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Tears well up in my eyes. “What?” I question because I just can’t believe it. I shake my head. “No.”
Ice turns to Lucas, kneels on one knee in front of him, and says, “Hey buddy, would you like a snack?”
“Yeah!” Lucas replies. He turns to me. “Mama, can I have a snack?” I nod.
Ice stands up and looks at the guy by the door. “Reb, can you take him out to the bar and get him some pretzels or something?”
He doesn’t answer Ice, but turns directly to Lucas, holds out his hand, and says, “Snack duty, here we come.”
Lucas happily walks out with him, and Ice and I are now alone.
He opens his desk drawer and pulls out a bottle of Makers and two shot glasses. He pours the liquor and then hands one glass to me. “You’re gonna need this,” he says as I take the glass from him. He holds up his glass and says, “To Hawk,” and then downs it.
I drink mine but can’t drink the whole thing cause it burns. But eventually, I get it all down.
He laughs. “You drink bourbon like my wife.”
Damn, Ice married. A lot has happened in the last five years.
“We were in New York helping a family friend. A psychotic drug cartel leader kidnapped his wife, and between the Vitalis and my club, we rescued her. The only casualty was Hawk. He took a bullet that was meant for me.”
At the mention of the Vitali name, the old scared feelings resurface. But I remain calm, because I know now that once I leave this club today, it will be for good.
“Did he suffer?” This was not how I had hoped things would end for Hawk and me.
“He lingered for a day, said his goodbyes and get his affairs in order.” The tone in his voice changes. “I think your disappearance hurt him more. What the fuck, Sam, what were you thinking?” he yells.
I really should explain and tell him the truth. “Remember the night I left; you all were entertaining the Vitalis?”
“Yeah, what about it?”
“Ice, I had no intention of ever leaving Hawk. In fact, I got off work early so I could come over here and tell him I was pregnant. But then he introduced me to Michael Vitali, and I got scared.”
“Why on earth would you fear someone you had just met?”
“Because my father worked for the Vitali family years and years ago. He copped out on a job, and the family was afraid he knew too much. My whole family disappeared that night, changed our names, and to our friend and family in Olean, we were dead.. But to us, no place was ever home again. We were constantly on the run. When my father and mother passed away, I still never felt safe. So, I continued to run. I really believe that I had found a place where I would be safe, here with you all and the club. And then Michael Vitali showed up.” I wipe the tears from my cheeks. “I loved Hawk and wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.”
“Why didn’t you tell him all this?”
“I was afraid. They were your friends. I didn’t want to have the club choose.”
“You foolish girl, this could have had a much better outcome, and my brother just might still be alive today if you had only been honest with him.”
“I know. I realize that now. He was a good man. Solid and loyal, and I treated him as if he and his feelings didn’t matter. I was selfish. I should have told him everything.”
“Damn straight; you should have.” He rakes his hand through his hair. “So I assume the little boy out there is his son?”
“Yes,” I say between sobs.
He gets up from his chair, hands me a box of tissues, and walks out the door. I sit in his office for several minutes and then finally pull myself together. Stepping out into the common area, I find Lucas sitting at the bar. Ice, Spike, the guy named Reb, and another guy I don’t know are entertaining him. He’s laughing and smiling. He’s such a cheerful boy.
I walk up to the bar.
“Hey, mama, did you meet all my uncles?”
I smile. “Yes, sweetheart, most of them.”
Just then, Reb steps forward and introduces himself, and the other guy, Sainte, does the same. I let them spend about an hour with Lucas, and then I say, “We really need to be going.”
