Hawke (Protective Hero: Noble Network #2)

Chapter 11

Chapter

Eleven

W hat the hell was all that about? What kind of game was Kinley Lincoln playing? Hawke tapped on the Winnebago door. “Richards, you got a minute?”

“Yeah, come on in.”

“What’s up?” Hawke closed the Winnebago door.

“I was going to ask you the same thing. Any news?” Richards leaned back in the booth style seating area.

“Jett and Luca pulled a few holding companies and a business synopsis of Kinley’s father and the family trust. We’re having Kinley inspect them and see if she has any insights.” Hawke took a seat and plopped his feet on the other side of the table where Richards was sitting.

“Good. I’m sure we will know a little more when Cade and Sutton come out here tomorrow.

Hawke jumped up and leaned on the table. “Something’s giving me an uneasy feeling. With CJ and our other cases, we went into it knowing who we were looking for and where, but this one is side-stepping.”

“Yeah, I feel ya. Even if we investigate Kinley’s family further and it turns up empty, we still must keep locked and loaded on the bike club, which makes the most sense.” Richard pinched the bridge of his nose. “I found nothing on the Escalade, and they caused a death with their involvement. None of us are any further along in finding information on the partial plates, make, model, or even the logo. What are your thoughts on Miss Lincoln?” Richards asked.

“She seems straight up, or the boss wouldn’t have assigned the mission as protection detail. She doesn’t mess around and won’t risk our cover with outsiders. The only reason she’s with us is she’s had a hit out on her. Once we get more intel, we can anticipate our next move.”

“Hawke, she’s been straight up for the years we’ve encountered her. I can’t see her being involved in any way other than doing her job as the district attorney.”

“I know, but she’s hellfire, chewing me up and spitting me out since day one.” Hawke shook his head.

“You know you love it, Hawke. You don’t go for those damsels in distress. You like them on equal ground, and you do your best when you’re in a pissing match.”

“You think you know me, Richards?” Hawke blurted.

“I do. Give me a break. I saw the way you gawked at her in the courtroom. I’m not blind. On closer inspection, I think you’re smitten already.” Richards jabbed at Hawke’s stomach. “Going soft for Kinley Lincoln?”

“Shut your pie hole. Smitten? Really?” Hawke winced, pointing a digit in his face. “Watch it, partner; we’re on the same team. I’ll keep this to myself, but if I need back up. I’ll ask Gunner his thoughts when he comes back,” Richards said.

“Shut up. I’m out of here, Richards. Lock up. You know if you need a room, you’re welcome inside.”

“I feel better hanging out here with the equipment until we get a few more eyes on the situation.”

Hawke jogged back to the house and heard rustling in the bushes, followed by movement. He pressed his earpiece. “I heard something outside. Southwest corner of the house in the bushes.” Hawke side stepped, flattening against the house, he aimed his Sig Sauer toward the movement in the bushes.

Two guards ran down from the patio, and another went around the house. One guard barreled through the greenery along with three raccoons. The trash pandas took off toward them.

Hawke grabbed a nearby plastic garbage can and dove at them, only to have the lid fly as he did a drop and roll. Hawke had his hands on his thighs, sucking air.

“Ringtails almost gave me a coronary. I’ll tell Richards to watch out for the wildlife and tell them about our bandits. I’ll lock up and take the first shift,” Hawke said as he scanned the area one last time with his high beam flashlight.

Hawke checked all the doors and shut off the lights. He flipped through Kinley’s dossier of all her cases. He was staring at the pages when he saw movement in his peripheral vision. Sneaking across the room, he hid on the opposite wall of the fireplace. The shadow moved closer, so he grabbed the assailant from behind and covered their mouth.

“Move and I’ll blow a hole straight through you.” There was no way anyone could have gotten in through any of the entrances or past the wall of bodyguards at the entrances. Hawke could tell by the way his body was responding it was his ward. Her five-foot nine-inch height and soft backside pressed against him was enough to stir the dead. “Counselor, I thought you were staying in your room, sleeping?” he whispered.

