“Is the identity of the girl known?”
“Absolutely not,” Emilia said. “Not even to my team. My lab partners focus on the cure; that’s their job. I wouldn’t do anything to risk Asha’s security.”
“I take it you’re close to providing the medicine to Asha?”
“Very close, and I won’t allow anything to prevent me from doing all I can to save her.”
“It’s no wonder that the attacks have ramped up,” Hawke said. “If anyone hopes to stop you, they’ll have to move fast.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Emilia took a couple of sips of wine. “I’m shaken by what’s happened, but I fear the worst is yet to come.”
“You’re safe here for now,” Hawke said. “I expect to hear from Jake soon about who was behind those posts. He knows how important this is.”
Emilia was glad to have support, as there was no way she could unravel the mystery alone. She drained her glass, and Hawke poured her more. She sat at the kitchen table while he thawed some hamburgers in the microwave. He grilled them on a small griddle and warmed hamburger buns.
“Can I help?”
“Sure, dig in the freezer. I have some French fries. We’ll toss them in the fryer.”
Emilia handled that, then set the table. She got out the condiments, including a jar of dill pickles. It was all very domestic and seemed so natural. She’d eaten with Hawke more times than she could count, although under better circumstances.
Watching Hawke in the kitchen was a pleasure. He wore a dark t-shirt that fit him snugly and showed off his biceps. As he moved, his muscles bunched and flexed. He was impossibly drool-worthy in his jeans. Those strong thighs and his flat abdomen had her imagining him without the clothes.
“Okay, bring your plate over.” Hawke loaded it with food, then filled his.
Emilia sat next to him, close enough for her knee to touch his leg. It felt like a date, but she reminded herself that he was only taking care of her. After layering her burger with lettuce and tomato, she lifted it in both hands. “These are huge.”
“Half pounders,” Hawke said after chewing and swallowing his first bite.
Emilia laughed. “Well, you’re going to have to finish mine for me. I’ll be lucky to eat a third of this monster.”
“No problem,” Hawke said, then took another big bite.
While Emilia ate a few bites of her burger and nibbled her fries, she watched Hawke. Whatever was going on hadn’t affected his appetite. But then she figured in the military he learned to eat when he had the chance.
Her mind drifted as she dipped a fry in catsup. She looked up to see Hawke looking at her. The emotion in his blue eyes warmed her from head to toe. She could drown in those eyes. Then he touched her hand. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Emilia choked up. The depth of his concern touched her. Hawke was a real friend, but right then it sure seemed like he was more. “So am I,” she said, sensation radiating through her from the touch of his hand.
As promised, Hawke ate all his food, then finished hers. She helped him clean up and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Then suggested checking out the roof deck.
“You sure? It’s chilly up there.”
“It will be refreshing,” Emilia said. “But I’ll need to borrow a heavy jacket.”
Hawke gave her a thick coat, which was way too big for her. But when they got to the roof, she was glad she had it. The temperature had dropped, and she shivered even with the extra layer. “It’s pretty nice up here,” she said.
The roof level had furniture, a grass area, and a firepit. “I’ll crank up the fire,” Hawke said.
There was no view of the river or any bridges, but the city was beautiful anyway, all lit up for the night. Emilia took a seat by the fire, and Hawke adjusted the controls. Then he sat across from her. “Let’s talk about it,” he said. “I’d like to know what we’re up against.”
“The extent of the damage?” Emilia rubbed her temple. “It’s dicey. The lab tests are complete, so the medicine is basically ready.”
“Can’t you deliver it, then?”
“If only it were that easy,” Emilia said. “The FDA has to give approval before the doctor will administer it. Our company lobbied for permission to treat the girl, filed all the required paperwork and records. With an authorization for the rare treatment, a priority review voucher could be included.”
Hawke just listened.
“That’s a big deal, as it opens the door to develop other drugs in a similar vein that could provide cures,” Emilia said. “Mac is anxious for that to happen, as it would fund more research. But first we have to be allowed to administer the cure we’ve developed for Asha.”
