Hawk

25 - We're in trouble

Brooke

“Everything will be alright, won’t it?”

I watch Nova lift her hood onto her head as she walks across the street, sticking to the shadows like some dark avenger.

“I hope so, Alison. I really do.” I take her hand in mine. Until Nova walks out that door alive and well, with the child if she’s able, I don’t know if anything will be okay.

I’m on pins and needles, biting my lip, and my heart racing as we wait for Nova to return. I’m on the edge of my seat, and I’m shaking cold with adrenaline. I honestly feel like I’m going to throw up.

“What if something bad happens to her?”

I stroke my thumb over Alison’s hand. “I’ve known Nova for a while now, and I know just how strong she is in mind and spirit, not to mention body. If I know nothing else about her, I know she’ll be just fine.”

I believe that deep down, especially from the things I’ve heard about her. Nova is cunning and intelligent; she is also a very good assassin, someone everyone around here has heard about. Shi.t, people all over the country had heard of The Exorcist, but not who that person is. I only know because Hawk trusted me with the information.

Nova has probably killed more people than the gas chamber. I know that she’s trained in all sorts of combat and weaponry. She’s skilled in all kinds of martial arts, self-defense, and all that goes with it. I know Nova can take care of herself in situations most wouldn’t. However, that doesn’t stop me worrying that she might be taken by surprise and killed. She’s not immortal!

“Alison? Does anyone from the MC know where you are?” She shakes her head, and I close my eyes.

Christ, everyone is going to flip the fuc.k out when we – if we – get back to the clubhouse. Shepard will have something to say on the matter, as is his right as President. No doubt, Tank, too.

Kong will be angry with Alison for not waiting for him to sort this out and with Nova for bringing Alison back here, especially when she should have known better. If that happens, then Tank will flip out because no one says anything against Nova without risking a bullet through the brain.

Then there’s Hawk and how angry he’ll be that Nova dragged me along for this. This is going to blow up in Nova’s face one way or another.

Don’t think about this stuff right now, Brooke. Worry about the aftermath later.

“Maybe I should have waited.” Alison turns in her seat to better face me. “And I swear, I didn’t tell Nova about this because I thought she’d do anything, but I was scared for my little boy. If I waited just one more moment, my father might have killed him.

“He wouldn’t have thought twice about it, Brooke. I watched him murder his own brother when I was fifteen, so I have no doubt killing his own grandson would have meant nothing to him. So, when Nova told me who she was and that she could help me right then and there, I had to let her, Brooke.”

I swallow hard and clasp my stomach.

What kind of people have I gotten myself mixed up with?

Killers, outlaws, vigilantes. God only knows what Alison’s father’s MC is like. From what Alison told me about her mother getting her out of that place, I’d say she was the only one who ever gave a damn about her.

I will never believe I made the wrong decision being with Hawk. Gabriel and I are where we need to be, with the man who means everything to us. Knowing what he and his men do to keep us safe is a lot to take in.

As Alison sits here telling me how abusive the men of the Dirty Coyotes are and the way they treat people, even their wives, I know they’re dogs. Dogs who need putting down.

Since when do you think like this, Brooke?

Since I realized the man I love is perfect and nothing like those monsters!

“It’s been fourteen minutes. Should we leave?” Alison is right; it has been fourteen minutes. Nova said not to wait for her for any reason.

I open my mouth to answer Alison, when the passenger side door flies open, causing both Alison and I to yelp.

“Shut up!” Nova hisses whole, shoving a sleeping bundle at Alison. “Take him.”

I pull back and strap myself into my seat. Nova is already in the car and pulling away. I didn’t even notice her approaching, and I had one eye on the outside.

How did she move undetected with a child in her arms?

If there were trouble inside the house, surely Alison and I would have heard something?

Seen something?

“My little boy.” Alison sobs while kissing her son’s head.

I wipe a tear from my cheek. I can only imagine how much pain she’s been in today, wondering if she’d ever hold her son again. My arms ache to hold my baby boy and tell him how much his mommy loves him. I’m not angry with Alison for any of this because I would have done the same in her position. I would have done anything, gone to anyone to get Gabriel back.

