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24

HAWK

Jesus. Why do my ribs hurt when I breathe? My head fucking aches too. My mouth feels like it’s full of cotton balls. Left arm stings like a bitch. What the hell happened?

I blink my eyes open. The light in the room is dim enough, but the space is not familiar. Dark gray walls, white linens, and dark wood furniture. I’m about to sit up so I can find a place to take a piss when I realize I’m not alone in the room.

Three men stand by the doorway. Vincenzo, Matteo, and another older man I don’t recognize, but assume by the black bag he’s carrying he must be the doctor who’s been caring for me.

“He’ll be fine. Thanks to the Narcan your men administered, the drugs will wear off soon enough, but he’s going to be sore and probably feel like shit for a little while.” He explains.

Narcan? Drugs? What?

“ His chest and abdomen are bruised from the bullets to vest, but it should heal in a few days. As for the left arm, he has twenty-three stitches. Perhaps next time you don’t make such a long, deep cut, hmm?”

I reach over to my left arm where a large white bandage has been wrapped around it, irritation and disappointment fill my chest as I think about what my tattoos look like with a bunch of stitches running through them. That feeling quickly changes to anger flooding my veins as I remember it was in fact Matteo who shot me. Although, it doesn’t make sense why Vincenzo would fit me with a suit lined with Kevlar if he ordered his own man to shoot me. Unless this was their plan all along, but why?

I need answers and to call Pres. If word got back to him that I’ve been shot, he’ll lose his shit.

“Thank-you, Doc.” Vincenzo says. “And what of the girl? Do we know what happened to her?”

Which girl is he talking about? Sadie or Agent Galina? Both were in a bad way when I went down.

“Miss Jenkins is fine. The blood work I had rushed last night came back with a low dose of Xanax. When mixed with alcohol on an empty stomach it can make a person who’s not used to it feel all her symptoms, sometimes worse. But I gave her an IV upon arrival last night, which she demanded I remove as soon as she saw me this morning.” He smirks. “Apparently, she doesn’t trust me or anyone at the moment. What happened last night has her frightened, unsure.”

“I’ll have a talk with her.” Matteo replies.

“If she doesn’t trust you, she won’t tell you shit.” My words come out gravelly and I reach for the glass of water on the nightstand beside me. All three men turn in my direction.

“Thank-you, Doc. You’re dismissed. I’ll call you if we need anything else.” Vincenzo grunts.

“Which they won’t.” Says a brunette woman I didn’t see before thanks to Vincenzo’s large body blocking her. Her glacial stare is locked on Vincenzo. If I wasn’t feeling so rough and certain he wouldn’t shoot me again, with intent to kill this time, I’d give him shit about her busting his balls. But I do have some sense of survival. “In case you’ve forgotten, I am a doctor. I can see to their care from here without inconveniencing anyone else or burdening them with your secrets.”

“You’re supposed to be one of those secrets, yet you continue to defy me and let others know of your presence here.” Vincenzo argues, his voice is steady, but the air of a threat is there. “Perhaps you should do as your told and let the good doctor do what I pay him to do while keeping yourself scarce so I can continue to protect you. Or are you bent on getting my men killed, Gattina?”

“I’m no such threat to your men. You just don’t want anyone looking at what you deem to be yours, which by the way, I am not.” I have to give her credit for standing her ground. She’s brave. Stupid, but brave.

Vincenzo shrugs. “Agree to disagree. You are meant to remain hidden from anyone who could identify you. My men will protect you because you are mine and because I order them to, but given the situation, we don’t want too many people, including my men who are not of the highest ranking, knowing my business. You are currently part of my business.”

The doctor clears his throat, doing a horrible job of hiding his amusement. “Yes, well, I best be on my way. You know how to reach me if you need anything, but it appears you are in capable hands. I’ll see my way out.” He doesn’t elaborate or wait for anyone else to respond. He makes his way out of the room and out of sight without glancing back.

“We’ll discuss your outburst and your futile denial later, Gattina .” Vincenzo raises a threatening brow at the woman. “For now, since you want to be useful, go check on Miss Jenkins. See that she has something to eat.” The woman slits her eyes and glares, seemingly pissed. I’m certain her anger has more to do with Vincenzo’s claim on her rather than the fact she’s getting exactly what she wanted…to take care of the patient. She doesn’t utter so much as one word, just tips her head and storms out of the room.

“That’s going to be fun to watch play out.” Matteo mutters. Vincenzo cuts him a glare.

“Where’s Sadie?” I ask. The pain in my ribs sucks, but it’s nothing compared to the rage I’m feeling after seeing her the way she was last night and now knowing why- I’m out for blood and I don’t care if it means I’ll have to take a bullet for real this time. The last time I saw her she was wandering in her bra and panties, and definitely high on something. I need to see my woman and make sure she is all right, with my own eyes.

“She’s resting in another room down the hall.” Matteo supplies.

“How is she?” She seemed so lost last night. So fragile.

“Doc says she’ll be okay. Might feel woozy for a bit, but she wasn’t harmed in any way. I’ll let her know you’re awake.” Matteo offers.

Vincenzo throws his hand up halting Matteo’s movements. “Not yet. We have some things to discuss.”

“You mean like what the hell he was doing at an auction party with Sadie in the first place? Or how about why she didn’t have a guard when she came out of that bathroom in only her bra and panties? I know you have one for her. I saw him at the gala. Or wait—and this is my personal favorite—why the fuck Matteo shot me ?” Shouting makes the throbbing in my head hurt worse. I must’ve hit the floor pretty hard when I went down.

