Hawk

7 - Unwanted visitor

****Trigger warning. This chapter includes racist speech****

Hawk

Watching Brooke surrounded by women, including my mother, and seeing her smile the way she is, I feel contentment within me. One I never thought I’d ever feel again. One I only ever felt whenever I was with her.

I’d dreamed about Brooke being back here with me a million times a day since she left, but I never thought it would come true.

I never banked on her walking back into my life with my son in her arms. He’s a day old, and I’ve already forgotten what my life was like before he came into it. My boy is everything to me already. I will teach him to be a good man, protect those he loves, and be strong and honest.

I’m going to teach him to ride his first motorcycle and drink his first beer. I know that’s years away yet, but it’s a big thing for a man like me to teach his kid those things, just as it was for my dad to show my brother and me.

“Cute kid, man. Congrats.”

I let the smile widen and tip my head in thanks in Stryker’s direction. “Thanks, big brother.”

“Everything alright between you?”

“Fine, Ghost, but I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet for either of us. I mean, it’s not like I was prepared for fatherhood.”

“But you wouldn’t change a damn thing, would you?”

I shake my head at the Prez. Shepard is like a second father to me, an uncle, my father’s best friend, and his wife is my mother’s best friend. An honorable man, a man who would die for any man, woman, or child belonging to this club. A man who taught my father how to live a better life. A man who told my father to walk away from his bigoted family and marry the half-black woman he loved more than life itself — the woman he has loved since he was seventeen years of age.

Loving a half-black woman is how he earned his road name. BlackJack. Many would have found it offensive. Jack, my father, did not. He found it amusing that Shepard always said my father was a black man stuck in a white man’s body. My mother’s father has often said the same thing.

“Nothing. I love Brooke. I have since the day I met her. I thought I’d lost her for good, but she came back to me. Gave me a son.” I smile like an idio.t.

“A beautiful son.” My father acknowledges. “I’m proud of you, Hawk.” I look him directly in the eye. My father has often told me he’s proud of me, but there’s something different there now. I can’t quite put my finger on it. “Incredibly proud.” He squeezes my shoulder. That’s all he’s going to say on that matter.

“Thanks, Dad.” There’s an understanding between us, even better than before.

Small arms wrap around my waist from the side, pulling my attention away from my father. I smile down at the beautiful blonde who is now once again mine. Nothing in this world will ever take her away from me again.

“Hey, baby. Where’s Gabriel?” I look across the room for my son.

“He’s with your mother.” Brooke smiles at me.

Those damn bruises on her beautiful face are really bothering me. That fuckin.g monster beat her as soon as she gave birth to our son. I always knew Hank Webster was insane, but what he did was beyond anything I could have imagined. I know one thing for sure, he’ll never get his hands on Brooke again.

She told me everything that happened, what he’d said to her about not wanting a little monkey in his family. That alone made me want to kill the bastard. Not only did he say that, he beat the shi.t out of her with his belt and his fist. He wouldn’t allow her to bathe Gabriel, dress him, or feed him. He even told her someone would collect the baby the following day.

He gave Brooke one night with her son before she would have to hand him over to a stranger. Brooke may not have known she was pregnant until the moment she gave birth to Gabriel, but the love she felt for him and her need to keep him safe drove her to walk miles to find me and ask for help.

I may have thought I hated her for leaving me when we were apart, but I never stopped loving her and never once gave up hope she might come back to me one day. The circumstances in which Brooke came back may not have been perfect, but she’s here now, Gabriel is here, and I will protect them with my life. Until my dying day and beyond, no one will hurt her again and live to tell the tale. Brooke has been one of us, part of this club since the day I laid eyes on her in that strip club. Every brother here will protect her, especially when I can’t.

“She’s smitten with him.” Brooke giggles.

I lean down and kiss her softly. Everyone in this damn place knows she’s mine, but we have new prospects. Men she hasn’t met before, and they need to remember not to touch what doesn’t belong to them. It’s not like men don’t see a woman walking around the clubhouse and try it on. All unclaimed women are free to be hit on.

