“That’s what they all say,” Donnally said. “Everybody’s innocent. Yeah right!” He slung her upright. “I’m taking her downtown.”
But Matty stepped up. He knew how those racists in town treated people who looked like him. “Donnally?”
The chief looked at him. “Sir?”
“There had better not be a scratch on her,” Matty said. “Until we get to the bottom of this, you treat her with respect. You hear me?”
Donnally didn’t hesitate. He knew the power Matty and his father wielded in that entire state. “Yes sir,” he said, and then gingerly began taking Janita away.
Von was beside himself. “Nita?” He cried out.
“I’m okay,” she said. But they both were misty-eyed. And she knew he would try something drastic. That was why she said it. “Find Hawk. Tell him what’s happening.”
She couldn’t believe she said it, but she said it because Hawk was all they had. And they didn’t truly have him. Then Donnally took her away.
Von looked at the Webster family. “Where’s Hawk?” he asked them as he fought back tears. But they were all still processing the news. Because what Donnally said made perfect sense. Why would Reecie be fine with only a driver all those years, but within three months of her having a driveranda bodyguard, she was kidnapped? And that girl’s fingerprint was on theinsideof a door she claimed she didn’t know existed? They were all still baffled.
And besides, Hawk never allowed anybody to keep tabs on him. They didn’t know where he was either.
But Dray couldn’t bear the kid’s tears. He leaned toward him in a whispered tone. “I’m not certain of this,” he said, “but on the rare occasions when my big brother comes to town, he usually doesn’t stay here at our family home. He usually checks in at the Sawsberry.”
It was a five-star luxury hotel in town and Von knew exactly where it was. He looked at Dray. “Thanks man,” he said. Dray squeezed his shoulder. And then Von hurried out of that house.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Hawk was inside his hotel suite on a conference call with Shelly and his board of directors as he paced the floor. With so many personal issues on his mind, he had no interest in his board’s anxieties. His mother’s safety and wellbeing were his main thoughts. But Janita wasn’t far behind.
Janita,he thought as he listened to his directors go on and on about what they disliked about his approach. Janita was a special lady. Even down to where she could laugh in the face of adversity. At sixteen, it was fine by her that the state was incompetent and would allow her to take care of her ten-year-old brother. What sixteen-year-old would relish that? But she did. She took it on like a challenge. The way she seemed to do everything in her life.
But when he woke up and saw her sleeping like an angel in his arms, something broke within him. This was it. She could be it. And the very thought of having her life in his hands, because that was how he would view it, made it all too real for him. He couldn’t handle it. So he bounced. He needed time away to think. He had to have some time to process the real possibility that she was the one. It wasn’t that he was worried about cheating on her or misusing her. He would never do that to her. He was worried about bringing her innocence into his decidedly non-innocent world and hope it didn’t corrupt her too.
He’d take the chance in a heartbeat if it was just about him. And usually it was. But when it came to Janita, he knew it wasn’t ever going to be just about him. It was about her. And her baby brother too. They were a package deal. But washe ready to take on that package? Would it become more like baggage for a loner like him?
But his board of directors were getting louder and louder in their opposition. Each one of them was desperately worried about the fallout from so many A-list talent refusing to agree to Hawk’s terms. And instead of working something out, Hawk was terminating their contracts outright. Which would be fine by them if it were backbenchers still in development, or old-timers still holding on by a slim threat. But Hawk was playing hardball with their top tier talent. And not just simply A-listers either, but three of the top ten streaming artists in the entire country! It was too much for their sensibilities to bear.
But it wasn’t too much for Hawk’s. “It has to always be a privilege to be a part of our label,” he said. “If word gets out that all you have to do is demand more money and I accept those demands, then we’re doomed. We’re just like everybody else. And that will never happen on my watch.”
Knocks were heard on his hotel door. More like bangs.
Who’s knocking on my door like that, he thought, as he made his way to the door’s peephole. But when he saw that it was Von, and he had a frantic look on his face, he quickly terminated his phone conversation. I’ll call you back,” he said, and ended the conference call. And he quickly opened the door. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s my sister, Mr. Hawk.”
Hawk’s heart dropped. “What about your sister?”
“Chief Donnally just arrested her.”
It seemed so wild-fetched that Hawk could hardly believe it. He frowned. “Arrested her for what?”
“Your mama’s kidnapping.”
Hawk was floored. “Whaat? Where is she now?”
“Donnally took her to jail. She told me to find you. We don’t have anybody else, Mr. Hawk.”
Hawk’s heart dropped. “Wait here,” he said as he hurried back into his suite, grabbed his phone, his wallet, and his keys, and hurried out. Then he and Von ran to the elevator.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
