Hawke
“Geez, Jazzy, what the hell has got you so pissed,” I ask, smirking as she continues to lead me through to the back room of the clubhouse.
“You, you big douche. You and I need to talk.” Jasmine rests her hands on her hips, blowing hair from her face with her mouth. She’s wearing tight blue jeans, and a black singlet top that shows off her baby bump. She looks adorable, but the way she’s glaring at me has me refraining from opening my mouth.
“You idiot,” she spits out, and begins to pace. “You told me you would tell her.”
My face straightens, all amusement gone. I grasp Jasmine’s arm, keeping her still. She spins to face me and I can see moisture in her eyes, as if she’s about to cry. Fuck me. What the hell do I do with a pregnant woman crying?
“Look,” I state. “I’ve heard about this.”
She removes her arm from my grasp.
“Heard about what?” she says on a breath.
“Pregnant women. How you get all emotional for no reason.”
“No reason?” she cries, and before I know it her leg is reaching out, and she kicks my shin.
“Ow! What was that for?” I bend over to rub where her foot just left a mark. I may be overdoing it on the acting part, but that shit hurt!
“Yeah, well there’s more where that came from.”
I straighten. “You gonna tell me what this is about or are you just going to kick me?”
Jasmine smiles then. “I’m having too much fun, I think I’ll do it again.”
I step back and hold my palms out to her. “What the hell has gotten into you, woman? Quill not taking care of your needs?” I add wiggling my eyebrows.
Her mouth gapes open. “Quill’s and my sex life is not part of this conversation.”
I smile. “So he is then?”
“Hawke!” Jasmine shouts.
“Okay, okay. What’s going on, Jazz?” I ask, reaching for a stool from around the corner of the pool table and taking a seat. She follows and grabs the one next to me, taking a seat as well.
“Look, Hawke. I’m on my way out to see Luisa, and I thought you should know.”
Jasmine’s face has turned serious, and she rubs her fingers along her brow. “She knows, Hawke.”
I scratch my jaw. “Knows what?”
“Lu. She says she knows about Josie.”
I jump up off the stool and run a hand down the back of my neck. “What? How?”
“She heard you on the phone this morning, to Quill. Then she saw a message that Josie sent you.”
“Message? I didn’t get no message.” I grab my phone out of the back pocket of my jeans and scroll through my messages. My finger freezes when I see one from an unknown number, and I tap on it and start reading.
Reece, I just wanted to thank you for last night, it means so much to me that you still care. I want you to know that I will always love you and I just hope that one day you will forgive me. Always yours, Josie.
My hand squeezes the phone so hard, I don’t know how it doesn’t smash. “Fuck,” I growl and begin to pace.
Jasmine gets up from her seat and reaches a hand out to me, resting it on my arm. “You need to tell her, Hawke. The longer you leave it, the worse off it will be. She won’t care that you’ve been engaged before. She loves you.”
My eyes snap over to Jasmine’s. There’s no hint of sarcasm in her tone or facial expression.
“Love?” I say laughing off her words. “Don’t think we’re quite there yet.”
“Hawke,” she says squeezing my arm to get my attention. “I don’t care what you say, the girl is crazy about you. And yes, she loves you, don’t lose that. And you love her too, you big buffoon. Don’t lose her. Don’t lose the one thing that’s good for you.”
Love her? Am I in love with Luisa?
I sigh, and run my free hand down my face. I don’t know why I’m so nervous about telling Lu about my past, and Josie. It’s no big deal, really, I guess I’ve just never found the right time to tell her. But it seems as if I’m too late now anyway, she already knows. How the fuck am I going to get out of this one?
“You’re right,” I say to Jazz. “I should have told her. I’m gonna go tell her everything,” I add getting ready to walk out.
“Wait, what? You can’t leave, she’s expecting me to turn up, not you.”
I narrow my eyes at Jasmine. “First you tell me I need to explain it all to her, now you’re holding me back from doing that exact thing. What the fuck, Jazz?” I’m confused as shit.
“How will it look if you show up there now? She’ll know I told you. You need to do this right, Hawke. Don’t fuck it up. Take her out tonight and explain it all to her. She deserves that, Hawke. Believe me, it will make things easier.”
I run my hands down my face. Jasmine might be right. “Fine,” I agree looking into her eyes. They’re green, like green ivy, and so bright and clear. “What are you gonna tell her?”
