No Greater Loyalty (5 page)

CHAPTER 7

"What?"
Dominick's voice turned dangerously cold. "Did you say she’s
grooming
him? He's only twelve years old."

Lucas and Hawk exchanged a veiled look. They'd both been younger than Dom's son when their father and their uncle began teaching them, their adopted brother, King, and cousin, Lorenzo, about the family business. They'd learned from the ground up, becoming familiar with the ranks of the organization from the moment they could talk. The transition from boys into men of power had been a smooth one. There had never been any question as to what route they'd take in life because the blueprint had been constructed early on. None of them had even thought about deviating from the projected path that had been set before them. It was a natural progression of how things worked in their world.

Glancing at them all, Hawk started for the door. "If you gentlemen will excuse me, I have to return a phone call that’s fairly urgent."

Lucas watched his brother leave with a slight frown then went to stand beside Dom. They both looked at the screen as the next picture materialized.

"The tentacles of the cartel stretch far, Dominick. They recruit kids as young as ten, eleven years old to carry out assassinations. Your son was all but born into the life."

Dominick's hands curled up into tight fists at the next picture. His son's face was frozen in concentration as he fired an assault weapon at an outdoor shooting range with several men standing behind him looking on. "So you're saying..."

"From what we know, Armando isn't in that deep. Yet. His other aunt, Melania and Isabella's older sister, has quite a lot of influence. Although her husband is a high-ranking lieutenant in the organization, she's kept a strong hold on her children as well as her nephew. It's important that they learn the ways of the family, but she refuses to lose them the same way she and Melania lost their older brother. For now, she's managed to limit the amount of violence they've been exposed to."

Some of the tension left Dominick's shoulders. He stared at the dozen or so pictures that flashed across the screen.
Armando
. He'd only been aware of his existence less than a day, but the desire to protect him burned fierce. Turning away from the television, Dominick asked, "How long before we leave?"

"Soon," Angel answered. "We don't want to rush into this half cocked, but the longer we sit and wait, the more time we give Melania to prepare for what I'm sure she
’s expecting to come."

Dom nodded, turning back to look at the last picture on the screen. "I agree. I'll be ready."

"That didn't go very well, did it?"

Keisha and Nikki were still in the empty dining room. Keisha paced back and forth while Nikki sat in her chair with her legs and arms crossed watching her.

"I can't believe I just did that. God, Nikki, Dominick was so angry."

"Exactly how did you expect it to play out, Keisha? You get Dom to bring you with him and then casually mention...no wait,
tell
him that you're going to sit in on the meeting the men are having. It was an ambush, pure and simple. Of course Dom was going to figure that out."

Keisha rolled her eyes to the ceiling, her expression indicating that she felt Nikki was being a bit overdramatic, but Nikki refused to gloss over the truth.

"No, really, Keisha. Did you think he would just nod like a good little boy and that would be the end of it? Sweetie, come on. You know your husband better than that."

Hearing Nikki verbalize everything out loud made Keisha wince. "Alright, alright. I guess it wasn't the best plan I've ever come up with, huh?"

"Uh, no, it wasn't."

Keisha stopped in front of Nikki. "What was I supposed to do? Huh? Sit back like an obedient wife and, what was it Dominick said,
defer
to his wishes? Girl, yes, I know my husband, but he knows me too. I've never 'deferred' to anyone in my life."

"Keisha..."

"No, Nikki, I'm serious. Look at it from my side for a minute. Not only do I find out some psychopathic bitch blames my husband for the death of her sister and is seeking revenge against him, but Dominick plans to take on a got damn Mexican cartel in order to snatch his son, who he didn't even know about, I might add, right from under their noses. Do you kind of see where I'm going with this?"

Keisha heard the thread of panic filtering through her voice, but she was powerless to stop it. Continuing her nervous pacing, she reached up and smoothed her hair back with her hands.

"On top of that, I find out that Angel has armed men planted outside our house for our protection which could only mean we're in more danger than I thought. Is that crazy or what?"

Keisha looked imploringly at Nikki, searching for some sort of validation that she wasn't losing her mind. Then catching herself, she shook her head and waved her hands in front of her as if trying to erase that last statement. "Wait, wait, wait. What am I saying? Of course it's not crazy to you. Hell, you live this nightmare of a life every freakin' day so it's probably normal to you."

