Hawke (Protective Hero: Noble Network #2)

Chapter 7

Chapter

Seven

K inley rubbed her temples; she had a little hangover from too many glasses of wine. “I can’t believe I won. And that was an intense game to learn. Funny how I won by so many points.” She gloated her triumph, but she wasn’t a hundred percent. Hawke didn’t let her win a new game he taught her. He’d changed the rules throughout their games, but she went with it. It was nice to relax enough to let their guard down.

Kinley stretched the map across her lap. “We’re almost there.” She gazed out the window and smiled. “This is so remote and peaceful. It’s like I can finally let all the air out of my lungs.” She closed her eyes and rested her head back.

Hawke watched the wind blow through her blonde hair as it swirled and whipped around. Her lashes fluttered and her breathing softened.

“Ahhh…relax—relax,” she said under her breath. The truck swerved, and she jolted upright. They skidded to a halt.

She set her sights on Hawke.

He was looking down at the wheel. “I got distracted and took my eye off the road for just a second.” He winced. “You looked so peaceful.”

Mr. Calm, Cool, and Collected had just showed Kinley there was something worth exploring beyond his tough guy act. Kinley noticed the yellow sign over Hawke’s shoulder. “I think this is our turn. We’re close.” She grabbed the map and pointed. “Yes, it’s here. Wait. We might have passed it. Some co-pilot I am.” She played it off and kept the information for another time.

They turned onto a long dirt road. The path weaved through grand, lush evergreens and clusters of aspen trees. Once they got closer, there was an enormous gate. The metalwork insignia of Paradise Ranch was suspended over the archway, encapsulated the breathtaking Colorado scenery. An astounding cursive W towered over the center of the arch. As they passed through the gate, there were barns and an outbuilding and a pond. Kinley rolled the window down and spotted ducks. She draped herself over the door of the truck, taking it in.

“This is paradise.”

Further into the trees was a two-story A-framed house built of logs, an immense wall of glass with a second-floor deck and a stone chimney. “This is truly exceptional. Pinch me hard, this place is so much better than the last two places I’ve been. I can’t wait to see what the inside looks like.” She jumped out of the vehicle and Hawke took off after her.

He lunged at her, grabbing her around the waist, and they spun around. He wobbled to right her feet on the grass. “I need to make sure the place is secure. You don’t walk in there without me.” Hawke scrunched down to eye level and said, “This won’t work if you don’t trust me and respect the fact that I have your safety in mind. Got it?”

“Yes. I wasn’t thinking, of course.” She could feel the intensity of his smoldering gaze. He meant business.

“Exactly. That’s the part that scares me. Not thinking it through or trusting me is a no go. When you let your guard down, you can get hurt.”

Kinley nodded, realizing it had been way too long since someone had scolded her and acknowledging that he was right to do so. His softer approach was more malleable. She had been caught up in the grandeur and, in a momentary lapse, wanted to forget about being in danger. She needed to trust him with her life and let go of a bit of control. She had to. Her life depended on it. She knew all too well about letting her guard down and getting hurt. There was a sense of relief when Hawke was there. Kinley took solace in knowing he was protecting her. “I was wrong to be so reckless.” The threat was still imminent. People died. I could too.

He handed her bag to her from the cab of the truck and drew in close. He was basically hovering over her with his gun in one hand and the other wrapped around her back. Someone was inside as they approached and shouted, “all clear,” to Hawke.

He pulled her forward to the side of the house, where there was a set of stairs leading up to the bank of windows and patio door. Hawke allowed Kinley to enter first, and he followed closely. Hawke stuck his gun back in the holster and ambled forward to the two guys already inside.

Kinley recognized one of them. The other drew close and held out his hand.

“Hey, you must be Kinley Lincoln. My name is Luca.” He was extremely handsome, movie star quality, but he was not arrogant in the least. His bright smile put her at ease instantly. He pointed to Axel. “You two might have met already? Don’t worry. You’ll be sick of all of us soon enough.”

