Hawk (5 page)

Grayson walked into the meeting room, saving him from further thought, and pulled out one of the fourteen chairs surrounding the table. His VP looked as if he hadn’t had much sleep. He brushed his overlong bangs from his eyes and leaned back in his chair, his booted feet kicked out in front of him. He stretched his long arms overhead before crossing them behind his head. His white teeth flashed against his red lips as he yawned. “So what’s with calling a church meeting so damn early?”

“It’s after noon, Gypsy.”

“Well, some of us prefer to sleep until dusk.”

“We have two brothers who need a proper send-off.”

“Which could’ve waited until nightfall. Not like they’re going anywhere.”

“You’re such an ass, Gypsy.”

The VP grinned at Kaleb, telling him that he only jested.

“Viper’s on his way home.”

“No, shit. That detective bitch take off her reins?”

Kaleb chuckled. “I’m betting those tethers are tighter than ever.”

“How so?”

“I’ll save that for when the rest of the guys get here to keep myself from having to repeat it. So who was the little blonde from this morning?”

Grayson shrugged. “Shel. Met her at the Rave last night. After what happened … I needed a release. She followed me home.”

One of Kaleb’s brows tipped up. Grayson regularly had the company of two women. Kept them from getting all territorial, he had said. “Just one?”

His bright blue eyes twinkled in humor. “You ever have a cat fight in your bed?”

Kaleb chuckled. “No, can’t say that I have.”

“Last two bitches I brought home cut loose on each other. Fists were swinging, claws were out.” Grayson shook his head. “I couldn’t get them out of my bed quick enough. Seriously, who cares who gets the first ride? There’s plenty of me to go around. Much less drama when only one bitch is involved anyway, and easier to send them on their way.”

“So what’re you saying? You turning a new leaf, Gypsy?”

“Hell no. I’m too much vampire for just one woman,” he said with a wink and a large smile as the front door opened to the clubhouse and booted footfalls announced the arrival of more of their brothers.

Silence descended about the large open room as the remaining brothers filed in, taking their place at the table. Three chairs remained empty. That of one of their fallen brothers, along with Kane and Ion’s. Kaleb knew it was time to bring some prospects onboard. They couldn’t have their number dwindling. Problem was, their last prospect just lost his head. Time to make growing their numbers a priority.

The men sat about, sullen faces telling the nature of the called meeting. Not a one was happy about last night’s events. Besides finding prospects, they had a primordial to hunt down. The sentence for taking two of his men’s heads had yet to be determined. Kaleb raised the gravel and struck the wooden strike plate as all eyes trained on him.

“I called this meeting for a few reasons. First and foremost, to send-off our fallen brothers. We need to ash their remains and scatter them among the winds at midnight.”

Kaleb laid both their cuts, the leather vests with arms cut off that sported their MC colors, on the table. He took out his hunting knife, flipped it open and proceeded to cut off the back rockers and remaining patches. The vests with the center death skull would remain on them as the bodies went into the pyre.

“I think it goes without saying that we are losing numbers. First Ion, now Wheezer. And of course Red Dot as a prospect. Viper’s been MIA. I think it’s time we bring up some of the hangarounds as prospects. We need strength in the Sons. Agreed?”

The vote traveled about the table, one aye at a time without a single nay. Kaleb slammed his gavel down again. “Then it’s decreed. In a couple of weeks, we will return for another vote. For those of you who know and approve of a hangaround, bring their name to the table. If you agree to sponsor them, we’ll put it to a vote. We’ve lost two members and a prospect, not to mention Viper losing his voting rights. I think we could add three or four new prospects at this time. Agreed?”

Again, the vote traveled the table without a single nay. Kaleb struck the plate with the gavel again. “Third order of business, we have another primordial running loose in the States. We have no idea of what their business is here, but I have an idea that they aren’t done by a long shot. They missed when they took out Wheezer and Red Dot. I believe that their real target is me, and they won’t stop until they accomplish what they’ve set out to do.”

Anton “Blondy” Balan was the first to speak up. “You think it’s because of Alec Funar, that you killed an ancient?”

