Hawke (Protective Hero: Noble Network #2)

Chapter 12

Chapter

Twelve

H awke stretched his neck from side to side until it popped. Kinley was a smart one and intuitively gifted . She’s right, the timing was off. We both knew it. But why did he feel a twinge of disappointment at the outcome? They walked to the house, keeping the conversation at surface level with small talk. When they entered the living area, Richards was stoking a fire.

“The temperature is dropping tonight, so I’m bunking in here. I’ve spent enough cold nights in that Winnebago. Besides, we need to talk strategy. No pun intended. Cade and Sutton have a couple of things to go over, but they need to get back to Solemn Creed before the temperature drops. The roads get slick up here.”

Hawke took Kinley’s coat and hung it on a nearby rack. She warmed herself by the fire, kicked off her boots, and grabbed a small blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around her shoulders. Two of the team members, with Cade and Sutton, came up from the makeshift command center in the downstairs area.

“Sorry to bust out of the meeting.” He hitched a thumb in Kinley’s direction. “Kinley, you know these guys, don’t you?”

She hopped up from the couch. “Yes, nice to see you again.” She extended her hand for a shake. Hawke noticed Sutton pouring it on thick with Kinley and he sensed an unfamiliar pang raising his blood pressure. He flinched and muscles in his neck stiffened. He stepped between them and gave Sutton a fixed stare. Sutton was a ladies’ man, and she was not about to be another conquest. Even if she wasn’t his, he’d be overly protective. That part was a no brainer.

Cade stepped closer. “Hawke, there was an attempt made on the biker recovering in the hospital. Someone came in last night and threatened the guy. The nurse walked in while they were trying to feed him a pillow sandwich. We have guards set up outside of his room and somehow got by. He described the guy, and we have some video, but he’s dodging the camera. Tough to get a good visual.”

Kinley studied the printed sheets of the video surveillance and grabbed it from them. “I recognize him. He was the one at my apartment complex. The one with the amber-tinted frames.”

Hawke interjected, “Let me see.” He held the paper close and went for the one they had on the kitchen table. “It’s the same guy. Good one, Kinley.”

“We don’t think he was trying to hurt her?” Hawke scratched his head and handed the paper to Cade.

“This guy was also the one in the Escalade,” Cade said.

“He was trying to protect me, and I can’t think otherwise. My gut’s usually spot on.” Kinley said with conviction.

“Whether he was protecting you instead of harming you, we don’t know for certain, but it sounds more like they have a vendetta with the motorcycle club or whoever is after you. We need to take a broad view of the situation.” Hawke cracked his knuckles and leaned against the counter, watching Sutton’s expression. Something had changed, and he didn’t like the direction it was heading.

“All we need to do is make some noise and let everyone know the D.A. is somewhere and we pounce. Flush out the threat.” Sutton marched back and forth, shaking a finger around like it helped him think better.

“Oh no you don’t!” Hawke stomped forward and his voice echoed, “you are not using Kinley as a pawn. Flush out a threat, my ass.” He flung eye darts at the group. “I don’t like it. It’s not safe. Anyone could be out there and all they need is one damn shot.” Hawke’s demeanor changed, and his voice boomed louder. “Miss Lincoln is my responsibility and I’m not giving you permission to risk her life. That would be ludicrous.”

Kinley stepped in front of Hawke. “What if I wanted to do it?”

“You can’t be serious.” He got up close and personal, towering over her.

She shrugged her shoulder. “What if I am? I can’t live my life in fear.”

“Do you have a death wish?” He couldn’t believe he was hearing this come out of her mouth. What is she thinking? I must convince her, somehow, not to be so reckless . He had to stop this. “These people have a different agenda. You won’t have a life to even live. What if the Triple Ds catch wind of where you’re at and take revenge for their buddies who just died?” He raked his hands through his scalp.

She focused on Cade and Sutton. “I’ll do it, but on one condition. I want Hawke to talk to his boss first. She’s the one who took me on, so she’s far enough from this situation to have perspective. I trust her and she knows her Noble Network Security team.”

