Chapter 19
CHAPTER 19
N ew York.
Hawk sat in his sleek New York office, staring at the spreadsheets glowing on his monitor, though the numbers meant nothing to him. His desk, usually an emblem of control and authority, felt cold and lifeless. The hum of the air conditioning and the distant din of Manhattan traffic only highlighted the oppressive silence of the room.
His mind wasn’t in New York. It hadn’t been since the moment he’d stepped off the plane a month ago. No amount of meetings, deals, or strategies could distract him from the pull of the jungle, from the face that haunted his every waking thought.
Lexi.
She was everywhere. He pictured her in the clinic, her hands steady and sure as she treated the injured gorillas. He imagined the way she smiled when she brought him iced tea during breaks from the construction site, her dimple flashing and her eyes sparkling with quiet mischief. He even caught himself wondering if she was laughing right now—probably at something Moyo had said—or whether she was working, her hair pulled back in that no-nonsense ponytail that somehow only made her more beautiful.
Fuck, he missed her.
Hawk clenched his jaw and leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. He’d always prided himself on being a man of control, someone who could compartmentalize. But Lexi had shattered that, leaving him raw and unbalanced. She’d made him feel things he’d never let himself feel before—things he wasn’t sure he even wanted to feel.
And he’d blown it.
Asking her to leave with him had been a desperate, selfish mistake. He knew her past, her sacrifices, her deep-rooted need to forge her own path. And yet, in his panic at losing her, he’d ignored all of it. He’d grasped at straws, hoping she’d abandon everything she’d fought for and follow him.
How could he have asked her to do that?
He was ashamed of himself, of his arrogance, of his inability to see that loving her meant letting her be who she was.
He should’ve stayed. The thought hit him like a punch to the gut. He could’ve stayed longer, worked something out. But no, duty had called. The board had demanded his return, and like the good soldier he used to be, he’d followed orders. He’d convinced himself he didn’t have a choice, but now he knew better. He could’ve made time.
He should’ve made time.
His thoughts drifted to Moyo. The boy’s tear-streaked face as the UN truck pulled away was seared into his memory. He’d wanted to say something to comfort him, to promise he’d come back, but the words had stuck in his throat. He’d abandoned them both—Lexi and Moyo—and the guilt weighed on him like lead.
“I’ve got to snap out of it,” he muttered, rubbing his temples as a knock on the door pulled him from his spiraling thoughts.
Grace entered, her no-nonsense demeanor as steady as ever. “I made you some tea,” she said, setting a tray down on his desk. “And a sandwich. You’ve been skipping lunch again.”
“You’re a lifesaver, Grace.” He forced a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
She studied him for a moment, her sharp gaze missing nothing. “You’ve not been yourself since you came back. Africa’s still on your mind, isn’t it?”
He didn’t answer, but the truth must’ve been written all over his face. Grace sighed and patted his shoulder. “Let me know if you need anything,” she said before leaving him to his brooding.
The afternoon dragged on. Hawk went through the motions of work, but his heart wasn’t in it. He checked his watch. Four-thirty. Close enough to quitting time. He began packing his laptop when the phone rang.
The line crackled, and his heart skipped a beat. The static was unmistakable—it was a long-distance call.
“Hello?” he said, his voice tight with anticipation.
“Hawk, it’s Robert.”
Relief flooded through him, followed immediately by a spike of anxiety. Robert rarely called unless it was serious.
“What’s going on?” Hawk blurted out.
Robert’s voice was strained, the words coming quickly. “It’s bad news, I’m afraid. There’s been another attack. The rebels hit the sanctuary.”
Hawk’s stomach dropped. His grip tightened on the phone. “What happened?”
“They came in force, over forty of them, armed to the teeth. We couldn’t hold them off. Estelle and I barely made it out alive. The UN picked us up five miles west of the park.”
Hawk’s heart pounded, but Robert’s next words hit him like a freight train.
“Hawk, Lexi’s missing.”
Time seemed to stop. The world narrowed to those three words, reverberating in his skull.
“What do you mean, missing ?” he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.
“She stayed behind with Patrick to move the injured animals. She didn’t make it to the evacuation point.” Robert’s voice cracked. “We had to leave without her. There was no choice.”
Hawk’s vision blurred with red-hot rage and icy fear. He could barely process what Robert was saying.
Lexi, alone in the jungle, with rebels closing in.
“What’s being done to find her?” he barked, his SEAL instincts kicking in.
“Nothing,” Robert admitted, his voice heavy with guilt. “The army’s spread too thin, and the UN can’t send anyone back. It’s chaos here, Hawk. The whole place is on the brink of a civil war.”
Hawk slammed his fist on the desk, making the tea tray rattle. “That’s unacceptable.”
Robert tried to explain, but Hawk wasn’t listening. His mind was already racing, formulating a plan. He wasn’t the corporate CEO anymore. He was the Navy SEAL, the soldier, the man who thrived under pressure and got things done.
“I’m coming over.” His voice was hard as steel.
“You can’t,” Robert protested. “It’s too dangerous.”
“I don’t care,” Hawk growled. “She’s out there, and I’m not fucking leaving her to the wolves.”
He hung up and immediately began making calls. First to Grace, ordering her to book him on the next flight to Kinshasa.
“But you’re leaving for Ecuador next week,” she protested, but he cut her off, his tone allowing no room for argument.
Next, he called Patrick, an old SEAL buddy. Pat Burke, now retired from the Navy, ran an elite unit of ex-military soldiers and SEALs that Hawk often used for close protection in volatile regions. He outlined the problem and Pat promised to send two competent operators to help him navigate the rebel-controlled jungle territory and get Lexi back.
By the time Doug, his capable and competent CFO, came into his office, Hawk was a man on a mission. His usual polished demeanor had been replaced by something raw and primal.
“I’m going back to Africa,” he told Doug without preamble. “You’re in charge until I get back.”
“What about Ecuador?” Doug asked, alarmed.
“You’ll have to handle that,” Hawk said, grabbing his go-bag. “Take Max with you. He’s head of engineering. He’s perfectly able to assess the project.”
“What are you going to do in Africa?” Doug asked, following him out of the office.
“Fix a mistake.”
As he walked out of the building, his mind was laser-focused. There was no room for doubt, no room for fear. He would find Lexi. He would bring her back.
And God help anyone who stood in his way.