She nodded. “Yes, briefly. Or maybe the other way around. Ask Hawke. I can be a handful.” She examined him carefully to get a reaction from him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Miss Lincoln.” He raised a brow.

Kinley saw his eyes shine with a little less intensity. He lumbered forward and gave Luca a hand grip, next Axel where they did a little balboa thing then went in for a chest bump/man hug. He was in his domain. She could see they were extremely bonded.

“We’re setting up here.” Luca hitched a thumb and trudged across the great room. “Three rooms up, the rest downstairs. Might be room in a loft. Miss Lincoln can take the master; you can have that one close to all the action.”

Kinley watched the guys familiarize Hawke with the house.

“There’s enough food in the pantry to last us the week.” Hawke craned his neck looking over his shoulder. “Check this out. Better than last night’s rations.”

Kinley stepped into the kitchen, which was filled with massive wood cabinets and rich granite countertops. She walked to the best feature of the room—the floor to ceiling bank of windows. The view was spectacular. Kinley had a sensation of hovering in the treetops as if she was in her own treehouse. She surveyed the picturesque landscape. She let out a huge sigh and, along with it, the tension she carried in her shoulders. She moaned and rolled her neck. “I bet this place is beautiful in the winter. Exactly like a scene in a Hallmark Christmas show.”

The room was silent, and she spun around, not sure if anyone was still there. Three of the large and in charge bodyguards were tongue tied. The conversation stilled and, by the look on their faces, none of them had a clue what she was referring to.

Hawke cleared his throat to change directions in the uncomfortable silence. “Any word when the rest of the team will arrive?”

“I heard a few other guys were en route and Richards will park his monstrosity somewhere,” Luca replied.

Hawke clapped his hands together. “Once I get Miss Lincoln settled, I’ll be back for an update. The digs are nice. Whose place is it anyway?”

“It’s not just any safe house. Richards had some connections. He said it’s in the family and they offered it without hesitation. He’s talked to a few of them and they’re here to help in any capacity we need.”

“Great news. We will have an advantage and get this shit show over so we can all go on our way. I’ll be back.” He peered over his shoulder at Kinley. “I’ll show you to your room. If you need to rest, the space is yours. Ignore us, we can be buffoons. Tell us to shut our pie holes if we need it.”

Hawke opened the primary suite door wide; it had a king-sized bed made of logs, fitting the theme of the entire place—a Colorado mountain home with rich rusts, reds, autumn yellows and greens. A bookcase flanked each side of the window with a huge, overstuffed armchair. The primary bath had a copper tub, with separate tiled shower and ambient lighting. Her bones ached and she craved a hot soak and sleep until the afternoon sun hit the windows. But those days were never there.

She let out another deep sigh.

“What are you thinking about, counselor?”

“This place feels too good to think. I’ve been doing a lot of that lately and my brain hurts. I was daydreaming about a deep soak, a glass of wine, a good book, and a hibernation worthy of a bear.” She laughed and ran her hand along the cold tile of the bathroom countertop.

“That’s a tall order, but I might be able to get you a bottle of wine with a glass. I will leave the rest to you.”

“Sounds perfect. I need to get out of the sweats I’ve been in for two days. Maybe, I could decompress and take in my surroundings.”

“I’ll be back in a flash.” He took off out of the room. Kinley sat on the bed and awaited his return.

Hawke returned. “Here you go. You can have the entire bottle. I guess they have a wine room and they said help ourselves, so drink up. We’re usually beer drinkers when we have a chance.”

Kinley looked at the bowl beside the bottle on the tray. “Axel said these were your favorites so when the crew stocked the house, they got you all kinds. Flaming Cheetos and dill pickle cashews.” He scrunched up his face. “Really? You have an interesting palate, yet you didn’t like the chili beans. Hmmm.”

She plopped one of the Cheetos in her mouth and handed him one.

“No thanks. I’ll pass.”

“Don’t knock it until you try it. More for me anyway, so off you go. I have a long soak calling my name.” She shooed him away and locked the door.