Keisha sat down, her eyes pleading with Nikki. "How do you do this, day in and day out? I mean, how do you exist inside a fragile bubble knowing it could burst at any time? Constantly looking over your shoulder, scared that something could happen to you or your child...I don't think I can do that."

Nikki's eyes flickered at the mention of her son. "You know what Angel and I went through several months ago. We almost didn't make it, but I had to sit down and ask myself a lot of hard questions, one of them being if I was willing to live the rest of my life without my husband." A tiny frown momentarily turned the corner of Nikki's mouth down before she shook it off. Lifting her shoulder in a small shrug, she said, "The answer was no. It's as simple as that."

"But..."

"There are no 'buts', Keisha. That's the bottom line. Angel loves A.J. and me more than anything in this world, but just like you know your husband, I know mine. There are no gray areas for him. As far as he
’s concerned, everything is black or white. I'm not saying it’s right, but it's just the way it is."

Keisha nodded because she'd come to understand this about Angel as well.

"He made it clear there would be no in between or back and forth with us. I either accepted him and the world he was a part of...or I didn't. Once I truly understood what that meant, the decision was simple. I knew what I was getting into before I agreed to marry him. Yes, if it came down to it, I could live without him being in my life, but I don't want to. Does that make sense?"

Again, Keisha nodded. "Yes. It does."

"I'm not saying it's a bed of roses, Keisha, believe me it's not. Angel is not the easiest man to get along with."

Nikki laughed when Keisha rolled her eyes and mumbled, "That's an understatement if I ever heard one."

"I know, I know. Believe me, the strong independent woman in me rears her head often and asks me if I know what the hell I'm doing. But I had to let my guard down and release my fears. Angel's always taken care of his family; I had to trust him. Do we still butt heads? Argue? Yes. I'm not a doormat and I have my own thoughts and opinions. Angel respects that. If I disagree, I let him know, but there's a time and a place for discussions like that."

Nikki sat quietly, but leveled a direct look at her sister-in-law. Keisha suddenly became busy brushing a piece of imaginary lint off her pants until she couldn't avoid looking up at Nikki any longer.

"In other words, you're saying I handled this all wrong."

Nikki nodded. "Yes, but I think you already know that."

Keisha sighed heavily and plopped back against the soft chair. "So now what do I do."

"Talk to him, Keisha. I have a feeling you guys haven't really had a chance to do that, am I right?"

Keisha nodded.

"You have to be willing to let him in, sis. Come from behind the protective wall you've put up and tell him how you feel, how scared you are. Convince him that you trust him to take care of this, because whether you like it or not, Dom was right. The playing field is not level. Our men are a different breed from the norm. Dom will protect his family no matter what he has to do. My advice to you is to let him."

Keisha’s expression turned thoughtful as Nikki's words sunk in. It really all made sense when she put it like that.

"With the life he leads, Angel can't afford to show any signs of weakness, but with me, he knows he can trust me, let his guard down." Nikki shrugged, a smile softening her lips. "I mean, sometimes I'll just hold him. Neither one of us have to say a word, but...well..." Giving her head a little shake, she focused in on Keisha. "You get the picture."

Keisha nodded, mentally berating herself for her earlier actions. She was finally calming down and thinking rationally since they'd found out about this entire situation. And honestly, Nikki wasn't telling her anything she didn't already know. Dominick was her baby. She willingly catered to his every need, no matter what it was, and that was something she'd never done for
anyone,
but that was because he treated her like his queen.

Keisha was under no illusions about her being a spoiled brat at times, and she loved the fact that Dominick indulged her shamelessly. She smiled, thinking about something Aleesha and Jerra always said. They would shake their heads and tell her they couldn't believe she lucked out and found the only man in the world who loved her enough to put up with her bullshit.

The smile slipped from her lips an inch at a time as she thought about something else. In the three years they’d been together, Keisha had only witnessed a different side of Dominick twice. It was a side that could be very dark and intense. The first time had been when Rochelle had threatened her and Samantha. His anger hadn’t been directed towards her then, but because of her foolishness today, this time it had been. 

She looked up at Nikki, took a huge breath. "Thanks, Nikki. I'll talk to him as soon as we get home and make things right."

Nikki reached over and squeezed her hand. "Good. It'll be okay. You'll see. Now, what do you say we have another cup of coffee then go over to Jerra's house and collect our munchkins before they take over her entire weekend," Nikki laughed, reaching for the coffee pot.  

