A few people mutter hellos and give little waves, but I can’t help but notice that Bishop has mysteriously vanished already, along with Astrid.
“Where did your daughter go?”
Caroline waves a dismissive hand. “Oh, don’t worry about her. She’s probably out back with everyone else playing cards.” She covers her mouth partially, as if she’s going to tell me a secret. “Nana hates when they play their poker games, but truth be told, she’s the one who taught them all to play when they were little.”
I laugh. “Sounds about right for this family.”
Caroline’s answering giggle isn’t a sound I’ve ever heard out of her daughter, and maybe I never will. “I know, right? Do you want a drink?”
I glance around at what everyone else has. “I’ll have a beer.”
She nods. “I’ll grab it from the kitchen. Hang tight.”
Abandoned in a room full of Hawkes, I take a minute to scan the warm, inviting space, taking in how relaxed and casual everyone seems—the first time I’ve ever really seen them like this.
Every day since I came on board to the security team, my interactions with any of the Hawkes have almost exclusively revolved around the continued search for the elusive Satriano, trying to hunt down Michael McDonald, looking into who could have shot Satriano’s goon, or triple-checking the security for every family member and business location.
Those conversations were clinical.
To the point and precise, like receiving military orders.
This is different.
Laughter. Smiles. Whispers that draw looks my direction and knowing grins from a few of them who clearly suspect I didn’t arrive with Bishop by chance.
Gabe makes his way over to me, arms crossed over his chest, bottle of beer in his right hand. He appears so casual in this environment, far different than when he’s in work mode. But I know under the seemingly relaxed exterior that the man who became such a legend in the Rangers still lurks.
Always alert.
Always ready to act if he needs to.
He leans against the wall beside me. “So, how are you liking working for us so far?”
I run my hand through my hair, suddenly nervous next to the man who is most likely to see right through me to the secrets I keep buried. The moment my hand drops, I slide it into my pocket, grasping the one thing that keeps me grounded when I need it. “I like it.”
The last few days have given me a wider view of the Hawke empire and what it takes for them to maintain it when they’re under threat from a man like Satriano, but there is always more to learn.
“You know, I dug into you…”
The hair on the back of my neck rises, and I clear my throat. “I wouldn’t have expected anything less.”
He nods slowly and takes a long pull from his beer, eyes narrowed on me. “Your superiors had nothing but good things to say, and my son says he likes you.”
I laugh. “Umm, I guess that’s good, right? Considering that we’ve tried to punch each other in the face a couple of times.”
The tiniest hint of a grin appears on Gabe’s lips. “I heard about your sparring matches with him. It’s nice to have somebody who can actually keep up with him. I used to be able to, but God knows those days are long behind me. Same with Stone.”
As soon as he says the words, his eyes dart over to where Stone sits in a leather chair with a cane resting against the edge of it, courtesy of the man who has everyone so on edge now.
He may not have been aiming for the Hawkes when he took out Christiano Roselli that day in front of The Grind, but the collateral damage was huge…and if what Bishop has told me is true, it may have been planned that way.
Two birds…one stone.
“I hear Isaac, Pope, and sometimes Coen like to get in the ring with him, too.”
None of them have been there during any mornings I’ve been able to go, but it would be interesting to see what they’re capable of.
Gabe snorts. “Yeah, but they can’t do half of what Bishop can, so it isn’t much of a challenge.”