Kinley started the water filling the huge tub, and poured herself a glass of wine, before perusing the bookshelves for a good read. She’d pass on mysteries and suspense and no books with a boogeyman. She didn’t read much for fun, most of her reading was for the law and all the long hours of paperwork. Tonight, she was reading for sheer enjoyment. Maybe a romance? The ones that seemed light were the ones with the cartoony covers. Light, funny, and romantical. She read a blurb and grabbed a handful of dill pickle flavored cashews. There was a large paisley plush robe hanging in the closet and a heaping brown bag with her name on it. It was from Ellie Winslow and Andrea Honeycutt.

The note attached said,

We hope you like a few things we picked out for you. It may not be yours, but we chose each with love and hope you find comfort in them. We hope you enjoy our family home and gain strength knowing someone is thinking of you.

Kinley stared at the note and the kindness these women had shared. During the trials she became acquainted with them and their families. Swallowing hard, she crumpled to the floor fighting the inevitable emotional onslaught, but it was moot. She sorted through the bag with everything a woman might need. She hugged the items close to her chest and wept for the first time.

Hawke sat at the computer and looked over the files Luca had collected. Each video document was chocked full with multiple surveillances of the courthouse around the timeline of the burglary. All of them would take hours to go over. They also had photos and still shots of Kinley’s place the night there was an attempt on her life.

“You know, something is itching in my gut. I can’t put my finger on it, but something’s off.”

“Partner, I’m getting that same vibe too. I’ve done this a long time and this one requires us to approach it at a different level than we were used to with CJ.”

“With CJ we came in the beginning, most we do. And though it appears like we are doing the same thing, it’s not. I think there’s something in the back story whether it’s with the Triple D’s motorcycle club case, hearings, and other litigations that involve Miss Lincoln.” Hawke crossed the room and poured a cup of coffee. “My gut says she’s an innocent, so we keep digging. We’ve only gone back a decade. I’ll do more research and see what we find. There’s only so much that shows up, we may have to get a judge to unseal a few of the files. Unless Kinley Lincoln has a few skeletons in her closet, or her family does, if that’s the direction we dig until we have answers.” Hawke blew on the hot coffee from the pot. “I’m gonna take a walk.”

Hawke exited through the patio door. Pacing the long deck back and forth, he stopped and looked out across the property. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the railing. He winced after he took a swig of the dark brew.

“This tastes like ass,” he said under his breath, then pressed his earpiece. “How’s it looking out there, boys?” The line was quiet. “I know you’re out there, so don’t act like you’re not.”

He heard a low chuckle. “Busted.”

Hawke lifted a hand, deflecting the last bit of light from his sight. He scanned the landscape. He wished he had his four tube NVG’s. “Like I didn’t know you’re our eyes. It’s standard operating procedure. And who trained you?” He loved giving them shit. Even though he was burnt, they banded together to do their jobs and share the responsibilities. He had their six and they had his.

“Hawke, all clear out here in the plains. Looking good up there. Can you send someone out with some rations later?”

“Will do. Carry on, partners.” He saluted them even though he hadn’t a clue where they were. If he was a betting man, he suspected they’d be just over the ridge about three kilometers from the west, approximately two hundred feet away. He pointed in their direction, then flipped them off.

Hawke heard in his earpiece, “Damn you, Hawke. How do you always do that without your night visions, too?”

He tapped his temple. “I’ll never tell.”

Hawke swung around and looked through the big A frame window. Kinley had joined Luca and Axel. The three of them were laughing and the conversation appeared at ease. Kinley Lincoln had presence without a doubt, she glided across the room while the two guys on his team had their tongues hanging out, drooling, and fussing over her like they’d never seen a woman before. Kinley had a relaxed look to her, one he hadn’t seen in the few days they were together. She was wearing snug blue pants he’s seen women wear at the gym and an oversized blue and white top that fell off her shoulder. She leaned against the counter and Luca offered his seat and Axel bolted across the room, offering her more wine. She declined; instead, she helped herself to a glass of water. Her light skin was bright, her cheeks rosy, either from her hot bath or the wine. Maybe that was the key to her relaxed look.