“You’re all insane,” he said with disdain. “That isn’t how this works. I’m the lead handler on this mission. It’s my show. But I’m betting on the boss to call this off. I’ll do what you ask, but I’m not on board with this catastrophe.” Hawke tromped into his room. He was beyond pissed. Normally he wouldn’t be this irate, but they were talking about Kinley. His logic flew out the window when she walked into his. One wrong move could change everything. For her. For him. He sat on the bed and called his boss.

“Miss Galena, it’s Hawke. I need you to talk Miss Lincoln off the ledge.”

“What’s going on?”

“The DEA and most of the team think it’s a good idea to put Kinley Lincoln as bait to draw out whoever is interfering in our case. Someone attempted to scare the injured Triple D in the hospital.”

“It’s not standard protocol, but I think it’s a workable power play. You’ve expressed your concerns and I trust your instinct and knee-jerk reactions. Jeffrey called me last night and told me he thinks this isn’t just us against the bike club. Now the DEA is involved and there’s more to it. We have their support. I’ll deploy more handlers. I have a new financier and I can call on them. We keep our position neutral and set whoever this is up in our crosshairs. We have the capacity to end this.”

“I want to set the record straight. I’m not in full agreement. We don’t know the threat. You’re the boss and your orders I’m obligated to adhere to. I trust your judgement. But I don’t understand why you’re not trusting me. I know what’s best for the safety of my ward.”

“Oh, but I do, wholeheartedly. We’re so close. Don’t you want her out of peril?”

“Yes, until the next whacko goes after her.”

“Hawke, if I didn’t know better, I think you’re more worried about Miss Lincoln than the mission itself.”

“Aren’t they one and the same?”

“Sometimes, but I’ve known you a long time, and this is a side I’ve never seen before. Let me make a few calls and I’ll see what I can do to decrease the risk for all of us and Miss Lincoln. I’ll call you right back.” Hawke paced the bedroom, trying to come up with a way out of this. Maybe he was too close to the situation. Was he thinking as clearly as he could? A decision this big, had to come from the boss. Someone tapped at his door.

“Come in.”

Cade leaned against the doorjamb, his lips in flat lines and worry etched his face. “Hey bud, I wish I could say there was another way around this. You know how I feel about this entire mess. I blame myself enough. If it wasn’t for Barry Ryder, the drugs, and everything else he’s touched over the years, Lincoln wouldn’t be involved. She’s one of the good ones.”

“That’s not on you, Winslow, and that guy is no more you than I’m Tony the Tiger. Barry Ryder lost his right to call you his son when you were six, and the vile things he’s done since is all on him. But people have died and Ryder with his posse almost killed CJ and Gunner, now there’s a threat to Kinley.”

Cade sat on the bed next to Hawke. “Hear me out. I’m not one hundred percent convinced this is all on the Triple D bike organization. We have almost all of them dead or in prison. Maybe there’s a straggler or two, but this is something else entirely. We must make sure it isn’t another bike club trying to gain control. Who knows? It could be someone who has a score to settle. We owe it to ourselves to let this play out.”

“I agree. Something deep in my gut says there’s someone else pulling the strings. I’m looking into it. This could bring out all the crazies.” Hawke’s phone vibrated. “This is the boss calling back. She’s leaning in this direction too. Kinley doesn’t have any experience in this sector, and she could get hurt or killed.”

“Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“It better not, or there will be hell to pay.”

Kinley was sitting with Sutton at the kitchen table when Hawke tromped from his bedroom. As Hawke drew close, his expression was stoic, the crease between his furrowed eyebrows deepened. His gaze was turbulent, his steps were heavier, and the tic at the corner of his mouth twitched. She ran her hands across her leggings. “This doesn’t look promising,” Kinley said under her breath.

His voice was a deep growl. “You can say that again.”

