“You ever play that game at the arcade? Whack-a-Mole?” Hawk glanced back at Jamie and then up into the light. “When you were a kid, I mean?”
Jamie groaned. “Fucking A, Hawkins. Fucking A.”
“I know, but someone has to go first.”
Tan pulled a cell from his pocket. “I’m calling back up. Bobby won’t have gotten too far. He can drop Craig with Moira at Barba’s, grab a few more men, and come back this way.”
Hawk nodded. He stepped up to the ladder and peered into the light. “I have to go up.”
“We should wait.”
“They could leave with Stacy,” he whispered back. “I won’t let that happen.”
Ranger walked up to them, and pulled a metal object from his pants pocket. With three clicks it unfolded into a three-foot stick.
“Fuck man. It that a selfie stick?” Tancredo laughed as the man pulled his roll of duct tape from another pant pocket and a mirror from his chest pocket.
When he used the adhesive to stick the mirror to the stick, Hawk almost laughed. “Shit. Yes.” He waved Ranger up the ladder. “Your gadget. Tell me what you see.”
Without risking his head, Ranger used his little spying device, turning it slowly to see the area above them. “He’s gained maybe eight guys. Couple big ones, guarding Mrs. Hawkins in the south corner. Cortez is sitting in a chair, staring at the hole—”
A bullet stopped his words as the mirror exploded in his hand and he ducked as the glass rained down. “I think he knows we’re here.”
“Nathan Hawkins!” Cortez yelled, his voice echoing through the caverns of the warehouse above them. “I’m tired of waiting.”
Hawk moved up the ladder and a hand came down on his calf.
“If you’re going, we’re all going.” Jamie said seriously. “Ranger goes first. He knows where everyone is. He’ll be first one out, able to take out the ones who are bored, creating the distraction we need, the noise we’ll need to get all of us up and into fighting position.”
“There are stacks of shelves at our back, loaded with boxes and what look like two container cars along the west wall. Come out facing north and head west. The smoke will cover us for a minute at the most. There’s a bay door. It’s open and there’s a breeze coming through.”
Hawk blew out a breath, every cell in his body was ready to go for her, needed to save her, but he was part of a team. And Jamie was right. He couldn’t do this alone. With a nod, he stepped down and waited. “Let’s do this.”
Ranger pulled up, tossed three of the smoking bombs up through the manhole, waited for the familiar sound of detonation, and then rolled over the lip, firing his gun. Hawk didn’t hesitate, knowing that first moment of confusion wouldn’t last forever. They’d have to get their guys up there and under cover.
The ache of the past twenty-four hours was catching up to him, and as he rolled out onto the hard floor of the warehouse, the relief of his team being at his back had him suddenly too exhausted to move. He lay there, his eyes adjusting to and searching the surroundings as the smoke cloud started to clear.
He rose off the floor and raised his arms.
“Hawk,” Jamie warned.
Hawk was done playing games.
“This is where we end it, Hawkins.” Cortez spoke in the hard tone of the devil and tossed Stacy to the floor at his own feet. She moaned, and her eyes met Hawk’s.
Determination was there, and hope…maybe a little fear.
“Hi, Hawk,” she said, her voice tight with pain. Purple and black colored the side of her face. A cut at her hairline had blood running down her temple. The sound of her voice gave him strength, and he smiled.
“Hey, babe. I told you we’d get back to Manila eventually, didn’t I?”
She chuckled. “Promises, promises.”
“Shut up!” Cortez clenched a fist around a not so discreet set of brass knuckles.
The bruising along Stacy’s head and shoulders made sense, filling him with rage and so much impatience.
“You have spoiled my plans long enough—”
Fuck this. “I’m kind of sick of your plans,” Hawk interrupted, pulled his sig, and shot off three rounds, straight to Cortez’s chest. He dropped to the floor. From her position, Stacy grabbed the gun from Cortez’s belt halter and she rolled, shooting toward Hawk.
Even as his heart stopped, he grinned as the bullets flew by him and took out one of Cortez’s men, obviously ready to shoot him in the back. Stacy relaxed and crossed her arms over her eyes.
Hawk hurried to her side and drew her into his arms. He brushed the matted hair from her face, gently touching the spots that were red and welting from Cortez’s cruelty. “I got you, babe. I got you.”
Stacy grinned up into his face for the briefest moment and then her eyes rolled back. “Stacy!” He held her chin. “Wake up. Get John in here!” Hawk called, and his team circled around him.
“Cavalry will be here in twenty seconds.”
Hawk picked her up and cradled her face to his neck, and when he felt the soft push of air against his skin, he went weak with relief. Just enough relief to get them outside, where all the worry about what the fuck was wrong with his wife grew like a monster against his chest. The old Army truck rumbled up the narrow road that lead out of the warehouse district, and when Bobby pulled up and screeched to a halt in front of his group, the lights blinded him.
Hawk blinked as his vision faded. “Shit.”
“Boss?” Tancredo spoke next to him.
“Take her.” He handed Stacy off to his long-time friend and rubbed a hand across his forehead as the subtle pounding turned into an incessant throb. Then he grabbed the handle bar on the outside of the truck’s frame and jumped in after her. “Fuck.”
He sat back and rested his head against the old canvas as Bobby pulled ahead.
A few moments later, Jamie placed a hand on his shoulder. “She’s comin’ ‘round.”
Hawk sat up. “I can’t see shit.” And his hands were shaking and his muscles were quivering and his head was about to explode.
The truck slowed, stopping in the circle drive of Barba’s place.
Tan carried Stacy into the house where Barba had a doctor on call.
