“Simple,” Hawk said.
“Always is,” Aaron replied.
An hour later,the rotor wash from the helicopter kicked up the remnants of the storm, scattering leaves and fog across the clearing. I climbed in before Hawk, headset crackling to life as Aaron gave coordinates to the pilot.
Below, Copper Cove disappeared under a blanket of mist. Ahead, the sky burned with the first touch of sun, gold bleeding into gray.
Hawk leaned close so I could hear him over the blades. “You sure you’re ready for this?”
I turned my head, our helmets almost brushing. “You really want to ask that after last night?”
For a moment, his grin cut through the noise—quick, private, dangerous. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I know,” I said, voice barely audible. “But it’s my answer anyway.”
He stared at me a second longer, something fierce and unguarded flashing in his eyes before he nodded. “Then we finish this.”
They setus down just outside D.C., the city skyline jagged against a washed-out morning. Delta Five moved like shadows through the loading zone—silent, deliberate, efficient. Every doorway, every rooftop felt like a potential threat.
Aaron’s voice came through the comm. “Remember—this isn’t just a bust. If we get that data and Reese in custody, it exposes every dirty hand tied to Halcyon’s funding. We’ll have the President’s green light to shut them down for good.”
Boone took a position by the gate, scanning the perimeter. “And if it goes sideways?”
Hawk’s reply was quiet, but it carried. “Then we burn it all down.”
He turned to me, hand brushing mine for the briefest second—a promise, a tether. My pulse jumped despite the armor and the weapon and the gravity of what we were walking into. All it took was one touch from him, and I wanted his hands and mouth on my body again.
“Julia,” he said softly, “you stay behind me until I say otherwise.”
“Not a chance,” I said, and saw the corner of his mouth twitch.
“Didn’t think so.”
Inside the compound,fluorescent lights hummed over rows of crates stamped with Halcyon’s insignia. The smell of ozone and machine oil filled the air. Miles patched into a terminal while Aaron covered the east corridor.
I crouched beside Hawk, both of us watching the entryway. My shoulder brushed his as I adjusted my aim; even through body armor, the contact sent a shiver through me. He noticed. His gaze flicked toward me, a ghost of our love making burning between us.
Focus, I told myself. But the truth was—he was part of my focus now.
Mile’s voice came through the comm. “Got it. Reese’s meeting is confirmed—Conference Room B, second floor. Two guards posted. Feeds show three additional heat signatures inside.”
Aaron’s reply: “That’s our window. We move.”
Hawk looked at me one last time. “Stay sharp, Detective.”
“Always,” I said, sliding the safety off my rifle.
And as we moved through the steel corridors toward the heart of Halcyon’s operation, I knew whatever waited on the other side of that door—truth, betrayal, or hell itself—he and I would face it together.
18
Hawk
The air inside the Halcyon facility had a metallic taste, like electricity and secrets.
Every step echoed too loud on the concrete floors. Somewhere overhead, the hum of servers vibrated through the walls — a mechanical heartbeat counting down to whatever the hell Reese had planned.
“Second floor,” Aaron said over the comm. “Conference Room B. Two guards, three inside.”