Kaleb nodded. “We all know that killing a primordial is against vampire rules, Blondy. I’m not above that law.”

“But the son of a bitch would have killed our Pres.”

“I’m not entirely sure that’s true,” Kaleb said with a heavy sigh. “Yes, he was out to kill the detective, but killing Viper wasn’t something we were positive of. I alone made the decision to take his head. I don’t regret that choice. But no one should have to pay for my actions.”

“I still think the son of a bitch deserved what he got. You don’t come after one of the Sons or our families and not suffer the consequences,” Alexander said. “We protect our own, the same way they do. No difference. I say we take this son of a bitch’s head like you did Alec’s.”

“I happen to agree, Xander. But it deserves a vote. If you all don’t concede, then I alone will answer for my actions.” Kaleb glanced around the table, making eye contact with each of his brothers. “We take it to a vote.”

Each man, keeping their focus on Kaleb, delivered an aye, leaving no doubt that their allegiance was with him. Kaleb was humbled by their decision. He slammed the gavel down again. “Then we have a unanimous decision to track down and eliminate this piece of shit.”

Hollers, praise, and fist pounding rose about the room to a deafening level before Kaleb slammed the gavel to regain order. “I still have a couple of minor items to bring to the table and then we’ll call the meeting adjourned and take care of our fallen.”

Kaleb once again gained the attention of every man present. “Viper is coming home.”

Murmurs arose again at the news, not every word positive. He knew some of his brothers held grudges with their former president for not only breaking sacred club rules and turning Cara when claiming her as a mate was out of the question, but for disappearing with nary a word following his light sentencing the club handed down as a result.

When all talking ceased, Kaleb said, “He’s been in Italy the past six months.”

“What the fuck is he doing in Italy?” Grigore “Wolf” Lupie asked.

“He went to speak to Mircea III, Vlad’s brother, Wolf. Mircea’s the only one who could put an end to his mating with Rosalee, if the vow could indeed be broken. My brother loves Cara, that much is obvious.”

“And?” Grayson asked.

“He was granted the annulment. Viper is now mated to Cara.”

Silence descended about the room. Kaleb ran a hand through his hair, further disheveling it. He couldn’t make the men at the table forgive Kane. His brother needed to earn back their respect on his own. Alexander broke the silence first with a slow clap of his hands, followed by several others in unison, though not all followed suit.

Alexander said, “Rosalee didn’t deserve our former pres. If Viper is mated to the detective, then I say Cara is now one of our own.”

Kaleb nodded. “And as such, we will protect her and treat her with all due respect. Agreed?”

Kaleb grit his teeth, fearing the vote not going in Kane’s favor. But instead the vote traveled the room without a single nay. He let out his breath, feeling the relief that came with Kane and Cara’s acceptance. Kaleb had one last thing that needed voiced before he and his crew set about ashing his MC brothers’ remains.

“Then the meeting is adjourned until we reconvene for a vote on potential prospects.”

But before he allowed his brothers to stand and quit the room, Kaleb raised his hand and stayed their positions. “One final thing that I would ask of you, my brothers, before we set out to lay Wheezer and Red Dot to rest—Suzi Stevens.”

“What of her?” Grigore asked.

“I’m sure most of you know her.”

Several at the table nodded, some with sly grins that rankled Kaleb’s ire. He shook off the little green-eyed monster that tried to take root. “She’s my personal donor.”

“You staking your claim, Hawk?” Anton asked.

“No, Blondy.”

“Then what exactly are you saying?”

“She retired herself from being a donor six months ago. Let’s just say I took her out of retirement.”

“Then you’re fucking her,” Grayson said.

Kaleb glared at his VP, a muscle ticking in his cheek. “No.”

“So what you’re saying is she’s still open game. We just have to keep our fangs to ourselves,” Grayson continued.

Kaleb’s nostrils flared in his rising ire. To hell with what his brothers thought of his actions or his demands. He was the president, and as such he was allowed to make such an outlandish request. Usually donors were only forbidden from other club members if a Sons claimed them as an old lady.

