Saving Serena (Hawk Security #1)

Chapter 31

CHAPTER 31

Duke

The SUV sped away.

“You ruined my fucking bag!” Katelyn screamed at the departing SUV with a finger raised in the air.

The guy with her stood there, completely useless. Remy, I think? He’d wet himself.

“Gimme that.” I struggled to my knees and held out my hand for my weapon. “You shouldn’t go shooting at people on a crowded street.”

Serena handed it over.

I holstered it. “Good thing you missed.”

“I didn’t miss. I hit the radiator dead center.”

A small splotch of green cooling fluid on the street where the car had been elevated my respect for her another notch. “Good thinking.” The SUV would soon be toast.

I stood and helped her up before turning away. “Pull the wires out.”

“What?”

“You heard me.” I couldn’t reach them, and I couldn’t walk away trailing a Taser behind me.

She yanked.

“Fuck.” It hurt like a dozen bee stings when she pulled the barbs loose.

Serena clung to me, shuddering. I stroked her back and tried to soothe her.

“It was Black Jacket Guy, Spinelli.”

I smoothed her hair. “The big guy?”

“No, the one who Tasered you.”

“He’s going down.”

“I can’t stop shaking,” she said.

“It’s the adrenaline. It’ll take time.”

Several uniformed federal marshals arrived before we could leave. They shooed the LAPD street cops away when they learned Serena worked in their building. Assaulting a federal employee trumped whatever the locals could come up with.

Marcus Wellbourne, our friend in the LAPD, arrived after Serena had given her statement to the marshals. “You must have pissed somebody off,” the lieutenant joked.

“No shit, Sherlock,” Serena said. She was one unhappy camper.

“Are you going to tell me now what’s cooking?” he asked.

“Not yet, but as soon as we can,” I assured him. I wished I had some way we could put his resources to use, but we didn’t have the kind of data the LAPD could act on—yet.

After a while, the marshals cleared us to leave.

I tapped Serena’s shoulder. “I’m taking you home.” Just that simple touch reminded me what her warm skin felt like under my fingers.

“No way. I’m not having some goon chase me away from my work.”

“But—”

She didn’t even let me finish. “We talked about this. No change to my schedule. That’s the rule. You got one thing right, though, you’re taking me back to my house tonight.”

I didn’t argue, because what was the point? Reluctantly, I handed her off to the marshals to see that she got back into the building safely. My phone rang.

“What the hell happened?” came Lucas’s voice.

I explained the sequence of events.

“He hit her? Who is he?”

“No idea who the big guy is. We don’t have video for facial rec. Spinelli was the second man.”

“When you find the big guy, I want to be the one to make him pay.”

Lucas was serious when it came to violence against women. Once overseas, he’d detoured a mission for two hours to visit a drug kingpin running a rape house. Hassan Fazel and four of his lieutenants had ended up buried under a pile of rubble.

“I’ll take care of him myself.”

“Why wasn’t Constance with her?”

“They got separated in the evacuation.”

“Where is Serena now?”

I explained Serena’s insistence on going back to work, and that I’d let the marshals escort her.

Instead of a dressing down for almost losing our client, I got, “Figures. She’s tough. She’s been through a lot more than people realize. Keep her safe.”

It wasn’t the time to tell Lucas I knew what Serena had been through, so I just agreed. “Tough is right,” I told him. Surviving a kidnapping and having another’s death on her hands made tough too gentle a word.

Serena

“It’s ruined,” Katelyn complained again as we reentered the building. “It’s genuine, not a knockoff. I can’t afford to replace it now.”

When we reached our floor, I let her go first and turned in the opposite direction. Unbelievable. I’d almost been snatched off the street, and all she could focus on was her fucking bag. I needed a moment to cool down.

Less than an hour later, Powell called me into his office.

When Katelyn joined us, I shifted to create space between us.

“Ms. Connor, I want you to take Benson here under your wing and show her how we do things, including coming back with data.”

I kept my mouth shut instead of yelling, Fuck you too, Dr. Powell, and by the way, somebody tried to knock me off like they did Leo and Sophia .

“Yes, sir,” she said with zero enthusiasm. “I’d love to. Maybe?—”

Powell didn’t let her finish. “Set up meetings by the day after tomorrow with the two companies she had trouble with last week.”

