Hawke

by Trent, Emily Jane

  “Not your fault,” Emilia said. “But I still need to find out who has a motive to harm me.”

  “That’s the question we all want the answer to,” Ryker said. “I’ve asked myself, who is desperate enough to want to kill you?”

  “Any ideas?” Hawke said.

  “We looked at Standard Bio to figure out if they had an angle, but they came up clean,” Ryker said. “I made it my business to learn the significance of the review voucher that Emilia’s expecting. It’s true that Standard would be willing to purchase it for a tidy sum, once the FDA spits it out. But that’s the case for several labs and their pharmaceutical investors.”

  “That doesn’t mean the company wants to get Emilia out of the way, or that they’d commit murder to get what they want?” Hawke said.

  “I found no indication of that,” Ryker said. “Which leaves us with the car-tampering incident. The police have no leads, but the team can take things further. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

  Hawke had confidence that his crew would pull a few tricks and get to the bad guy, eventually. Yet would it be in time?

  That was all Ryker had, so he ended the call. The sun went behind the clouds and the morning turned chilly. “I better get you back inside.”

  Hawke carried Emilia downstairs and made her comfortable on the sofa then sat beside her. When she’d been in his arms, he hadn’t wanted to let her go. He still didn’t have a clue how being together would work, but he’d made a decision to try.

  “I’ve been a coward,” Hawke said. “I went off and fought on foreign soil. Yet I haven’t had the guts to commit to a relationship.”

  Emilia’s expression softened.

  “All I could do was come up with reasons about why being together was doomed,” Hawke said. “I was convinced that you couldn’t deal with anything unpleasant. I apologize for underestimating you.”

  Hawke reached for her hand. “I want you, Emilia. I need you in my life.” He choked up. “I love you…so much.”

  “I love you too. I’ve loved you for so long.”

  Hawke kissed her sweet lips, his heart near to bursting with joy. “I’m still not sure it’s wise to hook up with me.”

  Emilia seemed to glow with love. “What if I want to?”

  That was all it took. Hawke was committed, as if he hadn’t been already. He kissed her, lingering, tasting her sweetness. “I love you…and I’m not leaving. Not even when the danger has passed.”

  Then Hawke was lost in another sweet kiss that exploded into passion. He kissed her deeply, drinking her in, and she kissed back, making a sexy sound deep in her throat. Emilia was his woman, whom he loved so much it hurt—and he wasn’t ever going to let her go.

  Chapter 17

  The first few days post-injury were the worst, but Emilia recovered well. The headaches were gone, and although the ribs were sore, she was functional. She’d been into the lab a few times and was reaching the point of desperation about the project.

  Although Emilia was grateful for Hawke’s care and attention, she refused to keep him from work any longer. She didn’t want to be followed around every second of every day. And she couldn’t very well plot with Tia about how to crack this case open if Hawke didn’t let her out of his sight.

  Since her car was totaled, she needed another vehicle, so the Black Swan team put together a new one for her. It was a Ford Escape that had been specially outfitted. According to Ryker, the electronics were tamperproof, and the windows were bulletproof.

  “Don’t you think that’s a bit over the top?” Emilia said. “I feel like we’re evading mobsters or something.”

  “You can’t be too careful,” Hawke said. That was the car she’d drive if she intended to go anywhere on her own. He also trained her to spot if she was being tailed and what to do about it. He had some self-defense moves in mind to teach her, yet put off that training until her ribs were better healed.

  “You’ll have to use your head in the meantime,” Hawke said. “But I intend to provide you with survival skills, so I don’t have to worry so much when I’m not by your side.”

  Late in the week, Emilia arranged a meeting with Tia to discuss important business. She hadn’t shared their scheme with Hawke, knowing that he would veto it. There was no way that he’d condone sending her off to Maryland to have a heart-to-heart with the FDA.

  But Tia was behind her about wanting to do something. She figured that two women would have the best chance of sweet-talking the authorities, especially if she was one of them. She’d already picked out the outfit she was going to wear.