"I
’m sure we’re already too late. What do you want to bet they've already convinced her to let them stay another night?"

Nikki shook her head, "You're probably right. She's such a pushover."

"Yeah. She is."

Their stoic expressions identical, the two friends
’ eyes held for all of three seconds before they burst out laughing. If Jerra could hear them now, she'd probably curse them out because they were no better.

As they changed the subject and began to talk about other things, neither of them noticed Raven standing just outside the room listening to everything they said.

Quietly easing back so as not to attract their attention, Raven's mind raced. Her instincts had been right on the money. The moment the Pattels walked into the dining room, she'd known they and Angel were up to something. But how did Dominick fit into it all?

"Eavesdropping, Ms. Randolph?"

Raven jumped. When she swung around and spotted Hawk casually leaning against the wall a few feet away staring at her with an amused expression, she closed her eyes and swallowed the sharp retort that sprang to her lips.

Great. Hawk Pattel twice in one day. Just what she needed.

CHAPTER 8

Guilt at being caught made Raven’s stomach clench, but she was careful not to let it show on her face as she skillfully turned the question around on him.

"Adding stalking to your list of crimes, Mr. Pattel?" Raven's teeth clamped together with an audible snap when Hawk chuckled in amusement. Glancing back to make sure they weren't attracting her sister and Keisha's attention, she lowered her voice. "That's funny to you?"

"
You're
funny, Raven. Cute...but funny."

Raven scowled in distaste.
Cute?
She hadn't been called 'cute' since she was ten years old.
"And just why do you think I'm funny?"

Hawk lifted a shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. "I don't know, maybe it has something to do with the fact that I can see behind that tough exterior you like to show the world."

"Oh, really?"

"Yep." Pushing away from the wall, he slipped his hands in his pockets and took slow, measured steps that put him directly in front of her.

And it was too close for Raven's piece of mind. Although she was loathe to admit it, he made her nervous...especially the way his gaze wandered over her body as if he had a right to stare at her so intimately. As they had earlier at the table, his eyes lingered on her breasts. Determined not to show him how uncomfortable she was, she returned his scrutiny.

With him being well over six feet tall, Raven hated the fact that she had to crane her neck in order to look at Hawk. Why the hell was he all up in her personal space like this? Her eyes dropped to his mouth, momentarily distracted by the fullness of his bottom lip. Along with his high cheekbones and square jaw, the totality of his features was decidedly masculine. She would never say it out loud, but there was something extremely sensual about him. And his body was...well suffice it to say, everything about him was just...perfect.

Raven cleared her throat and dragged her eyes back to his, unaware of the frown that marred the smooth skin of her forehead. Her scowl became more pronounced when she saw him studying her with a shrewd intensity that made her even more nervous. Raven cleared her throat again and tried to remember what they'd been sparring about.

"For your information, I don't put on an act, so whatever it is you
think
you know about me? You're mistaken." She eyed him without blinking and said in a firm voice, "Now if you'll excuse me..."

"I don't think I am. Mistaken, that is," Hawk countered, completely ignoring the broad hint for him to move. "Matter of fact, I'll even go so far as to say I probably know you better than you know yourself. "

Forgetting that she had silently been giving him to the count of three to back up before she kneed him in the groin, Raven stared at him in surprise. The look on her face was priceless. Quickly recovering, her lips parted to bitingly tell him he'd lost his freakin' mind, but before she could get a word out Hawk shook his head.

Anticipating her reaction, Hawk lifted his eyebrows and pointed towards the room behind them, reminding her that Nikki and Keisha weren't that far away. Then to her utter shock, he placed a finger across her lips, silently telling her to keep her voice down.

Raven's eyes widened. Heart beating out of control, her breasts rose and fell as her breathing increased.
Why was it so hot in there all of a sudden?

Hawk lowered his head and spoke in a whisper. "See, women like you are strong, successful, and independent, right? You're used to calling the shots and being in control. I mean, in your chosen profession, you have to be. I get that." His finger slowly traced the outline of her lips. "But once you leave the office, you want to shed that tight restriction of control the same way you kick off a pair of uncomfortable heels or remove constricting lingerie, with a sense of relief."

She tried to shrink back out of reach but found she could only go so far.

Hawk placed a hand flat on the wall by her head. The finger that still rested across her mouth moved down, slowly tugging at her bottom lip until her mouth opened for him.