Her open mouth said that rattled her. “I’d rather start with easier, closer companies if that’s all right with?—”

“Nope.” He shook his head. “I want to get back on track with the two Ms. Benson didn’t collect data from… Centaur…uh…” He looked at me and waved his hand.

“Excalibur Plating and Knife Creek Chemical,” I filled in.

“Yes, those.”

“I’m not sure the timing is practical,” Katelyn tried.

“Connor,” he cautioned. “We’re the EPA. Tell them to make time Thursday or else.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And Benson,” he said before we escaped the office.

I turned. “Sir?”

“You’re riding with Connor until you pass probation.”

After that, Katelyn mumbled curses directed Powell’s way before she locked herself in the big conference room to call the companies.

Ten minutes later, Katelyn told me she had the appointments set up.

“I’ll be ready.”

“He’s such an ass.” She shook her head and went back to her computer.

It would be my first trip back to Thousand Oaks, and after the last time, I wasn’t looking forward to it.

That evening, I wandered into the kitchen in bare feet and my comfy sweats.

Duke was at the stove sautéing mushrooms with his back to me—a very enticingly naked back with a smattering of tattoos.

Before sipping from my second glass of Chablis, I surveyed the stainless appliances and stark white cabinetry of the kitchen. It was all so masculine, with offsetting black granite countertops. It suited him.

Duke raised a brow. “Easy there, slugger. Save some for dinner.”

I gulped down half the glass. Tonight, I’d need more than this to quell my anxiety. “What if Katelyn tells Powell I can’t cut it in the field?”

“I thought she was paired with you to help out?”

“Haven’t you ever had a bad boss?

“Uh…”

“See? You don’t get what office politics can be like. Powell wanted the job to go to Remy. This is his opportunity. I’m on probation. Katelyn gives me a bad report card and that combined with wrecking a car my first time out gives him what he needs to send me back to my old desk.”

Duke gingerly took the glass from my hands, set it on the counter, and wrapped me up like a burrito, rocking me back and forth. “You’re afraid the fix is in?”

I nodded against his shoulder.

“Then we unfix it. I’ll give you a bug to wear that’ll record everything so you have the evidence to fight back if you need it.”

“Really?”

“Sure. Fight sneaky with sneaky.”

“When?”

“Day after tomorrow.”

He adopted that ate-a-lemon face of his. “I don’t like it. Put it off for a week or two.”

“I would if I could, but this is a command performance. And get this, I’m not allowed to wreck another government vehicle.”

He laughed. “Not allowed, huh? Even with another person, I still don’t like it. I obviously can’t ride along with you.”

“Follow us. Bring your machine gun or whatever. We’re going back to the companies I visited last Monday before the accident. I’ll give you the addresses and drive slow.”

He sighed and squeezed a little tighter. “We’ll make it work.”

As he held me, my day improved remarkably. Now I had a chance.

Eventually, he let go of me. “I’m hungry. Let’s get this dinner going.”

A little while later, as we finished our meal, I swallowed my bite of cheesecake and patted the tabletop. “This could be fun.”

“What about the terrace?” he asked.

The doorbell rang.

Duke got up. “It’s probably one of my brothers.”

When he opened it, a statuesque blonde sauntered in. “Lover, you didn’t return any of my texts.”

Lover? She was stunningly beautiful, with perfect hair and makeup, a killer dress, and heels to die for. I didn’t compare, even before I’d washed my face off. I released the clip holding my hair up in a messy bun.

Duke left the door open. “Ursula, that should be a pretty clear signal I don’t want to see you.”

She noticed me when I stood. “Oh. You have company. Well, call me when you’re done with her.”

My fingers got stuck as I tried to run a hand through my hair.

“This is my girlfriend,” Duke said. “I won’t be calling. Now leave and forget my number.”

She eyed the table. “Playing house, are we?”

I crossed my arms and raised up my boobs.

“Get out, Ursula,” Duke repeated.

“That won’t last. Call when you get bored of this…” She waved in my direction. “…phase.” She turned.

“Oh, Ursula,” I called.

She stopped.

“He’s mine. If we see or hear from you again, I’ll claw your eyes out.”

“So American,” she huffed as she left.

“Claw her eyes out?” Duke asked as he closed the door after her.

I ran and jumped up, wrapping my legs around him. “You said you’d gut George.”

“And I meant it.”

“Claw her eyes out is the equivalent.” I wiggled against his growing erection. “Tabletop. The terrace is too far.”