Her gaze darted this way and that. Was she looking for him? Or was she gauging the environment? If he was a betting man, Kinley Lincoln either held a few secrets or her past did; he’d get to the bottom of it. No one would penetrate the sanctity of the Noble Network Security team, even the beautiful D.A. Client or not. He stretched his neck from side to side. No one was ever going to hurt his family. He trusted her to an extent, but would not be letting his guard down. She was a purty thing, but he would not trudge the path.

He swatted at mosquitos divebombing his jugular and decided to join the rest of them inside.

He slid the glass door shut and headed toward the kitchen. He was famished. Kinley’s eyes tracked his movements but averted her gaze when he drew closer. Hawke kept in the peripheral, throwing the remainder of his coffee into the sink. “Who made this coffee? It’s like tar and giving me major rot gut.”

“More like when we made it.” Axel and Luca looked to one another. “I think it was rewarmed, more accurately.” Luca raised a can of energy drink. “I have this. I don’t need to be any more amped up.”

“I’ll say.”

“I got it.” Kinley said as she lunged for the coffeepot. Hawke did too. They were basically in each other’s space; they’d be nose to nose if there wasn’t his height advantage. She pulled on the pot and he yanked it back. “I got it.”

“Seriously, what’s with you two? I heard you were at one another’s throat from the word go,” Axel said, “Thought you would have smoothed things over.”

“I said I’d get it,” Hawke said through his teeth.

“I told you I would.” Kinley was not backing down from this tug of war.

“Neither of you are making the damn coffee. I will. Is this what we must deal with?”

“With what?” Hawke answered back.

“Too close to see it, Hawke, but from my vantage point you two are both throwing daggers at each other and acting out a war of wills. I suggest a truce.”

“Miss Lincoln, I thought we discussed this and decided we wouldn’t lock horns.”

Her chin jutted forward and she looked into his eyes. “Is that what we’re doing?” Her lips curled in a smile.

“You’re messing with me.” He leaned back, cocking his head to the side, gauging her expression. “You are.” He shook his finger at her. “You.” Hawke blew out a breath.

“You’re so easy to rile. Plus, I told you. I can do everything you can.”

“Your ego, Miss Lincoln, is getting in the way. You may need to dial it down a notch or two if this is going to work out in your favor.” He didn’t falter nor back down. Two could easily play at this game.

“Ego? What about yours?” She spread her arms wide. “It’s of epic proportions.”

“We’re not talking about my ego here.” He stepped back, crossed his arms over his chest, and spread his legs wide.

“I certainly am. Why not? I ask you.” Kinley paced back and forth.

He squinted his eyes and followed her. “Does everything have to be a cross examination? Do you have to win every argument?”

“Is that what we are doing?”

Hawke flung a towel up in the air and waved it. “You are relentless and make things harder than they need to be.”

“It’s called the dance.” She shrugged her shoulders and bit her top lip. “I’ve never been called boring.”

Hawke turned his attention to one of his teammates, who was chuckling. “Axel, was she like this when you were watching her?”

“Nope, not on my shift. I’m seeing an entirely new side of her.”

“Guess she saved all the angst for you, Hawke. What the hell did you do to her on the way here?”

“Nothing. She’s been a shank in my side the entire time. Came on like a steam roller. I think I’m being punked.” He swung around. “Is there a hidden camera or something more sinister going on?”

Kinley smirked and swayed back and forth with her fist anchored on her hip. “As I mentioned in my opening statement, you’re an easy target.”

Hawked let out a huff and went to the fridge for a cold one, then retreated through the great room and down the hall. “She’s all yours. If you need me, I’ll be going over the files and making a call to Richards.” He looked back. “Give me a signal when it’s chow time.” He directed his gaze to Kinley. “Or do you want to arm wrestle over that too, Miss Lincoln?”

“Oh no. You can fix me dinner later. I thought you’d never ask.”

Hawke growled and lumbered away. “I seriously don’t self-medicate on the job, but you are next level and it’s my best option.”