“Mommy? Mommy!”

“Oh, my baby! Mommy has missed you so much.”

I smile at the scene before me, mother and son holding onto each other, thankful they weren’t torn apart for good.

“I miss you, Mommy. I want to see Daddy, Mommy.”

“We’ll be with Daddy soon, I promise. No one will ever take you away from Mommy and Daddy ever again. What happened in there, Nova?”

“I told you,” Nova deadpans. “It was a simple in and out. Click won’t be causing you any more problems.”

There is so much left unsaid, but Nova says nothing more, and neither Alison nor I ask Nova to clarify what she meant by what she just said.

The rest of the journey is made in silence. I’m shaking cold the whole way. I want to hold Gabriel so badly right now. I need to know he’s safe. This could have been me, but there’s no knowing if I would ever have gotten my baby back.

We pull up outside the clubhouse gates, waiting for Jimmy to open them and let us through. Nova tells us, “Leave the talking to me. Shepard will want words, your men will be angry, and the rest of them will be annoyed. Not to mention, I have again called their masculinity into question. Men tend to get pissed off about that.”

“Are they going to punish us? All I wanted was to make sure Teddy was safe.”

“Alison,” Nova looks at her through the corner of her eye. “I know you grew up in an MC that promotes the abuse, battery, and torture of women, including their own, but the Snakes do not. No man belonging to this club would ever lay a hand on any of us.

“They’ll be angry, but it will come from a place of fear. Bad things have happened to too many of our women in the past. All they want is to keep us safe. Sometimes, they forget that we’re not weak women.

“Try not to worry; I’ll take the brunt of their anger because it won’t faze me at all. I shouldn’t have taken either of you with me. As I said before, it’ll be me; they have it in for, and I’ll own that. Just remember, leave this to me.”

The whole clubhouse falls silent as soon as we enter the main room. All eyes are on us. There are so many of them here, and I feel very uneasy.

“Where the hell do you think you’ve been?”

“Save it, Jett, I already sent a group text to let you all know exactly where I was and that Alison was with me. Let’s not make a big deal out of this.”

Jett narrows his eyes, but it’s Shepard who moves toward us. “Let’s not make a big deal out of this? Are you crazy?! You could have gotten the three of you killed!”

“How dare you drag Brooke into your stupid games!” I hadn’t seen Hawk before I heard him speak, but he’s suddenly beside me, pulling me into his arms. I wrap mine tightly around his back and breathe deeply.

“Give it a rest, Hawk. She’s fine.”

“Why you...”

“I want my daddy! Daddy, save me!” Teddy starts to cry. I can’t say as I blame him; the yelling and the atmosphere are intense, to say the least. That poor little boy is so afraid because of the shouting that he believes his daddy can save him from it. God, that hurts my heart!

“Alison!” She spins on the spot, and Kong catches her instantly, holding his family in his arms. He must have been elsewhere. It looks like he just came into the room. “Are you both okay?” Alison nods her head. She’s still crying.

“Daddy!” Teddy throws himself into his father’s arms.

“It’s okay, my boy. Daddy’s here now. You’re safe now.”

“Daddy, I missed you.”

“I missed you too, little man.”

“Kong, take Alison and Teddy to your room. Once they’re settled, meet us for Church. Brooke, stay with Coral and Tammy. Lion, lock the doors after you make sure the gates are secure. I’m taking no chances tonight. Nova, come with the rest of us. You’ve got some explaining to do.”

Will this night never end?

I woke up this morning feeling happier than I had in a long time for it to end with a damn stakeout and kidnap. I’m exhausted, and I just want to go home to my son. God knows how long I’ll be waiting for Hawk to finish before that happens.

“You okay, baby?” I nod. “You’re not. I don’t want to leave you, but I don’t have a choice.”

“It’s okay.”

“I promise I’ll be as quick as I can, and then I’ll take you home. I love you, Brooke.”

“I love you, too.”

He kisses me softly. “I won’t be long.”

Famous last words.