Jasmine shrugs her shoulders. “I’ll just listen to her, I guess.”
I step closer. “You won’t tell her will you, Jazz?”
“No, Hawke, I won’t, but you’d better explain it all tonight.”
I smile, a warm smile. What would I do without this woman? She’s like the little sister I never had. I pull her into me and hug her. “Thanks, Jasmine. You’re a good friend.”
A growl erupts from the doorway and I step back and look over my shoulder, finding Quill there, his eyebrows pinched together.
“Hey, brother, we were just finishing up.”
“Why the fuck are your arms around my soon to be wife?” he asks striding toward me.
My smile widens. Quill is so in love with Jasmine, and it makes me happy to see him like this. I’ve always wanted him to find that special someone, and he has.
“You better wipe that smile off your face before I do it for you, brother.”
“Okay, macho men,” Jasmine says, rolling her eyes as she steps between Quill and I. She places her hands on both our chests, keeping us apart, and laughs. “I need you both bruise-free for the wedding next week. Can’t have you boys looking ugly.”
“Babe.” Quill smirks. “One, Hawke has no chance of hurting this face.” Quill points to his cheek. “Two, I thought you liked it when I get rough,” he concludes as he pulls Jasmine in for a kiss.
I clear my throat. “Yeah, can you guys maybe take that somewhere else?” I ask, smirking at them.
Jasmine pulls back and looks up at Quill. “I have to go, babe, need to check on Luisa.”
“Everything okay?” he questions, looking over at me, concern in his eyes.
“Yeah, babe,” Jasmine explains. “Lu just needs me.”
“Well, take a prospect with you.”
“What? Why?” she asks.
Quill holds Jasmine firmly in his arms. “Baby, can you just for once do what I say without fighting me?”
“Fine,” she agrees, moving out of Quills arms. “I’ll let this go because I have my friend waiting on me, but you will tell me more tonight.” She looks at me and glares, then turns back to Quill. “Right, babe?”
Quill nods at her in agreeance, and Jasmine walks past him to leave. “Hey, where’s my goodbye kiss?”
She rolls her eyes and walks back to him. She goes to kiss him briefly but he holds her face in his hands, keeping her captive and kissing her hard. I turn my head, wanting to give them some privacy. I hear Jasmine say, “Bye, Hawke. Remember, tonight.”
I nod, and repeat, “Tonight.”
“What’s tonight?” Quill asks looking from Jasmine to me. Jasmine smiles and walks out the room. Quill asks again, “What’s tonight?”
I sigh. “Nothing, man. Just taking Luisa out for dinner. I’m gonna explain about Josie, she found a message from her on my phone.”
Quill lets out a breath. “How’d she take that?”
“She called Jasmine when we were in church. She’s upset, man. You’re right, I should have told her earlier.”
Quill taps my shoulder. “It’ll be fine.”
“I hope so. But something tells me I really fucked up this time,” I say scratching my jaw.
“Fuck, will you listen to us pussies,” Quill replies smirking.
“I hear ya, brother,” I say, then straighten myself. “This whole warning bullshit on Ink Me. You think it’s retaliation from the Gypsy Brothers?”
Quill shakes his head. “Don’t think it’s them. Cannon’s gone, their VP too. They have no president or VP. They couldn’t work this fast. No, I think it’s bigger than them.”
“Your old man? He have anyone looking for retaliation on him?”
Quill shrugs. “Don’t know. I have no idea who he was dealing with, except for the Gypsy Brothers….” Quill goes quiet, deep in thought.
“What about Sven? His right-hand man? He knows what happened that night.”
“Shouldn’t,” Quill says. “He wasn’t there that night, and I made sure it looked like a war between my old man and the Gypsy Brothers.”
I rub my jaw. “Shit just don’t make sense. Why would someone send us a warning? It must have to do with what went down.”
“Let’s see what Tracker comes back with from the video footage. This couldn’t have come at a shittier time, man,” Quill spits. “I’m about to be married in a week. Let’s get through this week and the wedding, and go from there.”
“Wait, aren’t you guys going away for a honeymoon?”
Quill smiles. “Yeah, I’ve arranged to take her to a beautiful beach house for a few days, it’s a surprise. I thought we could do with spending some time together before the baby comes.”
“Good thinking, brother.”