“Suzi Stevens is off limits. No one touches her, no one feeds from her. To do so means you’re willing to suffer my wrath.”

Without another word or waiting for further reaction, Kaleb turned and exited the meeting room, slamming the door behind him. He had made the decision not to share her. He didn’t want any of his brothers feeding from his donor so that when he needed nourishment, she’d always be available to him. It had nothing to do with his messed up desire to fuck her. Hell no. If he ever gave into that desire, he’d need his own damn head examined.

Chapter 5

Suzi strolled through the DVD isle of the mom-and-pop grocery store that Tamera’s parents owned in Pleasant, picking up videos and reading the jackets as she went. She held one up and smiled. “We have time for two tonight? Channing Tatum has all the right moves in this one.”

Her roommate smiled. “You take Channing. I personally like Joe Manganiello.”

“Was there really a bad dancer in the movie?”

Tamera laughed. “Yes, and I don’t think I need to say who.”

The sound of a Harley Davidson drew Suzi’s attention away from the conversation as they both looked up from the
Magic Mike
jacket and peered out the large front window. A red and white sale poster, announcing ground beef at a bottom dollar low price, kept them hidden from view of the other side as they glanced around it. A bright red Sportster backed into an angled parking lot just outside the store. Suzi watched as Grayson kicked down the center stand, cut the engine, and swung a leather-clad leg over the bike’s black leather seat. He unsnapped his skull cap, then hung it from the handlebar. Dark shades hid his eyes from view. The vampire took a quick glance around at his surroundings before turning and heading for the entrance to the store. A bell rang over the door as it opened. Grayson stepped into the cooler interior, pushing his rich brown hair back from his face and placing his sunglasses atop his head. The day had been unseasonably warm as they headed into the spring of the year, though Suzi wasn’t one to complain. She hated the cold months of winter.

Clutching the Blu-Ray jacket to her chest, she watched the VP of the Sons make his way past them. With any luck, the biker would get what he came for and be on his way without noticing their presence. After last night with Kaleb, she wasn’t in the mood to see any of the Sons today. But good fortune wasn’t on her side as he turned his head and glanced in their direction.

“You think he knows we’re donors?” Tamera whispered as the biker took a left and made his way through the aisles, heading toward them.

Suzi stifled a laugh. She had been a donor for far too many years for any of the Sons not to know of her, or at the very least recognize her. She’d probably fed nearly all of them at one point or another … some of them several times in fact. This one, though, had been a rarity. She could only recall feeding him a time or two. But it was pretty likely that there were those who didn’t yet know her roommate since Tamera was still young and fairly new to the society.

Grayson stopped just shy of them and gave a nod in greeting. His gaze went from Suzi’s to the movie she clutched at her chest then to Tamera, where it held long enough to show interest. His gaze traveling back to the Blu-Ray, he plucked it from Suzi’s clasp and turned it over, looking at the front. His full lips turned up in amusement before handing it back. Suzi quickly replaced on the shelf.

One dark brow lifted. “You two looking for entertainment?”

“What do you want, Gypsy?” Suzi asked, gritting her teeth. He certainly knew how to take the fun out of their evening. The last thing she had wanted was to be standing there having a conversation with any of Kaleb’s MC brothers.

“I was commenting on your decision.” His hand indicated the Blu-Ray she returned to the shelf.  “I’m betting I have moves that will rival any of those in that movie.”

“Seriously?” Suzi groaned, rolling her eyes. “You did not just say that.”

His smile widened. “I’m just saying … you could have the real thing.”

“Not in this lifetime, Gypsy. Why not head for the Rave? I’m sure there are plenty of girls out there who would fall for your cheesy pickup.”

He ignored her jibe, not offended in the least, and glanced at Tamera. “Who’s the redhead?”

Tamera stepped eagerly forward, appearing way too happy to meet the one biker, in Suzi’s opinion, she should stay away from. Suzi knew Grayson’s reputation with the ladies. One woman never seemed to be enough for the vampire.

“Tamera Cantrell,” she said, eagerly sticking out her hand which Grayson took to his lips. But instead of kissing the back, he turned her hand over and slowly licked a path up her palm.

