Chapter Four #2
“Her name is Alexandrea Stone,” Stevie informed him once Hawk returned the earpiece to where it belonged and rejoined the party. “The name on the guest registry was Aaron Stone.”
“A husband?” Hawk asked.
He kept a distance from the Bakshais and noticed the moment the oversize bodyguard leaned in to talk to his boss.
Ashraf’s gaze flicked around the room before landing on Hawk.
The man furrowed his brow.
“Not sure,” Stevie said.
Charlie chuckled into the mic. “You clearly don’t keep up on the local news. Aaron Stone was the father.”
“How do you know that?” Hawk asked.
“Stone Hotels?” Charlie asked as if expecting the name to ring bells in everyone’s heads. “The dad died last year, left his billions to his kids. They were all over the news.”
Sounded like the gossip columns to Hawk.
“Then she wasn’t looking for a cheating husband,” Teach chimed in.
Maybe not, but she’d seen someone who turned her complexion pale.
“From what I can tell, that’s the only reason we’re needed here—the suits at the party can’t hold their liquor. But other than slurring their words, they don’t appear to be the fighting drunk crowd,” Stevie announced. “My grandmother has a better tolerance than these guys.”
Hawk followed Stevie as she circulated around the room, offering glasses of whiskey. He had no doubt a grandmother to Stevie would know how to drink.
“What happened in the parking lot?” Charlie asked.
“Ashraf’s man confronted her. Grabbed her, offered her a ride,” Hawk whispered into his mic as his gaze met the senior Bakshai’s and held.
“What the fuck?” Teach swore.
“We’re here to protect them, not be a party to kidnapping,” Charlie said.
Exactly Hawk’s thoughts.
“Ed isn’t going to like this.”
If Ashraf was attempting to hold Alexandrea Stone against her will while Hawk and the team were on the payroll, they could easily be accused of being accessories to a crime.
Their services were provided to protect their clients from people wishing to do them harm, not be a part of harming others.
Hawk instantly recalled a moment in time when he stood in the sweltering heat of the jungle, the boss standing in a circle of men holding automatic rifles. Hawk being one of them ... protecting the bad guy.
His gut told him that this cocktail party was a first-world equivalent.
“Eyes open,” Hawk told his team.
“On the guests or the hosts?” Charlie asked.
“Both.”
Hours later, when most of the guests had left, Nasser waved Hawk aside to talk with him.
The younger man’s smile stood out like a Halloween mask. Stern and cold. “I’m told there was an incident earlier,” he started.
Hawk had been waiting for this. And since the rest of the evening had been completely uneventful, there could be only one incident Nasser could be speaking about.
Hawk considered his words carefully. Decided on as few of them as possible. “There was.”
“Care to elaborate?”
Instead of answering the man’s question, Hawk asked, “Why were we here tonight? Why have extra security?”
“I told you, my father is an exceptionally wealthy man—”
“As were most of the people in this room, none of which brought bodyguards. Bodyguards that threatened guests in dark parking lots.”
“That’s not what happened,” Nasser countered.
“You were there?” Hawk raised a brow in question.
Nasser narrowed his gaze. “You were hired by me . Your job is to protect us .”
Hawk met the man’s eyes. “True. Since this event appeared to involve men entertaining women that certain wives might not be fond of ... I thought it best to follow the only unattached female as she left the venue. Make sure she wasn’t a threat.” Which was partially true but mostly bullshit.
That made Nasser laugh. “Women are not a threat.”
The man was wrong about that, but Hawk kept that to himself.
“If you’re unhappy with me or my team’s performance, you’re free to contact my superior.
” His politically correct words burned as they left Hawk’s lips.
“When you do, be sure and look over the contract you signed. You’ll see that our service doesn’t involve us engaging in or being witness to unlawful activities, such as assaulting women. ”
“No one assaulted—”
“He had a vise grip on Ms. Stone’s arm,” Hawk interrupted.
“A grip she had to dislodge with force. Touching someone without consent is battery. Doing so at the request of someone else puts the blame on two people instead of one. If no ill will was intended, then my intervention may just have saved your father from criminal charges. And since I was hired by you, I could have easily been named as an accomplice. That is not in my job description.” Hawk stared down at Nasser, an easy task since Hawk was half a foot taller.
Nasser shifted from one foot to another. Anything he wanted to say died on his lips.
“The services of you and your team won’t be needed for the rest of the evening.”
Hawk felt relief drop from his shoulders. “Very well.”
He pivoted on his heel and spoke into the mic. “You heard the man, wrap it up. We leave in five.”