Kinley leaned further back against him, but his hand still covered her mouth. She muttered something he couldn’t understand. “I’ll lift my hand from your mouth, but you must be quiet. Not a peep.” He lifted his hand, but she didn’t move. He was getting harder the longer she stayed there. Hawke wanted to take a bite out of the creamy soft skin of her neck. “Shhh…”

She flipped around and looked into his eyes. The close proximity and the warmth sent shock waves across his skin and his cock stirred. She wrapped her hands around his waist and tucked her face into his neck.

“I’m not a nice person. You don’t want to get to know me like this.”

“You don’t get to tell me what I want.”

“You and your smart mouth.” He groaned and she placed a hand over his mouth. He bit it. He felt her buds harden under her silky night shirt. She inserted her finger in his mouth, and he suckled it. “No,” he moaned. He was at war with his thoughts, but she felt as good as he’d fantasized.

“Yes. You will do as I say.” She pointed behind him to the chair. “Now.” She stuck to him like glue, until his knees teetered and quaked with each step. She shoved him into the chair and knelt in front of him. He tried to move but she anchored her hands on his thighs. “You are not going anywhere until I say so. You will stay here.”

“Miss Lincoln, you are my ward, my responsibility. This is not a good idea.”

She nodded. “Yes, I am. And… it’s your responsibility to keep me safeguarded, right?” He nodded. “You are also to make sure I’m happy,” she said as she leaned closer.

He pulled back and winced. “I’ve never seen that in my bylaws, so that one is up for debate.”

“Okay, so I’m calling the shots right now. I want you to kiss me.” She pressed her head against his. “Do you hear me, soldier?”

He nodded, unable to form any words. Shit.

She lifted his chin and tugged at his lip. He groaned and pressed his body closer. She tugged again. Kinley licked and suckled his lips and ran her tongue in his mouth, swirling it around and around. “Kiss me, you fool.”

He wrapped his free arm around her and bit at her neck, then ravaged her mouth. Hawke thought he heard a noise from the basement. He pulled away and listened, but there wasn’t anything. “Where’s this coming from?” he whispered.

“Not a clue. I’m blindsided as you. But I don’t hate it; I quite like you a lot.” She ran her hands over his shoulder and wiggled closer.

“I take it you like to be in control?”

“I guess so. This is a first. You brought that out in me.”

“I wasn’t even trying, but I’m not against whatever this is. Tomorrow maybe, but momentarily no.” Hawke’s phone buzzed. He tried to ignore it, but the buzzing kept going. It was hampering the mood and if he didn’t get the call, they’d send someone to check on him. “I need to get this.”

“You sure?” She got up and pulled her pajama top down. Her face was flushed. He couldn’t get up because Mr. Diddilty Do Wrong was uncomfortably large and in charge in his nether region. He lifted himself from the chair and repositioned himself. Hawke moved as far as he could away from Kinley and looked at his phone. It was Richards. “Yeah, I’m here. No, I didn’t fall asleep. My phone was where I couldn’t get to it right away. What are you bothering me for?”

“You’re out of breath. You good?”

“Yup. As I said, I had to get to my phone.”

“Okay… you better work out more.”

“Shut up. What do you need?”

“Cade informed me he and Sutton will be earlier than expected. They uncovered something and wanted all of us to see it.”

“Gotcha.” Hawke forked his digits over his scalp. How could he been so foolish and let his guard down? He was her handler. She counted on him, and she wasn’t thinking straight. He’d not fall into the same trap. Hawke had witnessed too many mistakes when Gunner and CJ got together. His best friend almost got himself killed because he was all starry-eyed. He had to put a stop to this. He looked in her direction, but she was no longer standing there. Hawke paced around the living space, then next to her door, where he heard an exasperated groan. Shit . He tapped at the door, but she didn’t answer.

How could she be so bold and make a move on her bodyguard? Kinley held her hands as if they were a weighted scale, and said, “Phone call or woman begging for sex?” Rejection bounced throughout her system. Do I have a stupid stamp on my forehead? She’d never do that in the outside world. But her life was spiraling out of control. She wanted to gain her control back, feel alive, and be desired. How desperate had she become? She pressed the washcloth against her face.

