“I’m going to send the pics to Mason and see what he thinks. I’m hoping it’s proof of her blackmail.”
“We’ll see if Jase discovers anything today while he tails Desiree.”
“I hope so. Do you think the scene with her, me, and Neil made her suspicious?”
“It didn’t seem that way, but we’ll find out either tonight when she picks up Krystal or tomorrow when she shows up to talk about the past.”
“Nothing she can say is going to make what she did any better. But if she confesses to nearly killing me, I’ll be happy to see her behind bars.”
Hawk kissed her like he’d never get to do it again. “I don’t think she’ll do anything with Krystal here, but keep sharp. Don’t let her get you alone. Don’t let her out of your sight. I’ll try to be back before she gets here.”
“Until then, I’ll set the alarm and be anxiously awaiting your return.”
Hawk kissed her one more time, then squatted again to say goodbye to Krystal, who’d found a berry applesauce fruit pouch and a bag of fish crackers. “Be good for Auntie Lucky. I’ll see you later.”
“Bye, Unc.” Krystal slurped up more berry applesauce.
Hawk stopped in his tracks and stared at the little girl, his heart in his eyes as he turned to her. “Wow. That was…” He didn’t have to say it. She could see it in his eyes. He was so humbled to be someone Krystal called family. “Are we doing the right thing?”
“Yes. Or do we give her another shot at me?”
Hawk shook himself out of the love bomb Krystal dropped on him, his gaze narrowing. “Sorry. I got caught up in how sweet Krystal is.”
“I don’t blame you. I want that little girl to have the best of everything. But there’s one person in her life who may not always see her as innocent and untouchable.” And it broke Lucky’s heart to think that, let alone say it out loud.
Hawk kissed her one last time, the look in his eyes telling her he loved her and hated to leave her. Then he walked out the door, ready to rescue someone else when the call came in that someone needed him.
Her hero.
And then Lucky was alone with her niece, her simmering rage, and a plot to take down Desiree once and for all.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Hawk was doing a preflight check on the helicopter, making sure it was ready if the search and rescue team got a call today. With the weather getting warmer, there were more hikers, climbers, and mountain bikers out on the trails. Anything could happen, from a fall, to someone getting lost.
His phone buzzed with an incoming text. He pulled it out and glanced at the picture of the district attorney standing in front of what looked like an open motel room door meeting a young blonde, who had to be at least a decade younger than the married man.
He'd bet every penny in his bank account that wasn’t his wife.
His phone rang with Jase’s name and number on the caller ID. “Someone’s being naughty today.”
Jase chuckled under his breath. “So I followed Desiree from your place to this motel. She went to the front desk, had a brief conversation with the clerk, handed over some cash, got the key, then went into the room with what looked like a gift bag andstayed for less than five minutes before she came out with the bag. When she went in, the bag was pristine. Coming out, a little less so. Then she got in her car at the back of the lot and waited. Half hour later, the blonde showed up, got a key from the clerk, then went into the same room. I thought maybe Desiree was going to meet her. Maybe they had something going, but Desiree stayed in her car. Ten minutes later, I see a man crossing the busy road between the sports park and the motel. As he crossed the lot headed straight for room 108, I got a good look at him.”
“I wonder if his wife knows he’s cheating on her.”
“I wonder if the twelve-year-old daughter he dropped off at softball knows he’s not watching her play and instead is getting his willie wet across the street with a woman who’s probably her babysitter.”
Hawk shook his head and tried to think. “So Desiree is there to blackmail the asshole district attorney, so she’ll have him in her pocket along with the judge she’s already squeezing.”
“That’s my guess. My other guess is that the bag she carried in held some sort of recording devices.”
Hawk rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “Damn. How’d she know about the guy meeting up with the woman?”
“I’m guessing this isn’t the first time. She probably tailed him a couple of times, figured out he’s cheating, and set this up today.”
“She’s resourceful, that’s for damn sure.”
“Exactly. I’ll bet she’s watching them from in her car, recording everything.”