“My pleasure. You—”

“Oh please, Gypsy.” Suzi grumbled, not about to allow him to take advantage of her suddenly dumbstruck roommate. She definitely needed to have a conversation with Tamera on which Sons to avoid at all costs. The VP topped that list. “Move along already, Gypsy. It’s obvious we have better things to do than entertain you.”

The vampire flashed Suzi another heated smile, his fangs slightly extended. “Sweetheart, I’m talking to Ms. Cantrell.
You
are obviously spoken for.”

What the hell did he mean by that? At first she thought he referred to the solitaire on her hand, but it hadn’t been Suzi’s hand that Grayson had just French kissed, giving him far too much credit that he would pay attention to detail.

“What do you mean?”

Grayson turned to Suzi. “I really don’t have time to party, ladies. I have a couple of fallen brothers I need to help put to rest and the sun is starting to descend. So if you’ll excuse me, I need to get the fifths of whisky I came for and be on my way.”

Suzi grabbed his forearm, stopping Grayson from retreating. No way was she letting him off the hook that easy. He had brought up the part about her being spoken for, so he wasn’t leaving without an explanation.

“What do you mean I’m spoken for?”

Grayson’s smile reached his eyes, seemingly humored. “You don’t know that the P’s claimed you, sweetheart?”

“What the hell are you talking about? I belong to no one, leastwise Hawk.”

“Then maybe it’s Hawk you need to be having this conversation with. He’s made it perfectly clear that you’re off limits.”

“Of all the—”

“Take that up with the pres, sweetheart,” he said with a wink before turning back to Tamera. He reached out and trailed his forefinger down her jaw. “I’ll catch up with you later, doll.”

Tamera stared in Grayson’s wake, her curiosity and attraction clearly written in her expression. She looked like a schoolgirl with a crush. Too bad Suzi had to be the one to let her roommate in on why Grayson “Gypsy” Gabor was so not the guy you crushed on. Grayson was far worse than Kaleb when it came to women. Oh, he loved them all right. Too much was his problem. Rarely was he seen with only one girl on his arm. Hell, he had a posse of women at any given time. She supposed his Hollywood good looks had a lot to do with it, that and his hundred-watt smile.

“He’s—”

“Don’t even start, Tamera.” Suzi shoved the movie they came for into her roommate’s arms. “I don’t even know where to start with all the reasons Gypsy is all kinds of wrong for you.”

“Why?” Her brows knit together over the bridge of her nose, clearly annoyed that Suzi would think to dictate who she should stay away from. “Who’s he right for?”

“Let’s just say no woman.”

“Is he spoken for?”

“Well … no. Not that I know of anyway.”

A smile returned to Tamera’s lips. “Then that’s good news for me. Maybe I’ll head to the Rave—”

Suzi blew out a steady breath. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“I hardly believe he can be that bad.” Tamera headed for the checkout with two bottles of merlot and their movie.

Suzi tossed a large bag of popcorn into her cart along with several other items they were getting low on, then met Tamera at the checkout counter. She hugged her mom and thanked her as Suzi began placing the items on the conveyer belt.

“You taking good care of my daughter, Suzi?”

“Of course, Mrs. Cantrell.”

She smiled widely, kissed Suzi on the cheek and said, “I’m glad she has you living in the townhouse with her. Otherwise, her father and I would worry something fierce.”

Thanks to Tamera’s parents owning the place, Suzi got a great price on the rent. Half the price of what it would cost her anywhere else. “Really, it’s you and Mr. Cantrell that deserve my thanks.”

“Nonsense, dear. Now you two have a great night. I have paperwork to get back to.”

Tamera brushed her mom’s cheek with a kiss before the older woman left the checkout area for the back of the store with a final wave. Suzi could see where Tamera got her stunning looks from. Her mother’s bright red hair piled high on her head, and she didn’t look a day over thirty-five even though the woman had just celebrated her forty-ninth birthday.

