The minister surprised me by meeting Hawk’s steely stare straight on. It looked like there was some fight in him, after all.
“I won’t be intimidated by thugs. Someone needs to clean up the streets of this town, and if that has to be me, then so be it.”
“Thugs, huh?” I repeated, eyeing Hawk with a grin. “Nowthat’sa nickname I’m familiar with.”
“Why are you here?” the minister asked, disconcerted by my relaxed attitude. He looked back and forth between Hawk and me before settling on him.
“Like I said before,” Hawk said, “it’s about time we talked.”
“Are you here to threaten me?” I could tell by the way he asked that he was scared but prepared to try to fight.
“I’m here to promise you, if you don’t back off from Outlaw Souls and Black Satin, you’ll be sorry.”
“Get out of here,” the minister demanded, standing. He wasn’t much taller than me, and far less muscular. The guy had balls, I’d give him that much.
“Calm down, Connor,” Hawk replied, his tone suggesting that he’d just tossed a grenade at the man.
The minister’s reaction was immediate. Gripping the edge of his desk, he held on so hard that his knuckles turned white. Shock and horror were at war with each other in the man’s expression, and I had a feeling that Hawk hadn’t called him the wrong name by accident.
“What did you just say?” he asked faintly.
“What, you meanConnor? That’s your given name, isn’t it?”
He just glared.
Hawk nodded. “I think you finally understand what’s happening here.”
Ididn’t, but I supposed it didn’t matter. I trusted Hawk, and he clearly had something on this guy.
“No, I don’t understand,” the minister argued. “I don’t know who you think I am, but—”
Hawk had pulled out his phone, and I saw an image of the minister on the screen. He had a thinner face and darker hair, but there was no mistaking him. Hawk turned the phone around to face the minister, cutting off his words.
“That’s you, dude. You know, I have to wonder how that group of good, God-fearing people out in the sanctuary would feel if they heard about your past.”
To my surprise, the minister surged to his feet and came around the desk with his hands in fists at his sides. His face was red and I could see an angry vein popping out on his forehead. I stepped forward, getting a sick satisfaction over the fact that I was taller and broader than him. Before he got anywhere near Hawk, I shoved him with one hand, making him stumble back against the front of his desk.
“Cool your jets,” I said when he looked at me with wild eyes. Whatever Hawk knew about this guy had him freaked out.
“How the hell did you find out?” he spat at Hawk, who smirked.
“No one can keep their past completely buried. Besides, Merced isn’t that far away. It was easy to find someone that recognized you.”
I doubted it was easy, but Hawk was a whiz with computers. He’d clearly figured something out.
“Youdoleave quite the impression, especially on your wife.”
Hawk’s icy tone made me think that we were talking about something bad here, and my blood ran hot.
“What the fuck did he do to her?” I asked.
Hawk gave me a calculating look before shifting his gaze to the minister, but the man lowered his eyes.
“Care to give a confession, minister?” Hawk asked. When the man stayed silent, he stood, shaking his head. He turned to me as he continued. “Connor here, aka Jack, moved to La Playa and changed his name because he slapped his wife around so many times that the congregation at his last church turned on him. Demanded his removal.”
“Slapped her around?” I repeated, the agitation clear in my voice. I took two steps until I was in front of the son of a bitch. Grabbing a handful of the front of his shirt, I jerked him toward me, until our faces were so close that our noses were almost touching. He couldn’t avoid my eyes even if he tried.
“What the hell did you do to her?” I demanded, giving him a little shake that was rough enough to make him look like a bobblehead doll.