“How long will it take to get the approval?”
“The request was submitted as soon as we were certain of our test results in the lab.” Emilia shoved her hands in the coat pockets. “The answer should come anytime. I’d thought we’d have it by now.”
“Will the authorities pay attention to those false allegations?”
“They could, and although we’d argue our side, it would delay the proceedings.” Emilia’s chest tightened. “We don’t have that kind of time. Asha has a rare and fatal disease. Most children in her condition don’t live past their teens. But the doctor’s prediction for her is dire, and expects that she won’t even make it that long.”
Hawke came over to her. He sat on the stone ledge of the firepit and took her hands. “We can’t let that happen,” he said, then squeezed her hands.
Hawke was a tough guy with a tender heart, and his sentiment moved Emilia deeply. She choked back tears, trying to think of something to say. But he pulled her into his arms, and she rested her head on his strong shoulder. She leaned into the security of his embrace, loving him. She had to believe that success wasn’t out of reach, especially with Hawke on her side.
Chapter 8
That night, in a deep sleep, Emilia dreamt about Hawke. And the vivid images weren’t those of a mere friend. The scenes were hot, filled with need and passionate kisses. She wanted him so badly, and the unrequited love was a knife to her heart.
She woke before dawn, her body riddled with sensations. Her thoughts were of Hawke and how he’d appeared in her dreams. He’d been sexier than she could imagine, and to make it more agonizing, he’d appeared without clothes.
But as dreams often did, hers faded away before the scene finished. Her craving for him had surged, the pain of denial fierce, but before he could satisfy her, the images shifted. He was gone, and there was some other woman in his arms, a blonde she didn’t recognize.
She hated the woman, and still seethed with jealousy as though Hawke had been ripped away from her. The emotional devastation carved deep, and she woke up with lingering sadness. She looked at the window with only darkness beyond. The bleakness matched how she felt.
As promised, Hawke had slept in the other room. He’d hugged her to comfort her, again. But Emilia didn’t want to be comforted. She wanted more, so much more. There was no way to tell him, and no reason to violate their friendship by crossing the line.
She couldn’t bear the rejection she’d experience, so scrubbed her hands over her face then slid out of bed. There was no way she could go back to sleep. After showering and dressing, it was still not light outside. There had to be coffee in the kitchen, so she headed that way.
Hawke was already there. “Good morning.”
“This barely qualifies as morning,” Emilia said, and took a seat. “Don’t you sleep?”
“I might say the same to you.” Hawke looked delectable in jeans and a white cotton shirt.
Emilia had to look away, as her dreams were still fresh in her mind. “I smell coffee, and if I don’t get some soon, I’ll be grumpier than I am right now…and you don’t want to see me that way.”
Hawke laughed, then brought over a steaming mug of coffee. The aroma soothed her raw nerves, and the first sip made her feel better. “Did I wake you, or do you us
ually have coffee in the middle of the night?”
“I get up early.” Hawke shrugged. “It’s a habit from the military.”
Emilia took another sip of coffee. The scent of soap wafted over, and Hawke’s hair was a little wet. He’d not only gotten up early but had already showered. She could smell his aftershave, and a spike of desire shot through her.
“Hungry?”
Emilia shook her head, but not eating wasn’t acceptable to Hawke. She stared at the plate of buttered toast that he shoved in front of her. It was about all she felt like having at such an hour, so she took a slice. “I’m going to work early today. I need to get a grip on things.”
“That works,” Hawke said. “I’m often the first one in, too. I’ll drive you to your car.”
“Don’t worry about tonight,” Emilia said. “I don’t intend to impose. I’ll text my friend Tia as soon as it’s a decent hour and meet her after work.”
Hawke studied her.
“I promise not to be alone at my condo.” Emilia dared to look into his piercing blue eyes. “I’m not comfortable there. Yesterday freaked me out.”