Hawk smiled indulgently. "Of course I don't actually expect you to admit it. I understand it's easier to stay in denial rather than take responsibility for certain...fantasies you might harbor. Deep down inside, you have a desire to please. Am I right, Rae?" Hawk removed his finger from her lip and gently smoothed the back of his knuckles down her cheek. "I think I am.  I'm going to let you in on a little secret, Raven." His lips lowered a fraction.  "The thought of you wanting to please me turns me the fuck on."

Raven gasped. To her horror, she realized she was turned on as well. Her center pulsed and throbbed to the same thundering beat as her heart. She turned her head so that his hand fell away from her skin. A noise escaped from her throat that sounded like a cross between a whimper and a hoarse, strangled groan.

"Shhhh..." Hawk's lips now hovered over the exposed curve of her neck she'd unwittingly exposed to him. "It’s okay. You don't have to admit it. That’s the beauty of this thing you and I share with each other."

A shiver vibrated through her body as his warm breath kissed her skin. "Stop," she whispered.

Hawk bit his lip. The breathless pleading he heard in her voice only served to increase the supply of blood to his penis until he sported one hell of an erection. The hand that rested on the wall curled up into a tight fist as he realized just how badly he wanted her, how badly he wanted to break through the rigid control she kept over her emotions and fuck her until she couldn't walk straight for a week.

"I don't want you to be afraid of me, Raven...at least, not
too
afraid," he corrected himself.

Raven sensed rather than saw his arrogant grin. Gathering every bit of waning strength flowing through her veins, she forced the next words to come out strong and steady. "I'm not afraid of you, you pervert."

Hawk's quiet laughter told her how much he was enjoying their encounter. "Pervert? Well, damn. I have to admit this is the first time a woman has ever called me that. A freak, maybe, and believe me they said it with a smile on their face, but a
pervert
?"

Feeling like a mouse being toyed with by a hungry cat that had just spied its snack, Raven had had enough. She didn't care who heard her, but in a second she was going to scream her got damn head off if he didn
’t leave her alone. "Get...away...from me...
now
."

Hawk hissed. "There it is," he whispered.

Confused, Raven steeled her spine and finally looked him in the eye. "There what is?"

"That fire of yours, that defiance. I love a challenge, and you are definitely that."

"Hawk..."

"Raven." He teasingly mimicked her tone and licked his lips. "A challenge as well as a newbie. Doesn
’t get any better than that."

Again, he'd managed to throw her off course. "A what?"

"A newbie. An innocent. Someone that I can train to please me in whatever way I see fit." His lips moved to her ear. "You have no idea the things I plan on doing to you, do you? Don't worry. I promise you'll enjoy it."

From out of nowhere, Raven felt a sense of panic like nothing she'd ever experienced. Maybe it was the absolute confidence she heard in his voice that boasted he always got what he wanted. Right now, he apparently wanted her.

Or maybe...maybe her panic stemmed from the way her body responded to him, responded to his words and the visions they evoked in her head. Somehow, he'd tapped into her private, most secret fantasies, ones she'd never admitted to another living soul.

But
how
? She hated him. They hated each other...
didn't they?

Raven brought her hands up to his chest to push him away, but when she came in contact with the hard muscles underneath her palms, she just as quickly pulled them back. An electric charge of awareness shot through her body and almost knocked her flat on her ass.

Hawk squinted, dropping his eyes to her lips. It hadn't been a part of his plan to take it this far yet, but damn if he didn't want to kiss her and carry the taste of her back to New York with him. Licking his own lips as if already savoring her, his head descended, intentionally taking it slow so as to give her time to back away if she wanted to.

When her lips softened in preparation, Hawk smiled. He was going to enjoy every moment of putting Angel's plan into action. Every...single...moment.

"What's going on out here?"

Hawk released a frustrated sigh when Nikki's voice flew towards them from the doorway of the dining room lashing out at him like a razor sharp whip. He heard Raven's horrified gasp seconds before she stepped around him to put some distance between them. Hawk stared at her, willing her to meet his eyes, but Raven folded her arms over her chest and ignored him as if he weren
’t there. Knowing she’d retreated back into her protective shell, Hawk bit back a curse because he’d almost had her.

However, he
’d gotten under her skin. She didn’t realize it, but she had affected him as well. Next time, he’d just have to make sure there was no one around to stop him from getting a taste of Ms. Raven Randolph.