Items sacked and back in their cart, the two headed for Suzi’s red Neon. By the position of the sun, it looked like they’d make it back to the townhouse just before it got dark. Suzi thought of Kaleb and Grayson’s ridiculous statement that she belonged to Kaleb or that he had somehow claimed her. He had made himself perfectly clear the night he had fed from her. But if he thought for one minute that meant she was off limits to other men, he had a rude awakening coming. Maybe it was time to see if she could turn the tables and make the arrogant ass jealous.

“The movie and wine tonight are compliments of Mom,” Tamera said as she helped load the groceries into the car.

“You’ll have to thank her for me.” Suzi shut the trunk, then walked around to the driver’s side and climbed into the car.

Once they were both seated, Tamera looked at Suzi as she turned the key and started the engine. “Is Gypsy really all that bad?”

Suzi put the car into reverse and backed into the road, before sliding the gearshift into drive and heading toward home. “Let me just put it this way, Gypsy likes his women.”

“That’s not a bad thing, Suzi.”

“It is if he likes them more than one at a time and you’re not into that kind of thing. Are you?”

Tamera shook her head. “Not that I’ve ever tried it. But I’m not sure I’d want to share my man.”

“Then Gypsy is definitely not the man for you.”

She appeared to mull over what Suzi had to say as she stared out the front window for several long moments. Finally she said, “Then maybe he hasn’t met the right woman yet.”

“Maybe.” Suzi chuckled. “But then again, I’ve known him for over ten years and the right woman hasn’t come along yet. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Tamera nodded, then focused on the road, remaining quiet the rest of the way home. Suzi felt bad for squashing the younger woman’s crush. After all, what right did she have to comment on matters of the heart when her own love life couldn’t be more screwed up? Suzi sighed. Two more days and Kaleb would come looking for her if she didn’t show up at the Rave. That gave her two days to come up with a fake fiancé. Possibly one who would turn him green with envy.

* * *

“You said what?” Kaleb asked. A small chuckle erupted before turning into full-blown mirth.

His MC brother never failed to amuse him, even after something as gut wrenching as ashing their brothers. Nicolas and Steven wouldn’t have wanted them to mourn their loss so much as celebrate their life, and the MC had been standing around the makeshift alter, turned pyre, in the back lot of the clubhouse. To all passersby, it looked like a rowdy bunch, passing a whiskey bottle around and sharing war stories. Those who saw and thought as much wouldn’t have been far off in their thinking, except for the detail of their comrades’ ashes scattering amongst the wind.

“It’s a wonder you even get laid, Gypsy.”

Grayson shrugged and joined in the humor. “You’d be surprised what bad pickup lines get you.”

The two shared a twelve-pack as they now kicked back in the clubhouse’s main living area, following the send-off. The rest of the MC brothers had retired hours earlier as the sun had long ago risen. But not before toasting to the brothers they would miss and vowing revenge on the guilty. The Sons had stood in the brisk night air knocking back the amber liquid, feeling the burn until the wee hours of the morning and every last drop of whiskey had been consumed.

Now, several hours later, still not yet ready to call it a day, Grayson and Kaleb sat on the worn sofas, feet propped on the scarred center table, rehashing the day over the last of the beers.

Grayson took a pull from his longneck, then looked at Kaleb thoughtfully. “So what’s with Suzi Stevens’ engagement ring? You didn’t tell me she had a fiancé.”

Kaleb’s humor quickly died and the smile shed his face as anger began a slow burn in his gut. It irked him that Suzi had any affect on his mood at all. He was supposed to loathe the ground she stood on. He’d do well to remember how she had reacted to his nephew’s death. Most women in her position would’ve fallen to pieces. But not her. Suzi had stood toe-to-toe with him, blue eyes locked on his without showing an ounce of compassion as if he had just told her nothing more significant than supper had been placed on the table. She had politely thanked him and walked away. No, Suzi Stevens was a cold-hearted bitch who had ice running through her veins, no matter how she claimed to have mourned in private. Kaleb would stake his reputation on his belief that she hadn’t.

“What the fuck are you talking about, Gypsy? What ring?”

“The one she wears on her left hand, dude. Are you fucking blind? It has to be a carat at the very least.”