  Emilia had some plans to make, so on Saturday morning she went to the lab, where she’d be out of Hawke’s sight. He’d frowned when she’d told him. “Can’t this wait until Monday?” he said.

  “I’m afraid not.” Emilia intended to have a strategy in place by then.

  Hawke frequently worked some weekend hours, too. “I’ll tend to business, but text before you leave the lab…and don’t be too long. I’m planning to have lunch with you.” He kissed her, then nodded when he saw that she was wearing the necklace he’d bought for her.

  Emilia smiled at his possessiveness. Since he’d confessed his love for her, the relationship had shifted. She no longer had to be careful not to reveal her true feelings. It was wonderful to be together, yet there was still her situation to handle before they’d be free to make any plans.

  Once in the lab, Emilia put her stuff aside to get to work. The place was empty, just how she liked it, as it was easier to think—especially when making secret plans. And what was the worst that could happen? The FDA might not budge, but it was worth a try. She couldn’t ignore the possibility that the effort might pay off.

  Hawke would be upset that she hadn’t included him, but he’d done so much already. Besides, she agreed with Tia that alone they had a better chance to succeed. Bringing in muscle might send the wrong message, so appearing with Hawke by her side could have the opposite effect.

  Emilia had considered alternatives. She had the medicine, but if she used it without authority, then the lab would get shut down. That would be a complication that she couldn’t afford. Her boss had used his leverage to no avail.

  It was time for Emilia to break the stalemate. Her motivation was higher, because Asha was barely hanging on. As promised, the doctor had called to report a change. The infection was abating, but Asha was very weak. If her fever spiked or other symptoms increased in severity, it could possibly be the end.

  Emilia’s heart was breaking. She’d wanted to fly to Maryland that minute, but government offices were closed on weekends. The soonest she could hope to gain an interview would be on Monday—yet she feared that might be too late.

  After turning on her computer, she booked two seats for the first flight out on Monday morning. She’d need to figure out what to tell Hawke, and it wouldn’t be easy explaining having to leave home that early, but she’d think about that later.

  Emilia opened her email and scanned for anything important. It was her routine, and pretty much anything could wait. She wasn’t expected to be in on the weekend. A subject line caught her eye, making her stop cold.

  Could it really be? Clicking it open, Emilia read the brief but clear message. She was stunned, yet it only took a moment for her to snap to life. Her pulse raced, as she couldn’t wait another second to get moving. The FDA had given approval.

  The message was official and granted authority to proceed with the trial. It said that a full package would follow, but the email confirmation would be sufficient for the lab’s use. Emilia could provide treatment to Asha.

  The email must have arrived after hours on Friday, so Mac hadn’t seen it. If he had, then he would have called her. Her hands shook as she sent a quick text to her boss, letting him know. Next, she called Doctor Casey and spoke so fast that she wondered if the doctor even understood her.

  “I’ll have Asha’s parents bring her to the hospital,” the doctor said. “We’ll await your
arrival.”

  Then Emilia called Hawke, unable to contain her excitement. “It came through!” she said.

  “What, honey?”

  “The FDA approval. It’s here in my email. Mac knows now, and the doctor is meeting me at the hospital,” Emilia said.

  “I’m on my way,” Hawke said. “I’ll see you there. This is great news.”

  “Hawke…I love you!”

  The danger had passed; nothing could stop her now. All Emilia had to do was deliver the medicine. Her goal was finally within reach. There was still the real trial as to whether the treatment worked for Asha, but she had faith that it would.

  Now, all Emilia had to do was get the medicine from the refrigerated unit then retrieve the formula to mix with it. She’d developed a method to stabilize the formula. That was the only way it would be effective. Without the addition, the potency lasted only twenty minutes, rendering it ineffective. She was the only one who knew how to stabilize it.

