CHAPTER TWELVE

“Would I be happy if my daughter wanted a maniac? Hell no.” - Ajax

 

 

Oh, look who the fuck it is.

The nasty glare came right after the hit of surprise.

Hawk didn’t let it affect him. The worst this man could have ever done had been done and he was no longer the same kid easily intimidated.

He put his full body in the doorway and waited. He’d avoided the former VP ever since he landed in Texas. Seeing him up close with the backdrop of the moon behind him, maybe he was tipping the scale into his sixties now. Rider’s old man was weathered and still as ornery as ever from the look he was giving Hawk.

“What the fuck you doin’ here?”

About to eat a pretty pussy.

Not that Hawk was jumping through hoops to answer him, he didn’t get the chance to tell him to go fuck himself when Gia asked behind him.

“Dad? Is something the matter?”

Both men turned to look at her coming down the stairs.

Her cheeks still flushed.

It was then Ajax pushed by Hawk who stepped out of the way in time to avoid contact.

“What is he doing here and why the hell is there a guy stationed outside?”

Gia flicked her gaze at Hawk. He indicated a shrug with a raise of his shoulder and grabbed his jacket from the newel post. “We can talk outside.” He hadn’t planned to tell the old man anything because he couldn’t stand being in his company for a second necessary and since Ajax no longer belonged to Hawk’s chapter, their time together was a glare here and an indifferent sneer there.

Talking to him about the Russian’s was down to Rider and since Ajax’s son hadn’t done that yet Hawk wasn’t inclined either. Fuck that guy. He should already know what was happening in his daughter’s life. And if he had anything to do with Rex and his organisation to overthrow Rider then he’d already know the Russian’s had eyes on Gia.

So, fuck that guy twice.

Ajax growled, turned his broad body to pierce a death inducing stare. “I wanna know what the fuck is goin’ on. What did I walk in on? Why the hell are you in my daughter’s house?”

“Why don’t you calm down, dad.” Gia said in her tranquil voice, moving to her father’s side. “If you want to know I’ll tell you, but not while you’re staring at Hawk like he killed Mom’s aunt Adelpha. Do you want a coffee? I haven’t packed the machine up yet.”

Ajax dropped his shoulder’s an inch and looked on at his calm-as-could be daughter.

“I thought you’d given up that idea.”

“You know I haven’t. Look at my house, it’s empty. I’m leaving in a few days. I reminded mom yesterday when we arranged my farewell dinner with you both.”

Ajax grumbled but otherwise said nothing on the matter. It was strange to see his demeanor fold in front of Gia. With Rider he was nothing but hardass and been that way ever since Hawk patched in. He never relented with Rider. Never gave his boy a break even though Rider was more successful than Ajax and his shitty brother could ever wish to be.

With Gia he was marginally softer.

“I’ll let you talk to your dad.” Hawk said and slipped into his jacket.

“You can stay.”

“Nah. I gotta talk to the guy outside anyway. I won’t be far.”

It was that last statement that had Ajax’s eyes blazing. Hawk stared right back and turned on his heel. Fuck that guy.

Out of everything he knew about Ajax, and most of it not good, the one redeeming quality he possessed was the care he held for his wife and daughter. If Hawk for a second thought the old man would rain his temper down on Gia, he wouldn’t be striding out of her house right now.

Gia had the ability to wrap her kin around her little finger. The little witch. She’d done the same to him without even trying.

He tasted her in his mouth. If for a few more minutes uninterrupted he didn’t know what he would have done because he knew one thing.

He wasn’t gonna fuck Gia.

Allowing himself the pleasure of tasting her was too much stimulation. It was sending him fucking crazy wanting more of her honey in his system.

Speaking to Juicy for a minute at the edge of the roadside, he sent him on his way.

There’d been no more dispute with Grigori now they knew he’d claimed Gia.

A fact he’d left out when he’d called Rider.

He needed to deliver her to her brother, so he could …. What? Mope like a jackass like he’d been doing for years?

Hawk wanted nothing more than to get back to Colorado where he belonged. But now with Gia about to transfer there, he had to rethink that decision.

