Draco finally fell silent again, seemingly sated with his questions. There was nothing more Hawk could say anyway. He’d made a mistake all those years ago and if the gorgeous, happy look on her face in the surveillance photo he found in General Smithers’s office was any indication, she’d moved on.
That smile was one he’d dreamed about for years, the one she saved only for him. Who was she sharing it with now? The answer would no doubt gut him, but he had to move past it. Her safety was paramount. Whatever man had captured her heart better step aside long enough for Hawk to make sure she was safe.
They rolled through the neighborhood of apartments, duplexes, and small houses, all connected by colorful adobe, stucco, and stone. Children played on the sidewalks and people gathered around gates and doors, listening to loud music and laughing, like a block party in the middle of the day. The entirebarrioseemed safe, eclectic, and friendly. It was perfect for Hannah and the tension in his muscles eased.
She was obviously trying to keep away from her father, but at least she was able to stay safe and her artistic soul could be sated while she did it.
“I think that’s it.” Draco squinted at his phone before pointing to a house with faded red stucco. “It’s rented under a ‘Paula Gomez,’ but when Wes cross-referenced camera footage in the area with our facial recognition tech, he found a woman who matches our photo and frequents the café at the corner thatalsomatches our photo.Plusthere’s a post office nearby that an online store uses to ship artwork like you’ve described.”
Draco lifted his phone screen to show a gorgeous painting of a sunrise over a bright-blue Caribbean coast. A single bird flew in the top corner of the horizon, so small you could almost miss it.
They’d already been over everything multiple times on the trip there, but when he’d first seen it, the painting was what had convinced Hawk. That single bird was her signature on everything she did.
My dove.
No.
She’s not mine anymore. I did this. I have to accept it.
“That’s Hannah,” Hawk said out loud and cleared his throat. “Paula Gomez isn’t too far of a stretch from her real name, Hannah Paloma Smithers. Her mother was Gutiérrez before she married.”
Hawk slowed the car and ducked his head under the visor again. Wes, BlackStone’s tech wizard, had been able to find the house based on the coordinates from the back of the photo. And here it was, finally right in front of them. The pretty pink home with matching terra cotta roofing had bright-purple flowers growing on thick vines. They covered the bars around the two windows flanking the door.
He frowned. “Hmmm. The bars on the windows aren’t a great sign. And I don’t like that they’re next to the door. Someone could easily break in.”
“Hopefully you won’t have to use that to your advantage. I sure as fuck wouldn’t open the door for the bastard who left me in the dust nearly a decade ago.”
Hawk snorted at the joke even though that pang of guilt gnawed at his heart again. “I’m not hoping for forgiveness. Only the chance to keep her safe.”
“Ifshe even needs our protection,” Draco reminded him while lazily pointing his toothpick in Hawk’s direction. “She could refuse to come with us. This could all be for nothing.”
“It could be.” The words were dragged out of him, his instincts refusing to fully agree with the statement.
He shifted the rental car into park and unlocked his seat belt, gathering his courage with every movement.
“You want backup?” Draco asked. “I could just go to the closest bar if you need your space.”
Despite the fact Hawk hadn’t had a drink in years, he had half a mind to tell Draco to grab a seat and order a beer for him too, just in case she kicked him out before he could say his peace.
Draco was right. Hawk had no idea how Hannah was going to receive him, and he was more nervous walking into his ex’s adorable house than he’d ever been on the other end of a bullet. He wanted privacy for their conversation, but what if she kicked him to the curb as soon as he walked in? What if, like Draco said, she didn’t even open the door for him?
“Better stick around here… just in case.”
Draco grunted and leaned forward to push all the vents toward him. “Okay, but I’m leaving the car and AC running. Good luck not melting in your black Henley. Hope your ink’s worth a heat stroke.”
Hannah’s never seen my tattoo…
The realization kicked in, heightening the apprehension and excitement making his hands tremble on the wheel. Hawk studiously ignored Draco’s scrutiny as his stare beat down on him hotter than any summer sun ever could.
He scrubbed his fade with his hand as he analyzed the best way to approach the house. There was only one entrance from this side, but while he’d been driving around thebarrio, he’d thought he’d noticed a sidewalk on the other side leading to a back door—
“You’re nervous,” Draco finally stated.
Hawk opened his mouth to object, but he and Draco had known each other for the better part of a decade. They’d fought together, killed together, and watched their teammate, Eagle, die for them all. There was no lying to the man, no matter how badly Hawk wanted to lie to himself.
“Yeah, I’m nervous.” His voice cracked on the last word.
“Well, if it goes to shit, just give me the signal.”