Hawke was not a random guy. She had daydreamed about him long before they met after seeing him in meetings and the courthouse. She was drawn to an edge he had, something that resonated deeply within her core; she felt a need for him. Someone out of the ordinary that woke up passion she thought was extinguished forever. Being in such close proximity intensified everything. It wasn’t sex—she’d almost sworn off that—but a bubbling to the surface, a deep-seated passion, a life that colored outside of the lines of her prim and proper existence. He’d nearly knocked the breath right out of her lungs with a mere glance. Dabbing the lotion on her face she inspected her reflection.

In a world where her father controlled her and men didn’t think she was smart, she believed Hawke could possess her and she wouldn’t have to lose her strength. She witnessed it through his actions. He desired her as much as she did him, she sensed it. Her gut was never wrong when it came to body language and people, but something was holding him back. Me. Woman what are you doing? I know he wants me. I feel it. Get a grip. She tucked the covers tight under her chin and let out a sigh.

Kinley drifted asleep but woke to noise in the kitchen area, there was a loud stomping of boots jarring the floor with an array of activity. Voices boomed and laughter echoed through the walls She looked at her clock—it was six-thirty in the morning. She jumped in the shower, then slipped on a camel- colored yoga set. She gathered a matching heavy sheepskin jacket and a pair of ankle high hiking boots. She tucked the jacket over her arm and cracked open the door, gauging the environment. No one was in the living area. She looked over to the chair where the funny business had happened with Hawke. Most of the noise was downstairs, so she beelined to the kitchen, which was relatively quiet. Only one of the bodyguards was in the kitchen, stuffing his face. She rummaged through the cabinet for an insulated glass for her coffee. “Good morning. Is everyone downstairs?”

He nodded and tried to talk around his pastry-filled mouth.

She twisted on the top of her glass. “I’m going out for a walk. Can you tell Hawke I won’t be long?”

The guard jumped up and chugged his drink. He shook his head. “Wait,” he said in a barely audible voice.

He wiped his chin with a napkin and took off down the stairs as she went out the sliding glass door. She relished in the fall air and descended the steps. Kinley continued to the path near the pond to see the ducks. She whipped around when she heard Hawke yelling at her as he threw on a jacket. She was stunned to see the expression on his face. He was not a happy camper. She froze as he erased the distance.

His eyes were intense, the tick in his jaw prominent. “What the hell do you think you are doing outside, alone? How stupid!” He spat.

“What did you just say?” Kinley cocked her head.

He grabbed his head and inspected the terrain. “I said don’t be stupid and go off on your own. You’re in protective custody for a reason and sneaking out alone is not a smart move. You should know better.”

She inhaled and focused on her checklist. “First, I wasn’t sneaking out. Second, I’m not stupid. Third, I thought being here was safer.” She kept eye contact. “I’m confused. I need a rule book because I can’t seem to do anything right.” She wiggled a finger in his face, and he stepped in closer.

“That didn’t come out as it should have.”

“Why are the rules changing every two seconds? I was outside last night.”

“We were there.” She pointed to the fire pit area.

“It’s daylight and I’m getting some fresh air. It’s stifling in there with all the testosterone, for Pete’s sake.”

He anchored his hands on his hips. “You have a point. And for clarification, I’ll say this again. You never, I mean, never—leave this house without me. If I’m not affixed to your every move, you get someone else as a chaperone. If your stubborn streak shall arise, which I’m certain it will, I suggest we train you to always have a weapon on you.”

“I do.” She pulled a sparkly mace on a keyring from her pocket.

“Hell, that thing isn’t enough. You need a gun or a knife. You need to know self-defense.”

“What makes you think I don’t have a weapon?”

“Do you?”

“No. But I know self-defense.”

“You can come outside, but only on the balcony or the deck if we’re here. You just can’t wander around. That’s a hard no for me, and I won’t bend.”

She looked off into the distance. The silence stretched between them.

She dipped her chin and raised a brow. “I may have had an error in judgement, but I am not stupid.”

He reached forward and yanked his hand back. “I know you’re not stupid. I was angry. If anything happened to you, I’d never forgive myself.” He rolled his shoulders back. Hawke whistled, followed by a hand gesture to the guards nearby, they spread out. He pressed his earpiece and said, “I’ll stay with Miss Lincoln. She needs a minute.”