  Emilia was fairly bursting with energy. She stood up from the desk and shrieked with joy. After taking a breath, she raked her hands through her hair then spun to see that someone was watching her.

  “Clive…what are you doing here?” It was odd to see the HR manager on a weekend.

  “I work here, remember?”

  “Of course, but listen—I have an urgent matter to attend to,” Emilia said, thrown off by his presence. He had a strange look on his face, but then, the guy was strange anyway. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I need to get moving.”

  Clive stepped closer. He was several inches taller than she was, a fact that Emilia hadn’t really noticed before. It was the look in his eyes that startled her. He looked smug about something, but she didn’t have any inclination to get into it with him.

  “You would have been in that car accident much sooner, if you hadn’t been riding around in that Jeep most of the time.”

  “What?”

  Clive chuckled, sending a chill up her spine. “Even SEALs have vulnerabilities. I can outsmart them.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Panic raced through Emilia’s gut. She couldn’t afford this, as every second counted. Asha was waiting.

  “Oh, I think you do,” Clive said.

  Emilia noticed that he wasn’t wearing the frumpy shirt or jacket that he usually wore. His weekend wear was a t-shirt that revealed he actually had muscle. “I have to go.”

  “I don’t think so.” The way Clive said it gave her pause. Emilia was concerned, as she was alone in the building. There was one security guard at the front entrance, yet that was a long way from the lab. There had been no reason to prevent Clive from entering, since he worked there.

  “Clive, I get that you have some issue to go over, but really…this is not the time.”

  “I’ve been watching you. Aren’t you curious how I happen to be here, at just this moment?”

  “Watching me?”

  “Well, not me exactly; I have pros for that job.” Clive sounded really crazy.

  Emilia thought about what Hawke had told her. In dangerous situations, the best action was to run and deal with it later. If you couldn’t, then defuse the antagonism. She hadn’t been schooled in physical defense, but verbal was what she needed right now, anyway. And Hawke had worked with her on that.

  She mirrored Clive. “I’m sorry…pros for that job?” She hoped to pull more information out of him.

  He explained, “I have photos of you with Hawke. I know your routine. It wasn’t difficult to figure out when to tamper with your car’s electronics.”

  “I’m sorry…tamper with my car’s electronics?” Emilia was alarmed but kept her voice calm. She spoke in as deep a tone as she could manage. A high pitch would show fear and unsettle Clive further.

  “I’ve been monitoring your email,” Clive said. “I saw the approval email before you did, and it was lucky that you came in today. The sooner the better, as far as I’m concerned.”

  Emilia was flustered. “For what?”

  Clive blocked her path to the door. “You were warned repeatedly,” he said. “If only you’d listened, then you would have been out of the way. I’m sure Mac could have been persuaded to sell out. It’s a lot of money, after all.”

  Clive’s arrogance astounded her, as she’d viewed him as subservient, even humble. “Mac won’t sell.” She couldn’t believe that Clive was after the formula for the treatment. “And I’m the only one who has the stabilizer.”

  “Yes, I’m aware of that.” Clive glowered at her. “You think you’re so important. We’ll see about that. You’re going to give me the stabilizer. I already have the formula for the treatment.”

  Of course he did. If he had monitored her email, then he’d likely tapped into much more. He had a position with the company that gave ample opportunity for that.

  “I see that you’re beginning to put the pieces together,” Clive said. “I was disappointed in Ray. He shouldn’t have gotten so emotional. After all, he was paid well for his work. He obtained some good information. It’s too bad that you caught on so quickly.”

  “And Roston…is he involved?”

  Clive shook his head. “Not directly. My deal is with a particular investor for Standard Bio, not the lab or their manager, although I’m sure they smell something in the works. There’s big money involved, and I plan to cash in.”

  He must be hooked up with criminals, as no self-respecting firm would come up with a scheme like this.

  “I was recruited by my contact years ago,” Clive said. “And my liaison is breathing down my neck right now. I have four million dollars at stake, and my big pharma contact has a potential for more money than you can imagine. That damn approval took longer than expected.”

