CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
hades
The clubhousemain room smells like stale beer and smoke when I walk into it later that morning.The dim light filtering through the blinds cuts across the war room table where Ghost, Rogue, Sniper, and Tempest are already waiting.
None of us have slept.
"Ethan's gone," Ghost says without preamble.His voice is flat, measured.Presidential."But he didn't act alone."
I drop into my chair, every muscle in my body still humming with leftover adrenaline.The cabin.The confrontation.Tempest's shot.It all feels like it happened to someone else, but the blood under my fingernails says otherwise.
"Shadow Hawks gave him muscle," Sniper adds, leaning back with his arms crossed."Question is, are they still in it, or did they cut him loose?"
"We know they were working with Ethan," Rogue says, his jaw tight."What we don't know is if there's anyone else.Other organizations, other players we haven't identified yet."
I look at each of my brothers in turn.Tempest sits perfectly still, but I can see the weight of last night in the set of his shoulders.The shot he took.The life he ended.
"Doesn't matter," I say, and my voice comes out rougher than I intend."They laid hands on my woman.That's a declaration."
Ghost's eyes narrow."Not so fast.War costs lives we can't afford.We need intel before we move."
Every instinct in me screams to hunt down every last Shadow Hawk and make them pay.To paint the streets red for what they did to Evangeline.But Ghost is right.He's always right when it comes to strategy.
That's why he's president.
"Fine," I growl."What's the play?"
"I've got feelers out to their leadership," Ghost says, pulling up his encrypted phone."Requesting a meet.I need to know if this was sanctioned or if Ethan went rogue.Need to know if they're planning retaliation or if they're willing to walk away."
"Walk away?"The words taste bitter."After what they did?"
"After what we did to three of their men and taking out an entire chapter," Ghost corrects."This goes both ways, brother."
Rogue leans forward."What about other organizations?Irish mob, Italians, anyone else who might have had a stake in Ethan's operation?"
"Already looked into it," Sniper says."Ethan kept his circle tight.Just him, his financial network, and the Hawks for muscle.No other players we can find.He took out any one who got close.From what we have gathered, only the Shadow Hawks got close enough."
"Could be hiding it deeper," I point out.
"Could be.But our intel's solid.If there were other organizations involved, we'd have seen movement by now.Money trails, communications, something."
Tempest finally speaks, his voice quiet."What about retaliation from the Hawks?They lost three men.That's not nothing."
"That's what the meet's for," Ghost says."To see if they want blood or if they're smart enough to see this for what it was: Ethan's mess, not ours."
"It became ours the second they touched Evangeline."
"Yeah, it did.But we still need to know if we're looking at a war or a truce."
The room falls silent, each of us processing, calculating, preparing for whatever comes next.
"When's the meet?"I ask finally.
"This afternoon.Neutral ground.Just me and their president."
"I'm coming."
"No, you're not.You're too close to this.You'll go in hot and blow the whole thing."