“Matteo took Sadie into that shark’s den knowing full well what was about to take place. Men were making deals in the back room, negotiating prices, and which girls they wanted to sample for the night.” I have to grit my teeth against to pain radiating through in my body as I shake with anger now. “Based on the state I found Sadie in, I’d say someone had decided they were going to sample her for the night, and where the fuck were you!”

“I was coming to get her when I saw you moving her through the crowd in your jacket. Sadie had been gone a long time and Sergio wasn’t answering his comms link.” Matteo replies, his voice tight with his own anger and frustration. “One of my other men found Sergio in the floor of a storage closet, bleeding out from a stab wound to the back.”

“How did someone get the drop on him?” Vincenzo turns his attention from me to Matteo.

“Doc said someone attacked him with chloroform, which explains how they were able to stab him from behind.” Matteo supplies. “Sergio would never have been taken down otherwise, nor would he leave Miss Jenkins unattended. She was his primary concern. I had other men watching my back for the night.”

“Well, she was left unattended and by the time she got to me, she thought she was hallucinating she was so fucking high. I’m not sure we share the same definition when it comes to priorities, because she never should have been in that state in the first place.”

“Did you see anyone else with her?” Vincenzo looks to both of us.

“Sadie said something about a woman, but I didn’t see anyone besides her come through the doorway.”

“Sergio was the only one sent to stand guard.” Matteo adds. “Maybe the woman is the one who stabbed him?”

“Sergio could overpower a woman, even being accosted from behind.” Vincenzo surmises.

“Not if the chloroform had already taken effect, boss. She could’ve disoriented him enough then stabbed him before she went in to get Sadie.”

“But how would she have gotten him into the closet without anyone knowing? He’s not a small man?” Vincenzo sounds increasingly frustrated. “She would have had to have help.”

“No one else was seen going back there. You think someone was already there waiting.” They go back and forth discussing scenarios, meanwhile all I fucking want is to see Sadie.

I move off the bed and head for the bathroom to take a piss and then I’m going to find my woman. Then something Vincenzo says catches my attention. “Were there any offers made for Miss Jenkins?”

“You son of a bitch! You were there to auction her off! You were going to sell her to the highest bidder and for what? ” I turn and lunge for Vincenzo only to have Matteo’s meaty arm slam into my torso causing me to lose my breath from the pain and bruising of my chest and ribs. “You already had me and Galina working the party to find you any leads. Why would you risk Sadie too? What the hell debt does she owe that you’d sell her to pay it off?”

Vincenzo doesn’t blink, doesn’t flinch, merely sizes me up rubbing his stubbled chin. “I admire your loyalty to your friend, but I am struggling with the level of stupidity you’ve shown while in my presence. You two seem unevenly matched, and you certainly have no self-preservation about you, which leads me to believe Miss Jenkins could do better.” He turns to Matteo. “I’m not sure I can approve of this one.”

“Fuck you.”

“See, there. Disrespectful, even now when you’re in my home, under my roof, with my doctor seeing to your care and my men keeping you alive…you’re still so ungrateful.”

“It was your man who fucking shot me! Why should I show you respect? Huh, Vincenzo? You took my woman and flaunted her around like a pierce of fucking meat to be sold to the highest bidder, and for what exactly? Who were you hoping to sell her to? A new business partner? A politician you need to blackmail. What’s your angle in all this?”

“To find your sister, of course. At Miss Jenkins’s own request, I might add.” The air leaves my lungs, and my knees begin to buckle slightly.

“What did you say?”

“Apparently, you don’t know your own woman or the lengths she’ll go to for your club.” He glares down his nose at me. “It was at Miss Jenkins’s own request that she be a part of this operation. And to be clear, I was unaware she was your woman. Perhaps you should’ve mentioned that when I asked you to accompany Agent Galina to the gala. Miss Jenkins certainly didn’t mention you being her man when she agreed to come live with Matteo.” Vincenzo continues. “As a matter of fact, wasn’t it you who called Miss Jenkins a traitor and sent her away? Seems your story is contradictive, Mr. Hawkins.”

“How the fuck do you know what I said to her? Did Sadie tell you what happened?”

Vincenzo smirks. “I know many things. Go take a piss. Perhaps it will help lessen your attitude and we can have a constructive conversation.” He says, effectively dismissing me. Matteo releases his hold, and I leave to the bathroom and take care of business.

Once finished, I wash my hands and face and lean on the vanity, staring at the asshole in the mirror contemplating.

Why would she do this? Go through all of this to find Shea? Why not tell the club and let them find her? Why would Sadie put herself in danger, running the risk of never coming back, for a girl she doesn’t even know?

I need answers from Vincenzo. I need to call Pres and get him up to speed, and then I need to find my Sapphire and find out what the hell she was thinking and get us both the hell out of here.

When I exit the bathroom, both Matteo and Vincenzo are gone. I hear their voices down the hall and that of a female. I grab my burner phone from the table, shocked to see they left it for me, and shoot off a quick text to Pres. I’m not sure who’s monitoring us, if anyone, but I send him a vague message I know he’ll understand.

Me: Hey, Pop. I’m doing good. I’m going to stay over at Vinnie’s house tonight. I’ll check in with you as soon as I can. I found Sapphire too. I’ll bring her back home with me as soon as I’m done here.

His response is immediate.

P: Glad to hear you’re all right. Don’t stay out too long. We have a house of our own to clean. Tell our girl, we miss her too. And tell Vinnie he owes me an explanation and a favor for this one.

I chuckle at the last part. If Vincenzo owes anyone, it’s me. After having his men shoot me, drug me, and drag my ass back here without any warning or explanation and he’s been hiding my woman.He owes me way more than a fucking explanation, and I plan to collect what’s due.