Page 53 of Night Hawk
“But that won’t change the personal things, will it.” She spun on him. “After seeing my granduncle’s arrest record, I have to wonder if he took my sister and…” She shook her head hard, and her damp hair clung to her face.
Clay gently brushed it aside. “We don’t know what happened.”
“But it seems likely, right, and that’s why you were in such a bad mood during dinner?”
He looked her in the eye, and she waited for him to deny it. For him to say her grandmother’s brother didn’t hurt Lisa, but he didn’t.
“I’m sorry, honey.” Clay took hold of her shoulders and not even his endearing use of the wordhoneyfor the second time eased her pain. “I’m hoping it’s not true, but from a law enforcement perspective, it seems very likely.”
She couldn’t hold back her tears. She wanted to run away to hide and lick her wounds. She tried to move, but Clay had a firm hold of her shoulders, riveting her in place. That was just her excuse, though. She could certainly break free if she really wanted to.
“I’m sorry I made you cry,” he said softly, releasing her shoulders. “I didn’t want to have to tell you.”
She waited for him to offer a hug, but he stood looking at her, a question in his eyes. Was he asking permission? Certainly something she could see one of the well-mannered Byrd brothers doing. But she didn’t want well-mannered right now. She wanted to know someone cared.
She stepped forward and lifted her arms around his neck.
He circled his arms around her waist and held her with such tenderness. Her tears intensified. She would probably be sorry tomorrow. Embarrassed even, but at this moment she needed his touch, and she would take it for as long as he would hold her.
Tomorrow when everything ugly she’d learned was exposed to the light of day, she would once again become the strong agent her father had prepared her all her life to be, even if his actions were part of the very reason she was struggling so hard right now.
13
Toni stood with Clay in the doorway of the beach house, the morning sun climbing higher in glorious shades of orange and yellow over the sparkling ocean. She’d caught Clay sneaking looks at her as they’d eaten an early breakfast. He’d made omelets and toast for everyone before getting ready to leave for Jason’s rental house.
And she could feel Clay looking at her now. He was probably trying to find out how she was doing after the shocking news yesterday. The answer wasnot good—so she forced a smile and pretended to enjoy the sunrise.
The roar of an SUV’s engine shifted her attention to Drake, who was behind the wheel of one of the team vehicles parked in the driveway with Kelsey and Sierra in the back seat. Aiden sat behind the wheel of the other SUV, and Blake climbed into the passenger seat, Brendan the back seat. Erik stood halfway from the house to Drake’s vehicle and gave a sharp nod.
Clay pinned his focus to her. “I don’t think our suspect knows where you are staying, but stay by my side all the time. When we reach Erik, he’ll take the other side. No stopping for any reason. Straight into the vehicle.”
Clay was probably overdoing her security today. After all, he’d let her go out on the deck alone last night, but she was too emotionally worn out to question it. He stepped out, took a long look around, then reached for her elbow, drawing her into the crisp morning sunlight.
He closed the door behind them, and they hurried past Erik to the open back door of the SUV. Kelsey and Sierra had been waiting, and Toni felt guilty for her special treatment when she didn’t think it was necessary.
Sierra looked at Toni. “You’re in violent crimes, right?”
She nodded as she clicked her seatbelt in place.
“So you and Hunter work together.”
“We do,” she said, wondering where this was going.
“He’s married to Maya, one of our partners,” Sierra said. “Great guy.”
“He really is a great guy,” Toni said. “It was a good day when our supervisor decided we needed someone with cyber experience on violent crimes and moved Hunter.”
“Violent crimes has got to be a tough area to work,” Kelsey said. “I could never do it. Especially with the human trafficking and crimes against children.”
“I didn’t really choose it,” Toni replied. “It chose me.”
“How so?” Sierra asked.
“When I learned about the different investigative areas at the academy, I felt like victims of violent crime and their families needed me most of all. Plus, since I’m single, I can work the hours needed.”
“Don’t all agents work crazy hours?” Sierra asked. “I mean, that’s what Reed tells me.”
“Most do, but in some areas, like white-collar crimes, they often work a more regular schedule. But with violent crimes you can’t just go home at the end of a typical work day. Lives are on the line in the cases we investigate. Means I need to work as long as it takes to make sure people are okay.”