Maybe he should stick around in Austin. As chapters went it wasn’t a bad one. And someone needed to keep an eye on Krusher.

Quicker than he expected he heard the door opening and closing five minutes later and out strolled Ajax in heavy footfalls. He had one direction and that was toward Hawk. Fury dictated his hurried steps.

“Didn’t I warn you, boy?”

Back molars grit tightly. “I’m no boy.”

“I warned you to stay away from my girl. Didn’t I? And here you are getting your fuckin’ feet under her table.”

If Hawk was the eye rolling type his would be taking a tour around his fucking skull. Being squared up to by this Marinos wasn’t the first time. But he’d be damn sure it was gonna be the last.

Hardening his voice, he looked head on and glared. “Why don’t you focus on the shit I’m sure Gia just told you or doesn’t it bother you that the bratva knows she exists?” And then Hawk tested the waters to what Ajax might be tangled up in by adding. “I’m guessing not since you allowed your brother to hand over her name just like that…”

“The fuck did you just say to me?” Though his tone didn’t raise, the darkness seeped out of the old man and for a second Hawk wondered if he’d gotten it wrong. But those two were thick as thieves so he wasn’t giving the fucker the benefit of the doubt just yet.

“You heard me. Your brother told Grigori who Gia was and where she’d be. It was Rex who put Gia in fucking danger. Don’t pretend you don’t know. They never would have thought to use her against Rider if not for fucking Rex so think on that old man before you ask what the fuck I’m doing here. Did she tell you they caught her in public? I’m doing the job Rider asked me to do and that’s watch his sister until she gets to Colorado because I’m the only fucker here in this goddamn state he trusts to do it.”

“You’ll watch your fucking mouth with me,” warned Ajax. The street light showing the tightness around his lips.

“Or what? Threaten to put me in the ground? Been there, done that and look at me, old man, still walking.”

Having a face-off with Gia’s father was not in his plan for tonight but then nothing in the last weeks had been planned.

Before one of them blew up outside her house he took the few steps and plonked his ass down on the small wall, legs out in front of him.

“Gonna deny it then?”

“Fuck you. I owe you nothing.”

Hawk smirked. “Nah. But you do the girl in there. The one who was held by Grigori and his greasy men with their hands on her.”

He heard Ajax curse.

“Yeah, that’s right. Fuck knows what they would have done if I hadn’t been there.” He left out the detail of telling the Russian she belonged to him. Somehow Hawk had the feeling Ajax wouldn’t care for Hawk being his fake son in law.

“This is the first I’m hearin’ about it because my goddamn son didn’t tell me shit.”

“Hard to believe you don’t know what Rex is up to. You were his VP. Thick as thieves the way I hear it. As for your son, ask yourself why he doesn’t hold any faith in your loyalty.”

“Were being the keyword and that was a long fuckin’ time ago. And he wouldn’t do that to my daughter. Not my Gia.”

Hawk jeered. He could tell him a lot about the precious brother he was defending. He could tell him all about the plotting he was doing to put Rider in the ground and take his mantle back.

“And yet he did. So, you ask him what the fuck is going on that he’d hand over an innocent in something that has nothing to do with her.”

“That boy of mine will be hearin’ from me. He should have told me what the fuck was going on, so I could protect my own goddamn daughter.”

“Funny then that Rider has no stock in what he thinks dear old dad can do.”

Hawk rose to his feet and smirked with petty glee that he towered over the tall man glowering at him.

“Word to the wise, Mad-dog. Your brother has no fucking loyalty in him. If Rex has handed over Gia, there’s no saying what else he’s done or will do. I’d run on home to your old lady…don’t wanna leave Annie alone for too long…” He didn’t need to go on.

Ajax stiffened.

Hawk started back up towards the door.

That craggy, hateful voice stopped him in his tracks.

Cold grabbing the base of his spine.

“You keep away from her, you hear, boy? You forget what I know about you…”

Silence. One. Two. Three… “You do the job my son has set you, then you stay the fuck away from Gia. Or god help you if I gotta be the one to break it to her who she’s let inside her house. You want her knowing that filth?”

One.

Two.

Three.

Bombs blew behind Hawk’s eyeballs and his growl stung the night air.