Chapter Eleven
“How does it feel to be back, Hawkeye?” Echo pulled up a bucket, turned it over and sat down near the circle of men who’d gathered. Some of the team were missing because they hadn’t made it back from out of town.
Hawkeye stretched his legs and shifted on the bale of hay. “I’m glad to be home. I couldn’t take much more of those four walls at the dingy hotel.” He gave the team a compressed briefing of the events in San Antonio.
“Let me get this straight,” Bear said as he rolled a blade of grass between his finger. “Davani was shot, right there, in the middle of the street?”
Arrow whistled through his teeth. “Gawd damn! Bastard got a taste of his own medicine.”
“Can’t say I felt much sympathy for him,” Hawkeye growled.
Grimes shook his head. “Live by the skin of your teeth, die by the skin of your teeth. Too bad we didn’t get anything out of him before he kicked the bucket though.”
“Where is the ex-girlfriend?” Zane asked.
“In one of the cottages tucked up all nice and cozy,” Hawkeye said.
Sin gave a half-shrug. “Best place for her is here, at least till you figure out what exactly is going on.”
“Hopefully she comes around and sees that too.” Hawkeye waved away a fly buzzing around his head.
Sharp cleared his throat. “Do you think she was involved in any of Davani’s business dealings?”
Hawkeye believed she had no idea how deeply Davani was in crooked business. “Nah, not at all.”
After Hawkeye had shared the information about the package, and the suited man that Margo had faced, Sharp said, “Let’s switch gears a minute and talk ranch details.
I want to tell you again how grateful I am for all your hard work.
This place is coming together quicker than anyone would’ve expected.
I wanted to remind you of the ribbon-cutting ceremony for CaDee and Ursula’s new venture.
It’s coming up and things will be a bit hectic around here.
Expect the entire town to show up. It’ll be a day of celebration.
CaDee has worked hard to make this day happen and I want it to go off without a hitch. ”
Hawkeye could see pride in Sharp’s expression. The love that he had for his wife stood out clearly. Sometimes the love bug caught a man in its snares, Hawkeye supposed.
On the other hand, he found great satisfaction in completing top-secret missions and being married to the career. However, if he were honest with himself, at times he got lonely for a woman’s caressing touch. Once upon a time he’d been fine with hookups, but over the last few years he’d changed.
A significant amount of time had passed since he’d held a woman.
His mind wandered to the brunette in the guest cottage, and he felt a jerk behind his zipper.
What the fuck? He needed to keep his head on straight because this situation could only be categorized as serious.
He didn’t want to get shot again and he most certainly wouldn’t allow Margo to get hurt.
Allowing his dick to take point could only cause a catastrophe of epic proportions.
He’d matured over the years. Missions had altered the way he saw life.
During a particular assignment, while he and his recon team were securing a village in a conflict zone and forcing enemy withdrawal, a leader of a dangerous militia had deployed retaliation on Hawkeye’s unit.
They’d found themselves engaged in an ambush conducted by boys who could barely grow mustaches.
Hawkeye had ordered the unit to use force only if necessary.
He was jolted back to that day…
Hunkered down on a dusty, abandoned warehouse, Hawkeye stared through a crack in the door. Bullets cracked around his head, sparking a hailstorm of concrete and rust. He heard a percussive whump from where the hallway used to be that sounded like a metal door had been slammed.
Sliding along the cracked walls of the abandoned building, his headlamp lighting his way, he searched each dilapidated room, finding nothing until he reached the last. Inside he found a kid, sixteen or seventeen, dressed in an oversized camouflage jacket and pants that could easily be mistaken for an Iraqi soldier.
He was bloody, frantically using one hand to press firmly against the bullet wound near his chest and the other shaky hand gripping a gun.
The boy was bleeding out.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Hawkeye said calmly. “See.” He leaned his gun against the wall and held up his hands. “Let me help you.”
The boy screamed out slurred words in his native language. The only words Hawkeye caught were “Hurt” and “Shoot”.
The boy was fading fast and tears streamed down his cheeks. His young life must have been flashing before his eyes.
Hawkeye tried his best to save the kid, even calling in the combat medic. The best they could do was provide some pain relief to help the last few minutes.
For years the incident had charged through Hawkeye’s brain like a bulldozer. It changed him in ways that he couldn’t describe. He wouldn’t say it made him softer, but he couldn’t stand to think of all those kids fighting for a country, for freedom, and dying so young.
Wrapped up in his thoughts, he hadn’t realized the men had gone and only Sharp remained.
“Now that it’s just you and me, what’s the story with the woman?” Sharp asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Hell, Hawkeye, you’ve never been one to take a bird with a broken wing under your care before.”
This caught Hawkeye in the center of his chest. “Her wing isn’t broken. And there is the matter of the mysterious package.”
“I’d say she’s been through something serious and needs some TLC. We’re tough according to my wife. We can handle shit, but a woman who hasn’t faced enemy fire? Not her forte. Can you handle things?” Sharp asked.
After a semi-shrug, Hawkeye said, “I think so.”
“I trust your instincts but be careful. A woman that’s been through what she has will seek comfort.
She won’t only need your protection, but she’ll need understanding.
My guess is the trauma of what she witnessed today hasn’t completely sunk in.
When the chains break, she’ll need a shoulder, maybe a hug to help her. ”
Hawkeye blinked, remembering the hug they’d shared earlier that day. He enjoyed it. “Okay, tell me where Sharp Creed has gone and who is this man who’s possessed his body?”
“He’s here, but he’s an improved version. Try being a husband and a father and you’ll learn real quick what compassion is and just how far hugs can go when a woman, or child, is upset.”
“This is a business arrangement, buddy. I won’t go falling in love.”
“You’re responsible for her. Not just protecting her from the enemy but also her feelings while she’s here.
Even the toughest people have a breaking point.
When CaDee arrived here she had walls pulled up and reinforced.
You’re the only one Margo knows here so take that into consideration.
For men like us we must do some digging to find that softer side. ”
Hawkeye swallowed hard. He’d never been any woman’s shoulder to cry on or a source of emotional strength. This would be new. “I can handle it.” He lied because what else could he say?
“I’m heading to the house.” Sharp stood and stretched. “See you in the morning.”
Hawkeye stuck around for a minute. He should head to the bunkhouse and get some sleep, but he found himself walking toward the cookhouse. Rena had left for the night, but she always put leftovers in the refrigerator. He guessed his guest could eat the arm off a moving tiger.