“Okay, well, I’ll be a call away, if you need me.”
Emilia finished her coffee, then packed up. She prayed that today would be better but wasn’t sure that was going to happen. There was a lot to deal with, so it would be good to get a jump on it. She’d rather get in before her lab partners, instead of drawing attention by arriving after.
Surely, her coworkers had seen the posts. She cringed to think of it. There wasn’t anything to say to them when she didn’t have it figured out yet. Delaying wouldn’t help, so she went out to let Hawke know she was ready to go.
*****
When Emilia arrived, the lab was quiet—except for Grigori. He’d gotten in before she had, which wasn’t too surprising. He was dedicated and hardworking. It was encouraging to have him on the team and beside her during this tough period.
Grigori’s dark hair was short and spikey. His thin mustache was neatly trimmed. He looked like a guy who could be on the pages of a magazine, with his tall, well-built physique. “Hey, Emilia. I suspected that you’d be here early.”
Emilia dumped her stuff at her desk and went over to his. “So, you saw?”
“Yep, I read it all.” Grigori put aside a test tube. “It just kept on coming, long into the night.”
“I turned it off,” Emilia said. “I just couldn’t take it.”
Grigori furrowed his brow. “My question is, who is after you?”
“That’s the million-dollar question.”
“There is jealousy in this business,” Grigori said. “New drugs are worth billions, and if this one gets results on a human subject, that could give the green light for more.”
Emilia rubbed the back of her neck. “That’s the thing I don’t get. How does it benefit another tech company if we aren’t allowed to proceed?”
“Yeah, it doesn’t make sense.”
“Why are you here so early, anyway?”
Grigori glanced at the solutions on the shelf. “Making some adjustments to the formulas, a few things we’ve been working on. It’s our backup, just in case we need it. Especially in the current climate, it’s important to ensure we don’t make any errors, that nothing is left open to question.”
“I agree,” Emilia said. “And a young girl’s life is hanging by a thread. We have to give her all the support we’re capable of.”
That prompted Emilia to get to work. There was a lot of documentation involved with the process. An important package was in progress, and she might need it sooner than she thought. If the project was called into question, she needed to be prepared.
One after the other, the other technicians arrived but didn’t act abnormally. If they’d seen the reams of comments, they didn’t mention it. That was just as well, since Emilia wasn’t up to fielding questions. She needed to focus and keep her priorities straight.
It wasn’t long before Mac buzzed through to her desk. Emilia lifted the phone, waiting for what was surely to come. “I need to see you in my office.”
Emilia sighed, then went to see the boss. She considered what she would say, how she’d convince him that she had things under control. Lately, it didn’t seem like she did, so any argument she thought of didn’t seem to hold up.
Mac was behind his desk, so Emilia shut the door then sat across from him. He didn’t look up immediately, making her uncomfortable. At last he put aside a stack of papers and looked directly at her, his expression filled with concern.
“I’m not sure what’s happening,” Mac said. “But we have to take the campaign against you seriously.”
At least her boss understood the magnitude of the situation, but it was disconcerting that he referred to it as the campaign against her. “It’s the project that’s threatened,” Emilia said. “We have to consider that of utmost importance.”
Mac stared at her, as if she might offer answers. Yet she was at a loss. “What’s this all about?” he said. “Who is behind this?”
“I wish I knew.”
“Should we bring in assistance, hire a security team?” Mac said. “Our security is on-site only. They lack the expertise to take apart a scheme like this.”
Emilia felt responsible for what had gone on, even if the onslaught was directed at the project. “There’s no need to bring anyone in. I told you, my friend Hawke is on it. He’s former military, a Navy SEAL, and has a competent team with him.”
Mac looked stern. “I’m not placated. If he’s handling this, he’d better show signs of it quickly.” He leaned back in his chair. “There is a lot at stake. I’ll have to deflect queries and give assurances that we know what we’re doing here.”