Following slowly, Hawk came into the foyer and pressed fingers to his eyes, took a deep breath and tried not to resent his reality. He wanted to carry her. Be the one. Apparently, sometimes, saving her was going to mean letting Hawk Elite help.
Up the stairs, he followed the sound of Craig’s voice telling a funny story about the first time he’d ever flown on a plane. Hawk found the door with his hands and waited for a break in the conversation. “Hey babe.”
“Dad.” Moira’s exuberant voice had him moving forward and taking her into his arms as he sat next to her on the bed. “Where’s Mom? Did you get her? Is she okay?”
“We got her. She’s going to be okay.” Hawk moved trembling hands over his daughter’s head, her hair, her shoulders. He kissed her. “How are you feeling, baby?”
Moira put her arms around him, and he didn’t have to see to know she was reliving it. A silent sob shook her shoulders, before she took a deep breath. “Thank you for saving me.”
“My pleasure.” He laid her back, saw just the outline of her face and touched it. He lifted the blankets over her legs and leaned in to kiss her again. “I’m going to check on Mom, okay?”
“I want to see her.”
“You can in a little while. Daddy’s going to see her first, make sure she’s okay.”
“Love you, Dad.”
He ran his hand through her thick, curly hair. “Love you, too.”
Outside the room, he found Craig leaning against the wall. Hawk looked him up and down. “Thanks for everything you did out there, Craig. No matter what, anytime you need anything…all you have to do is ask. You stood up—” His voice broke a little. “You proved yourself on this team tonight. I can’t thank you enough. You’ll always have a place at Hawk Elite.”
“Thank you, sir. Just doing my job.”
“It was more than that…” Hawk glanced down the hall. Stacy was down there. Why was he suddenly so unsure of himself?
“Go on, sir. She won’t care that you can’t see her. It certainly didn’t stop you from getting the job done.”
He blew out a breath. “Am I that transparent?”
“I just know how I’d feel if I suddenly couldn’t see anymore.”
Hawk nodded. “Thanks.”
Craig nodded then left his side and headed down the stairs.
He was alone. In the hallway of Julio’s house, unable to see his fucking hand in front of his face. Voices drifted from the open doorway not ten feet away.
He took the steps slowly and followed the sound of Tan and Stacy’s voice.
She was awake again. Relief made him lightheaded, and he leaned in the doorway as his throat closed against the relief that poured through him. They had done it. They had taken out the man who wanted them dead. They were all alive.
“Well, there’s another patient, if I ever saw one.” The sound of American—sweet, Southern drawl, no less—surprised him. He could only assume the words were meant for him.
He shrugged. “I’m fine.” He came through the doorway, shuffled past the tall dresser, which he knew was there, only because he’d been here before.
The heat of the doctor’s approach warned him, and he stepped back. Every instinct to close up and protect himself. “I’m fine. You should take care of Stacy.”
“How long since you could see?” She put a hand on his arm.
“I was seeing okay this morning, then when we left the warehouse, the lights on the front of the truck—” Hawk cleared his throat. “It obliterated my vision. It’s a usual occurrence, though. And I really think you should be taking care of Stacy.”
“Shut up, Nathan.” Stacy spoke from across the room. And it was a strong response, giving him hope.
“I’m going to touch your face now,” the doctor said, ignoring his suggestion. She leaned in, and said softly, “I think I know who needs medical attention, and since I already attended to your wife…”
Hawk nodded as fingers touched his eyelids, widening them and then shining a pen light.
“I can see the light.” He said the words then stopped, holding his breath for a moment as a chuckle rumbled through his chest. “Okay, I did not just say that.”
Stacy laughed, and it was a sound that finally made the ache inside of him ease.
Hawk pulled away from the doctor’s touch. “I need to go to my wife now.”
Because he’d been in the worst place a man can be, and he’d been able to get out. Now, he just needed to touch her. Screw his vision and nerves that had been damaged years ago. Screw the bumps and bruises. Being blind wouldn’t be so bad because he had her.
The doctor patted his shoulder. “I’ll bring something for the headache. You should really rest your eyes and your head for the next twenty-four hours, and I definitely don’t recommend a transcontinental flight right away.”
“We’ll see.” Hawk stepped around the woman and bumped into a bed with his knees. He turned and followed the edge to the side with Stacy, and she tugged his hand.
He sat next to her. “You okay?” he whispered, leaning into the hand that had come up to cup his cheek. He took it and kissed her palm.
“Yeah. A little bruising won’t stop me.”
He paused as the words came to sharp clarity in his mind. “I could’ve lost you today—”
“You didn’t.”
“I didn’t.”
“And now?” She sounded uncertain, and he supposed he was to blame for that.
“And now we go home, and we go back to work.”
Her arms snaked through his and circled his chest so she could rest her ear above his heart, and knowing that she was listening, made all the difference in the world. “Good. I know you, Hawk. You’ll find a way to use or lose this head thing.”
His heart filled. How had he gotten so lucky all those years ago?
“I love you, Stace.”
“Love you, too.” She tightened her grip on his hand.
“Mom?” Moira stood in the doorway. Hawk waved her over. She hurried and climbed onto the bed, crawling up to snuggle under Stacy’s arm.
Both of his girls laid back into the pillows, and the look of relief, the look of concern and worry in Stacy’s eyes when she found him watching them, struck a chord inside of him.
The love he carried for these two battered his conscience and forced him to protect, at all costs, even his pride.
Failure was not an option for Hawk Security—the man or the team.
He took Stacy’s hand in his own and held it as she fell asleep.
With his team and with her, he would protect his family.
And together, they would be everything this company needed.