“I found out through the mail. I thought your whole team had—” Her voice was too hoarse to continue, so she cleared her throat to attempt to get rid of the emotion and anxiety clogging it. “It just said it was… ‘in action.’”
Killed in action.
She couldn’t bear to say that one word out loud. It’d haunted her for the past two years. She’d already been on the run when she’d received the ominous unofficial letter. It was left on her doorstep beside a dead hawk, one of her father’s many twisted ways of intimidating her while she tried to escape from under his thumb. Every single day since, she’d worried if the team’s death was somehow her fault. Maybe a punishment for disobeying some invisible rule.
Hannah’s father had warned her something terrible could happen if she didn’t toe the line. Was there more she could’ve done to prevent his death?
“You don’t know how he died?” Hawk asked low, those warm, charcoal eyes full of sympathy. His deep timbre had her lower belly fluttering, and she fought the urge to fiddle with her necklace as she whispered.
“No.”
Hawk sighed heavily, his chest rising and falling with the weight of the world bearing down on him. He scrubbed the back of his head and glanced at his team before stepping closer to her.
As much as she didn’t want to hear the details of how her friend died, she needed to know even more that his death wasn’t her fault. A gnawing pit in her stomach quickly filled with dread as she waited for the truth, but Hawk shook his head slightly.
“I’ll tell you later, dove. When it’s just us. Right now, we need to get you and the little man settled in and figure out our plan of action.”
“Settled in?” Callie, the woman dressed in all black with raven hair and a complexion close to Hannah’s own narrowed her brown eyes at Hawk. “The General’s daughter is stayinghere?”
The words themselves felt like an accusation.
“Yes.” Hawk’s own tone brooked no argument. “Hannah is a victim in all of this and as much a part of it as we are. I’m not sure what part yet, but we’ll figure it out as soon as she gets some rest.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to get answers now?” The curvy woman dressed in a sharp business skirt suit crossed her arms. “If this missing madman is after her and we know he already has a vendetta against BlackStone Securities, shouldn’t finding him be our first priority?”
The woman—Jules—was right, but weariness and fatigue were already soaking Hannah to the bone. Herpobrecitoleaned against her, practically falling asleep standing up. Hawk had always been laser focused, though, forsaking all else for themission. There was no way she’d be getting out of this one.
“Okay,” she sighed, gearing up for the hours of questioning she’d no doubt have to endure. “But it’s late, and I’d like to get Tommy into bed. After that, I’ll come back—”
“No.”
Everyone, including Hannah, snapped their attention to Hawk. His thick biceps strained against his long-sleeve Henley as they crossed over his broad chest. Determination hardened his jawline to stone.
“No?” she repeated.
“You’re getting sleep, Han.” The command in his voice made her spine tingle. “All this can wait until you’re rested.”
Wes cleared his throat. “But Hawk—”
“I said no.” Hawk’s large hand gently encircled her wrist as he murmured a command just for her. “Come with me. I’ll take you to your room.”
CHAPTERTEN
In her bone-weary state, Hawk’s own personal brand of rigid authority and soft touch made it impossible to resist his command. But, then again, she’d never been able to resist where Hawk was concerned.
She set her hands on Tommy’s shoulders as she followed Hawk out of the living room, leaving confused and stunned looks behind them. It was probably for the best they left, since her own bewilderment was no doubt apparent on her face, too.
The past twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind, waking up to what had become a normal day on the run, learning her father was missing, fighting for her life, finding out the only man she ever loved was still alive, killing a hitman with said ex by her side, traveling from one country to the next, and capping off the day by meeting the team the love of her life chose over her.
And here he was, in the middle of a crisis, choosingheroverthem.
“¡Por Dios!I need a nap.” She yawned.
Hawk stopped next to a door at the end of the long, wide, empty hallway and pointed to their bags that lay beside her painting and Tommy’s baseball bat against the wall.
“Draco dropped your bags off here. It’s my room. You can sleep in here if you’d like. Our other rooms are taken at the moment.”
At Hannah’s nod, Hawk picked up both duffel bags, opened the door, and stepped inside. Hannah murmured her thanks and motioned for Tommy to grab his bat while she took the painting. She ushered him inside before following behind them both. Once she stopped to take in her new surroundings, her heart cracked.