Kinley gulped air, stopping mid- breath when his penetrating gaze shot through her like a laser beam. He had never been Mr. Sunshine, but this was an entirely new level of intensity. She quaked in her seat, not fearing him but what was to come, realizing the massiveness of the situation and her part in it.

“Miss Lincoln, you asked for your debut part in our next scenario. I hope you’re ready.” He leaned against the counter and eyeballed his team and the DEA agents. “Let’s go downstairs and get a plan in motion.”

Kinley grabbed for his arm, but he slid out of her grasp. “I’m sorry.”

“Too late for that.” He pointed a finger at her and paused. “Never mind.”

She shifted in front of him. “Stop.”

He closed his eyes and stretched his head back, brushing a hand over his chin. “What is it?”

“I’m sorry for my part in what is making you so angry, but you must understand why I’m doing this.”

“Can’t say I do. Are you na?ve?”

“Haven’t heard that description before, but maybe I am in this situation. Enlighten me.”

“This isn’t a joke; your antics feel like a double-cross. I’ve told you the severity of this and as much as I hate it, I’m bound to my duty and protecting you through it all.”

Kinley wrapped her arms around her mid-section. “I didn’t double cross you. I’m attempting to regain my life. I’m in a flight or fight situation and I thought you would understand.” She huffed and stroked her neck. “You can walk away anytime, Hawke. There are enough people here to do the job without you if you are so conflicted,” she said with more snark than she had intended.

“Now you’re just hitting below the belt. I have a contract to fulfill, and you know I can’t walk away from my obligation. It’s not in me, especially when your security is concerned.”

Ryker shouted up the stairs. “Enough already. Chillax, you two need to stop. You’re as bull-headed as the other. We have a mission, so put all this aside and get in the game.”

“You’ll need a lot more than us. It’s the sickos out there after you and let’s be real. Even if we do our best, have a strategic plan, we don’t know who we are fighting. Best I can say is, open your ears and listen to everything we tell you,” Hawke said as he walked past her, hitting the stairs, and craned his neck in her direction. “And Kinley, if you pray, start praying.”

Hawke’s phone beeped, and he answered the call. “Hey kiddo, shouldn’t you be with your man?” He retraced his steps. “Okay.” He handed Kinley the phone. “CJ wants to talk to you.” He spun around and took off down the stairs.

“Hello.” Kinley blew a wayward hair from her face. “Hi. How are you, Cinder?”

“I figured you might need someone to talk to.” CJ said. “Tell me how you are. Really.”

“I’m taking it one day at a time. It’s overwhelming.

How did you do it?” Kinley took a seat in the nearby chair.

“Do what?” CJ responded.

Kinley respected Cinder Johnson. She spent years in the witness protection, coming out of it strong enough to put an entire drug operation and murderers behind bars.

“Stay in the witness protection for so long and come out of it so resilient. I can’t even handle it two plus weeks.”

“I chose my path and though I was so young, it tormented me daily. I was away from my family, I longed for them and the thought of what my actions caused. My fault. A lesson I will make up to them if I have a chance to. I was so scared. But the Noble Network Security Team protected me.”

“I can’t fathom what you went through. You’re so unbelievably strong.” Kinley flung her legs over the arm of the chair, crossing her ankles.

“So are you. Strength is an inside job. Word of advice—you must let Hawke and Noble Network do what they do best.”

“Did Hawke say something to you about how I’ve behaved?” Kinley held her breath and listened. “Hawke pushes my buttons.”

“Yes, he can. I’ve been in your shoes. You know I have to say this, and I don’t mean to intervene. I may not have professional experience, but I’ve lived it, so I’m an expert. I’d like to help; will you allow me?”

“Yes, please.” Kinley let out an exaggerated huff.

“You are more than likely frustrated at this interference in your life, and I imagine terrified someone shot at you, and rightfully so. Give yourself some grace. I’ll see you soon and we can talk more. Until then, please trust the process.”

Kinley hung up the phone. CJ’s right. Ryker too. We must be a united front. Hawke had a point .