  “All the bad publicity certainly didn’t speed it along.” Emilia could see that he didn’t react well to criticism.

  “That was all for your benefit, so you’d be removed from your position. And I nearly had you. Mac wavered, and it almost worked.”

  Emilia was puzzled. The plan was to get her out of the way, then force a takeover. With enough money, her boss might have agreed—but not if he’d figured out what the buyers were up to. And even Mac was missing a piece of the puzzle. She shuddered to think that was the reason she hadn’t been killed.

  “I’ll need that stabilizer formula,” Clive said.

  It was simple. All along, Clive had planned to steal the formula and sell the review voucher for millions. Emilia had to get out of there. She was a jogger, so should be able to get past this cripple. She made a dash for the door.

  But Clive was there first. In a flash, he was in front of her. There wasn’t a thing wrong with his leg. The limp had been fake, just like the rest of his persona. He bolted the door, then leaned against it. “Now…shall we?” Clive reached behind his back and pulled a knife from his waistband. “I think you’ve seen that I’m stronger than you. I suggest that you behave.”

  There was no way that Emilia was going to cooperate with this lunatic. She’d die before she put the formula in his sleezy hands. It wouldn’t be used for the child who needed it. With dollar signs in their eyes, Clive and his secret partner would line their pockets first.

  There was one thing he didn’t know, an important thing that he’d overlooked. Emilia protected the stabilizer, so had secured her record of the scientific formula in a hidden safe. She didn’t trust computer security. Access to the safe was blocked without the code, and it wasn’t one that Clive would be able to decipher—even if he got that far.

  “We’re going to do this together,” Clive said, ushering her back into the lab.

  “I’m not cooperating with you.” Emilia struggled for the right way to convince him. “If you kill me, you still won’t have access to what you’re after. Mac will take over, and this lab will retain ownership.”

  “Oh, you’ll cooperate with me.” Clive smirked. “Asha is hanging by a thread, and you won’t be giving her the treatment without me…understood?”<
br />
  “I could give you the formula, then you could let me go,” Emilia said. “For security reasons, it’s not written down; it’s only in my head. But I could tell you the precise ingredients, amounts, and procedure.”

  Clive laughed. “You must know by now that I’m not stupid. You’d lie.”

  “Then what do you propose?” Emilia’s mind raced, as she tried to figure out a way out of this mess.

  “You’re going to mix the formula to take to Asha, because I know you won’t screw that up,” Clive said. “I’ll do the mixing, so I’ll know how to repeat it.”

  Emilia had no doubt that once Clive knew the formula, he’d kill her. She knew too much. And there was no chance that he’d deliver the medicine to Asha. This child’s only hope rested with her.

  Clive went to the refrigerator unit and got the medicine. He placed it on the workstation, then pointed to a chair. “Sit down and get comfortable. We aren’t leaving until I have what I want.”

  Emilia took a step then pretended to slip, so she could shove the chair back. Then she recovered her balance and took a seat, as far away from the action as she could manage. It was a lab, after all, and Clive was an amateur.

  “All right,” Clive said. “Start talking.”

  Emilia gave explicit instructions. She stepped Clive through the process, one chemical at a time. He learned quickly and used the beakers and test tubes just as she directed. Measurements were precise, so drop by drop, the mixture was formulated.

  “Just one more item,” Emilia said. “Then you’ll have it.” Clive wasn’t used to working in a lab; he didn’t even wear a coat or goggles. That was just as well. “Okay, see that tiny bottle on the shelf, the third one from the left?”

  “This one?” Clive held it up proudly.

  “Yes, that’s correct. Now what I want you to do is take a dropper and very carefully allow two drops to fall into the mixture.”

  With deep concentration, Clive did as she told him. His attention was riveted on the beaker with the precious mixture. One drop was released, then another, suddenly making the beaker shatter. The last ingredient had caused an explosion, as it created an acid formula.