Hawke hitched a thumb to the other side of the pond. “Let’s walk to the bench and take a load off. and have a seat.” They headed in that direction; neither said a word. Kinley noticed Hawke scanning the surroundings. His body language was still tense.

“Do you ever tire of this lifestyle?”

“Sometimes. But it’s all I know.”

“You sure?”

“The lifestyle is all I know. I dedicated my life to the service and when I recovered, this felt right. I admit I could have used a few days before your detail, but here we are. If you think my attitude needs adjusting, I agree. I’m not a nice person most of the time.”

“You’re not all bad.” She gave him a side glance and took a sip of her coffee, handing it to Hawke. “I won’t apologize for what I did last night, but I will apologize for scaring you this morning.”

“Who said you didn’t scare me last night, too?”

She turned and smiled. “I don’t suspect you scare much.”

“Some things scare me more than other things.”

“Like what?”

“My job can be scary, but I’m good with danger and I’m careful. It’s the unexpected things that throw me off-kilter. Losing half my team in a safe zone terrified me, losing Hunter who was like my little brother. He vanished into thin air, and we’re still trying to find him.” Hawke ran his fingers across his forehead. “You shocked me, Kinley, with whatever that was last night.”

“I think you know what the birds and bees are.” She laughed and explained. “What that was, is two people who are attracted to each other. Don’t even try to deny it. What’s wrong with letting our guard down and showing one another—we’re human? We all need physical touch.”

“Yep, that part petrifies the shit out of me. I came close to losing my best friend recently after he let his guard down. He fell in love with his ward and basically died in my arms for a split second—we barely brought him back to life. I saw the horror in her eyes when that happened, but Gunner was only thinking of her and not his own safety.”

“I’m sorry that happened to CJ and Gunner, but it isn’t you.”

“Has all the potential to. No guarantees.”

“So, you’re stopping all of it before it ever starts on a what if?”

“Basically. It’s safer.”

“Who’s being stupid now?” She crossed her arms over her chest and kept eye contact.

“Not stupid, just cautious. I have a mission. My priority is to protect you, simple as that. You champion for everyone else. Let me do this for you.”

She splayed a hand across her chest. “That’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.” Kinley sat up a little taller and cleared her throat. “Have you ever wanted to throw caution to the wind? I have. That was last night. I’ve played my entire life way too safe. I’ve had a lot of time to reflect and think. I don’t want mediocrity anymore. I want to unshackle all my chains and live my best life. I want love, even lust, and laughter with a partner that accepts me for me, who doesn’t try to fit me into his idealisms of who I should be, like my father and his family did. I want a fulfilling career where I protect innocent victims touched by wrong, even at the risk of having someone try to kill me. I’ll only fight harder. I want to know that at the end of the day, I fought.”

“We’re not all that different. That’s why I will fight for you. I’m your handler and, no matter what happened last night, you are my priority.” He nudged her with his shoulder. “I will not compromise on your safety.” He curled his hands into fists.

“I won’t come to you again. Rejection sucks. Plus, I understand what you’re saying. I’m asking someone to not change me. I could never live with myself if I tried to change who you are at your core. Our timing is wrong, and you have a job to do, and I need to follow your rules for now. I’ll make a deal with you—no pressure. Someday down the road, or in another lifetime, if you ever come to me, I want all of you. Every single bit. All your crazy. If you decide to pass, I wish you well, and maybe a little part of me will fantasize about what could have been. I won’t wait long.” She extended her hand. “Until then, respectful friends and I won’t give you too hard of a time.”

Hawke opened his mouth and snapped it shut. Repeated the action again as if he wanted to say something. He was a man of conviction; he was wagering his own battle and wanted this conversation to be over with. He shifted on the bench. “I’m sure you will give me plenty of shit, and I’ll go head-to-head with you any day.” He gave her a shake of the hand. “Are we done here?”

“I have said what I wanted to say, and respectfully, you have as well. I expect nothing more.” She rubbed her arms and stood. “Brrr, it’s chilly.”

“Let’s get you inside. It’s supposed to storm tonight and we have work to do. The DEA agents are inside—you remember Cade and Sutton?”

“Who could forget them? That last hearing was something off the World Wrestling show.