Hit on my woman, and I’ll break your fuckin’ face!

“Hawk?” I turn my head to Shepard. Mickey, one of the new prospects, whispers something in his ear. Prez looks concerned. “We have a little problem we need to deal with. Hammer, Tank, Ghost, Jett, Stryker, BlackJack, I need you to come along.”

Each man nods, and I narrow my eyes.

“Little lady, you’ll be okay with the other ladies for a few moments?”

Brooke looks at Shepard, then me, before looking back at him and nodding. There are plenty of women here to keep her company for a while.

“I’ll be as quick as I can, baby.”

“Okay,” She smiles, and I kiss her again before she takes herself back to Maria.

“What the hell is going on?” I ask no one in particular.

Shepard tips his head; we all follow him out of the clubhouse. “Brooke’s father is at the gate demandin’ to see her. Mickey didn’t want to say anything in front of Brooke. I warned everyone the moment I found out she was back, not to mention that man in front of her. Especially if he came looking.”

“What does the son-of-a-bitc.h want?”

“His daughter, of course. Come on,”

I follow Shepard along with my father and MC brothers. The old man is standing on the other side of the metal gate that separates our club from the outside world. Hank Webster. He looks just as I remember, with short gray hair, jeans, a white T-shirt, and his cowboy boots. The man is in his mid-sixties, but you wouldn’t know it to look at him. He’s strong for a man his age; anyone can see that. However, to me, he’s nothing but a woman-beating, racist piece of shi.t!

“Where’s my daughter, you fuckin’ boon!”

“What the fuc.k did you just call my son?”

I hold my arm out, stopping my dad from stepping forward. He never could take people saying things like that to my baby brother and me. Christ, he’s killed men because of it. He’s done fuckin.g worse to those who’ve said things to my mother. Trust me.

It’s a joke in this day and age, the way people are still as racist as they’ve ever been.

Is the color of someone’s skin really such a big issue?

Ain’t nobody any different from anyone else. My daddy taught me from a very early age that we’re not different; the color of our skin is the only difference.

I look at my dad for a second and shake my head. That piece of crap can call me what he likes. He’s called me worse, but it won’t change the fact he’s never going to see Brooke again. I don’t want my father to attack this man and give him what he wants. He’d have the cops on us faster than we could swallow.

I turn to look at the old shi.t. “She’s inside with my son.” His face hardens, and his posture stiffens. “Not that you’ll be getting anywhere near Brooke again.”

“Bring her out here right now!”

I fold my arms around my chest and smirk at him. “Not a chance in hell. You think I’d subject her to your sorry ass even for one more second? You’ve hurt her enough.” As I step forward, my face contorts in anger — Shepard’s right to keep the gate locked. I want nothing more than to end the old cunt on the opposite side. “You come near my girl again or my son and I’ll kill you!”

“I don’t want your little ape, keep him, but I want my daughter! Now!”

I scrub my hands over my face. I’m gonna fuckin’ kill him! However, it isn’t me who rips the gate open with my bare hands; it’s Jett. Fuckin’ psycho. Amazin’ Brother.

He grabs the old man and slams his face into the hood of his truck before anyone has so much as clocked what he is doing.

“What the f**k did you say?! That boy is an innocent child, you motherfucke.r! You wanna fuc.k with my brother, huh? With his girl? Their son?!”

“She belongs to me!” Hank lets out a massive scream as Jett twists his arm so far up his back; I swear I heard it crack.

“Apologize to my brother for what you called him! Apologize for what you called his son, for what you did to his girl, or I promise you, I’ll let him kill your old ass right here, right now.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry!” Hank yells like that could make up for all that he’s done.

I don’t give a shi.t what he calls me, but my boy?

Hell, no!

I bend down with my mouth next to his ear. “You walk away today. You won’t be so lucky tomorrow.” With that, I walk away from him.

My brothers can get rid of him. I need some time alone with Brooke and my boy away from here for a couple of days. Brooke needs a place where she can rest and recover from the birth. A place where I can take care of her and Gabriel. Just the three of us. A place that old cunt can’t find her.