you found the gun and if you have any suspects yet besides my client?”

Agent Galina’s smug demeanor falls, replaced with anger. “How the hell do you know what we have in our evidence locker? Did you hack our system, Hawkins? We know that’s your specialty.”

“No ma’am. I didn’t even know about it until Ms. Archer brought it to my attention last night.”

“And how, pray tell, did you come across that bit of information? Those records are classified.” Galina grits her teeth.

“I don’t reveal my sources without a subpoena. I’m sure you understand.” I have to bite back a laugh at that.

“So, what you’re saying is I have a mole in my department.” Galina suggests and none of us bother to correct her. Let her believe what she wants. “You realize you’re messing with a federal investigation?”

“Well, actually, we think we may be able to help your investigation.” Allyson pushes on. “We have an invitation, rather Mr. Hawkins has an invitation to an auction party happening in Dallas in two weeks. This party, as we understand it is where some of these kidnapped women are being taken and sold to the highest bidder. You might be able to catch the head of the snake, if you catch my meaning.”

Oh, she’s good.

“How did you get an invitation to such an event if you’re not linked to the trafficking ring? Did Nate get you in?” Galina looks puzzled and a little pissed. Probably because we were able to get something she couldn’t all this time.

“We have someone on the inside with the DO.” Gabe says nonchalantly. “He’s been feeding us information for years. Helping us keep our two clubs from crossing paths. You can imagine after my Maggie’s death, t was the best option. We had already lost enough at that point. So, we planted one of ours in their ranks.”

“Who?”

“Agent Galina, I can’t give you his name. If you or your men go after him, you’ll not only blow his cover, but you could insight a war we’re all working hard to avoid.” Gabe says.

“I want a fucking name, Jenkins.” We anticipated this and collectively made a decision.

Gabe sighs, like he’s struggling to get the information out. If I didn’t know the truth, I might even believe it pained his to sell his brother out. “My brother Thomas.”

“Thomas Jenkins is undercover as a Devil?” Galina questions, skepticism written all over her face. Thomas is anything but working with us, but he has been playing both sides for years, do throwing his ass under the bus hardly seems like we’re hurting anyone. In my mind, it serves his ass right for getting his daughter involved with his bullshit and coercing her into helping him get to Nate. He knew what that would mean for Sadie and the club, and he still talked her into doing it.

Fuck him.

Gabe shrugs. “Not exactly. He works for as their liaison between the DO and Marco Cusenza.” That gets her attention. She’s practically salivating with this little piece of news.

“You mean to tell me, you got an invitation to a party where Marco Cusenza will be auctioning women off, and your brother , who’s been off the grid forever is working as a double agent under Cusenza’s nose… for you?”

Allyson decides to step back into the conversation. “Agent Galina, Thomas discovered a plan for the Devils to kidnap Gabe’s daughter after they had already sold her to some wealthy hotelier in Baron’s Edge. With that knowledge, we were able to find Avery and bring her home safely.”

“And what of the hotelier who supposedly purchased Avery?” Galina asks. “What happened to him?”

“Last we heard the old man died of heart complications a while ago in Barons Edge.” Allyson states firmly. “But I would imagine if I got mad at a mob boss and had words with him over lost merchandise and wanting a refund as it were, well, my heart might give out unexpectedly too.”

Agent Galina’s eyes widen, her expression one that says she’s not sure if Allyson is speculating or if she knows more than she’s letting on.

“All right. So, what do you want from me?” Galina finally asks.

“Well, in exchange for Hawk’s weapon and his name being removed as a suspect in the homicide case, we would propose a partnership. You go in with Mr. Hawkins to this party as his plus one.” Allyson glares at Gabe as she says it. She did not want us doing any of this. On fact she was dead set against it until Jameson managed to talk to her. I still don’t know what he said to her, but whatever it was, it worked.

“So, you want me to go in as bait.” Galina states the obvious. “I go in as his, what, woman…date…slave? How do you see this working out?”

“Well, it’s not a regular venue. So, let’s start there.” Allyson starts. “It’s actually going to be taking place at a fundraising gala.”

“I don’t understand. They’re going to auction women off at a charity event?”

“Not exactly.” It’s my turn to talk. “The charity gala is a cover for the auction. These men will go to the gala with their wives or escorts whichever. They’ll have a few drinks then move upstairs to a penthouse party reserved for special guests only. There will only be a select few in attendance upstairs. This is just the introduction. You have to pass the test. Getting noticed by curator. She chooses who will be invited to the second party at which time those chosen from that group will be sold to the highest bidder. From there arrangements will be made to drug and kidnap the chosen.”

“Okay, wait. Let me see if I understand.” Galina leans forward with her elbows on her knees. “I go in with Hawk as his plus one to the gala where we will then be escorted to the penthouse party upstairs. Then I have to pass some stupid test to get selected to go on to the next round?”

“Pretty much.” I reply. “The party is only for the upper echelon of society. From what we understand there are high political offices in attendance as well as businessmen, doctors, judges, even some top-level cops.”

Galina’s face looks thoughtful, but she can’t hide her irritation at the mention of people in the justice department and politicians being involved in this shit.

“You saying there are dirty cops and shit buying up young woman and using them til their dead?” She snaps. “Those are hefty allegations counselor.”

“We’re not accusing anyone specifically. We are merely reiterating the information given to us by our sources.” Ally is quick on her feet.

“And how did you get in? Who do they think you are?” Galina looks at me the way Parisi did when he told me the grungy biker look wouldn’t pass. Bitch. She’s not exactly the prettiest flower in the room herself, but I keep that thought to myself.

“They think I’m a tech genius with a new personal tracking system that could revolutionize their business. It seems legit and could potentially solve their missing shipment issues.” I shrug. “It’s simple. They have a problem they think I have their solution.”

“All right. When does this all happen?”

“Two weeks from tonight. You and Hawk will go to Dallas, dress the part and attend the gala.” Gabe reiterates the plan.

“And if we don’t get to round two?” Galina asks.

“If you don’t get to round two you won’t get to Cusenza. Our sources say he’s usually not present until the second round.” It’s all bullshit I’m spewing now, but I don’t fucking care. We are so close to getting this her to agree to this bullshit. I’ll say damn near anything. Parisi needs us to help him find the mole and I need Parisi to find my woman.

“All right. You have a deal.”

After the three agents leave, Allyson hangs around for a few minutes explaining to Gabe the ins and outs of this deal and how Agent Galina can potentially screw us if shit goes south.

I’m on my laptop pulling up any information I can find on Agent Galina to use to my advantage if she decides to pull rank and mess this whole thing up. As I’m scrolling through information my phone chimes, then Gabe’s. Then Declan. One by one everyone’s phones go off. I pull mine out and see a text from me to a group. The group being all of my club brothers.

“What the hell?”

I open the text thread and find a naked picture of a blonde I fucked months ago all marked up with marker giving her a mustache and a penis on her cheek and the words “fuck off” in bold red color. I have no clue what she’s trying to tell me. If she’s jealous because she obviously went through my messages and didn’t approve, or if this is her trying to embarrass me in front of the guys, but I smile to myself even as I hear all my brothers laughing in the background.

“What the fuck is this all about, Hawk?” Gabe asks chuckling.

“It means Sadie has been going through my phone.”

“How?” Gabe asks confused.

“If I had to guess, she has a clone, which may actually work to our advantage.” I smile, thinking about all the ways I could mess with her now. Getting her hackles up and making her fight with me while I work on tracking her ass down. “As long as she keeps contact, I’ll be able to figure out a way to find her.”

And when I do that ass is mine.