“Roger that, Hawke.”
CHAPTER 12
Seven hours later, and late into the night, Rowan felt on the edge of his seat when they pulled onto the side of the dirt road in Woodbury, New York. Taylor had reported back an hour into the flight from San Francisco giving the go-ahead for Ryder’s team to join the search in the new location Rowan suggested. Not that Rowan expected otherwise. With the missing women so close to being found, and many of Taylor’s CIA agents, plus the FBI hunting Lewis, Taylor needed the extra manpower. The far end of the mine, with a cave entrance, was a twenty-minute hike into the forest to the west. Most of Ryder’s team had slept on the flight over. Ryder and Jeff included, as well as Rowan, but he noticed when he woke up that Alex didn’t look like she slept at all for the entire flight back to New York City. He got why. A lot rested on what happened the next few hours, exactly why Rowan forced himself to sleep. He needed to stay sharp. For her. And for those women.
When Alex got out of the passenger seat after Ryder drove them to the location, Rowan moved to meet Ryder at the hood of the command center on wheels that belonged to the New York City team. Rowan studied Alex as she spoke with Jeff and two of Ryder’s other guys, along with Luke. Addressing the question that had been sitting on his tongue when he saw Luke get onto the plane, Rowan asked Ryder, “Is Luke not still assigned to Mia?”
Ryder scanned over Luke, who was currently arming himself to the teeth. “He got wind of this and wanted to come on board. I sent another one of my guys, Andreas, to keep an eye on Mia until he’s back.”
A frown tugged on Rowan’s mouth. “Is that usual for him to bail on an assignment he’s given?”
“Not usual, no.” Ryder paused then shrugged. “It’s what Luke wanted, and I try to honor what my team wants when I can.” Then he strode away, leaving Rowan wondering if Luke was an adrenaline junkie that needed the high of the hunt, and if Ryder, as a good leader, respected and fulfilled that need.
Rowan only cared that Mia was safe, and Ryder had proven already to have Mia’s best interest in mind. With that thought settled, Rowan moved to the back of the van, reaching for the weapons that Ryder had loaned to him. He strapped a gun to his thigh and slid the knife into the sheath.
“You good with that knife?” Luke asked.
Rowan smiled. “Guns, they always expect. No one ever expects you to get close. It surprises them every time.” Even as the words left his mouth, his stomach tightened against how many had died under his blade, but it was a truth that remained. He’d learned how to fight from one of the best in the CIA. Those skills kept him safe, many times.
Luke gave Rowan a good long regard then finally said, “Good to have you on the team.”
Rowan nodded and then stared after him as Luke headed toward Ryder. Rowan’s kills were on his hands. He took the blame alone. There was something about having men there over his shoulder that gave a sense of security that Rowan hadn’t known he missed. But soon a sudden tug for him to glance right overwhelmed him. Rowan was unsurprised when he caught Alex watching him with heat in her eyes. Drawn to her in ways he could not put a name on, he closed the distance between them. “The gear does it for you, huh?” he asked when he reached her.
She gave him a thorough once-over then grinned. “Yup.” Her lips were parted, ready for his kiss, when awareness returned to her gaze that they were surrounded by her coworkers. “Pure trouble, you are, Hawke.”
He winked, clamping down on the intensity threatening to rush over him. “I’d wager a bet you like that about me, McCoy.”
She laughed softly then turned and proceeded to walk straight into Jeff.
“Dude!” he snapped, grabbing her arms, steadying her. “I am a person, not a wall for you to knock down.”
She flushed from her face all the way down to her chest and took a step back. “Sorry.”
Rowan grinned all for himself, liking seeing her a little disarmed. It gave him hope that when they finally talked about what was going to happen after the case was done, he might get the answers he wanted.
He followed Alex, loving the extra little wiggle she put into her ass, until they reached Ryder.
“We’re going to make this clean,” Ryder said, as Rowan moved in next to Alex. “We’ve all got our plans,” he said to Alex. To his team, he added, “We get in, search quickly and efficiently, and get out. We stay safe. Clear?”
“Hooyah,” the team responded in unison.
A light breeze rustled the trees behind Ryder as he turned to Alex and Jeff. “Keep communication open. I suspect we’ll have some traps to get through. I can’t imagine Lewis not putting security on the mine.”
Alex said, “Give me a few to get into whatever systems he’s got going on in there.” Taylor had reported to Rowan that the drones the CIA had sent over the mine revealed Wi-Fi signals coming from the location. Problem was, it wasn’t in one location. It spanned miles of the mine.
Ryder acknowledged her request with a nod. “We’ll move into position now and wait for your order.” He hesitated, then looked at Alex firmly. “Be steady.”
She nodded. “Always am.”
With a final hard look at her, Ryder strode off toward his team.
Rowan felt the weight of worry settle deep into his chest and tugged Alex into his arms before she could refuse. Much like Ryder, who probably wanted her safe at home, he didn’t want her there. He kissed the top of her forehead. “I thought you were the hacker who didn’t like getting into the thick of things, and here you are right in the action?”
She dropped a kiss on his neck then felt her smile against his flesh. “I thought you were the guy who didn’t get emotional, who had a job to do, and never broke out of line, and here you are getting emotional?”
Two could play that game. He leaned away, staring into those fiery eyes of hers. “What if I’m not that guy anymore? What if I’m the guy that wants to keep you close and safe where nothing or no one can hurt you?” He spotted the widening of her eyes even through the dark night as he went on. “What if I’m the guy not looking to run but looking to stick?”
Her mouth parted, and Rowan became aware of the wave of warmth washing over him as everything about her softened. He waited to hear the words he’d longed for. To hear that she wanted him just as much.