“I understand.” Emilia’s gut clenched. “We can’t let anything stop this project, not now…not when we’ve come so far.”
Mac offered no assurance about that. “The biotech event is coming up; it’s only a few days away. It won’t be enough to make all of this go away, but it will be a forum where we can raise confidence in our new product. I expect you to be there, so you’d better start figuring out your public relations plan.”
Emilia was a scientist, not a PR woman. She hadn’t wanted to show up at the event, and now she disliked the thought of going even more. But her boss was right; it was a venue where she would have a chance to calm things down. “I’ll do my best,” she said.
The rest of the day, Emilia fretted about how she’d lobby for support and what verbal jujitsu she’d use to rally against the flood of questions at the event. The other staff focused on their daily tasks, without appearing to pay attention to her. Some had other projects to work on, so didn’t have as much involvement with her current one.
Yet Emilia could feel the tension, which was unnerving. She’d nearly forgotten about contacting Tia, but late in the day she sent a text. Her friend could meet for dinner, so she chose a place. It would be good to talk to Tia, who might be more objective about the drama that was playing out.
*****
Emilia met Tia at a waterfront café by the Delaware River. It had a sports bar atmosphere and good food. The dining area had windows all around, so it wasn’t difficult to get a table with a view of the river. And the place offered one of her favorite cocktails.
Tia arrived a few minutes late and was apologetic. “I got hung up with last-minute stuff. You know how that goes.” She’d come straight from work but looked dressed for dinner. The lab where she was employed to formulate cosmetics had an entirely different culture than pharmaceutical.
“I’m glad you could make it,” Emilia said. “I need to talk to you about things.”
Tia took a seat. Her dark hair was elegantly braided and her makeup flawless. She wore dangling earrings, and her green eyes were rimmed in plum eyeshadow, making them even greener. “I tell you, I’m starved. But I need a drink first. How about you?”
“I’ll have that cocktail we’re hooked on.”
“Yes, yum…
that rum one that’s mixed with Thai iced tea and condensed oat milk,” Tia said. “It’s so exotic. I’ll have one too.”
The waitress took the drink orders and left them to study the menu. “You don’t call me on weekdays that often,” Tia said. “Is something up? What do you need to talk to me about?”
“It’s a long story,” Emilia said. “You first. What’s new?”
“The cosmetics line is a pain in the… Well, you know. It usually is, especially when the deadlines are looming,” Tia said. “I’d rather talk about dating—that is, if I had something juicy to tell you.”
“No prospects? That’s hard to believe.”
Tia smiled. “Hardly…there’s usually one of the male species who catches my eye. And there is this guy, a rep from one of our suppliers, who has been stopping by regularly.”
“But you aren’t excited?”
Tia waved her hand. “I don’t know, maybe. I’ll have to see. He’s working up his nerve to ask me out.”
The drinks arrived, and for a moment, Emilia tasted the creamy concoction. The first few sips hit her empty stomach, and she felt the alcohol, so she took a few more sips.
“Stressed?” Tia said.
“Well, you know about what’s been going on, only you have no idea what happened yesterday.” Emilia proceeded to fill her in, skipping no details. She watched her friend’s expression turn from relaxed to horrified.
“You can’t be serious,” Tia said. “Some creep broke into your condo…why?” She gulped her drink. “I could have clued the idiot in that you don’t own anything valuable.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Emilia twirled her glass. “It’s likely that wouldn’t have made a difference.”
“And I think I have problems with the men in my life.”
“I hardly think it’s anyone I’ve dated; not that there are many in that category,” Emilia said.
Tia continued drinking, looking thoughtful. Then she sat up. “You didn’t stay there last night, did you?”
“I was getting to that part,” Emilia said. Thoughts of Hawke clouded her mind, and she didn’t see any way to keep her feelings from Tia, since her friend knew her too well. “I stayed at Hawke’s place last night.”
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