Page 34 of Hawk

“Fucking hypocrite,” Midnight muttered.

Deviant’s laptop pinged, and his fingers danced over the keyboard again. Then he leaned back, a slow grin curving his lips. “Got an alert for a recent log-on. Same alias. Same server. Different location.”

“You get an address?” Midnight asked.

Deviant frowned at him. “Course I did, motherfucker. I always come through.”

Maverick rolled his eyes. “Just give us what we need.”

“Southern edge of Nashville. Big place. Remote. Surveillance feeds off-grid, but I hacked a drone scan. Looks like a fortress, but not one we can’t crack.”

Midnight’s voice was calm, but his eyes gleamed like frostbitten steel. “We hit it fast and hard.”

Maverick shook his head. “We’ll do recon first. Make sure the sick fuck is home and see if Ellen’s there. If she is, we’ll have to be more strategic than hitting it like a battering ram.”

Fox pushed away from the table, walked around his desk, and sat down. “Once you’re in, take out the servers, rip up their network, do whatever it takes to wipe this shit out.”

Deviant grinned. “I’ll salt the digital earth.”

“What about Darren Thomas?” Midnight wanted to know.

“He’s mine,” I snapped.

No one argued.

I nodded once, sharp and brutal. My fists itched for contact. “He’s not walking away from this.”

“Agreed,” Fox murmured. “But he isn’t the only one out there. He can point us to the other dealers and buyers. So he stays alive until we get answers.”

As much as I wanted to put a bullet in the fucker the second I had him in my sights, I wasn’t about to let any other depraved asshole get away with this shit if I could help it.

I nodded, then turned and headed for the hallway, not bothering to say goodbye. I didn’t have it in me to waste words. Not when my girl’s name had been dragged through a pit of filth and her work twisted into currency by a monster who should’ve rotted years ago.

When I found Gemma back in the lounge, she was crouched beside Luna, who was whispering secrets into her ear and giggling like they were plotting world domination. Chase had a cookie in one hand and was using the other to tug on Gemma's toffee-colored braid while babbling nonsense as she laughed. He made a move to take off, and she caught him before he could slip away again. “Oh no, you don’t, little jackrabbit.”

I watched her for a moment. The vision of her in the center of something bright, safe, and chaotic. A dream I’d never dared to want.

When I slowly crossed the room to her, my boots were heavy on the floor, and my chest was tight with something too big to name. Then I cupped her face in my hands. “Come with me.”

Her smile faded at my tone. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing you need to worry about, baby. I just want you where I can see you.”

I waited until she handed the little boy off to his mother, then I led her out, fast but not rushed, aware of every movement and every glance over her shoulder. When we reached my room, I scooped her into my arms before sitting in the desk chair and settling her on my lap.

“We’ve got a lead,” I told her. “You don’t need the details, but we’re going after the people responsible. And I want you to stay here where you’re protected.”

Her brow furrowed. “Is it about Ellen?”

I hesitated. “Yes. That’s why I need to go.”

Her voice cracked. “Then let me come. If she’s there?—”

“No.”

“Callum—”

“No.” I grabbed her hips, eyes locked on hers. “This isn’t up for debate. I need to know you’re here where no one can get to you. I won’t be able to breathe, much less focus if I’m worried about you.”

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