Page 11 of Tormented Hearts

A snapshot of her standing beside a hospital bed, her guide extensively bandaged but smiling and giving a thumbs-up at being alive.

The next was a photo of the guide, his wife and…Hawk counted…eight kids, who would have been orphaned if not for her heroics.

And lastly, a shot of Sinead standing with what looked like the leader of the Kenyan village. She was wearing an intricate beaded necklace and holding a carved shield in what was obviously the Kenyan equivalent of the key to the city.

He withheld his grunt of annoyance and held the phone out to her. When she took it, their fingers brushed.

He drew back and let his fist hang at his side, trying to un-feel the small tingle of electric current.

Gray leaned back in his seat, the image of a man about to enjoy himself. “Hawk. Do you think you can still perform?”

The room’s attention swung to him like he was the punchline nobody had gotten to.

After fighting with men cut from the same bolt of rough cloth, Hawk understood what brotherhood meant. He’d heard the guys on the team rib each other a hell of a lot. So he understood their teasing. Didn’t mean it didn’t chafe his already prickly ego.

He caught a mutter from Sinead, under her breath but not quite low enough. “Not sure he could before.”

Hawk felt heat climb up the back of his neck that had nothing to do with snakebites or tetanus shots.

“I can perform fine.” His voice came out tight. “The snake got my ass, not my aim.”

Ayla issued a snort of suppressed laughter, and Willow’s eyes sparkled with mirth over the hand she clapped over her mouth.

Sinead examined her fingernails, the lift of her brows suggesting she believed otherwise. “I’m fine to continue on my own now that the danger’s passed.”

Whatever professional composure he’d walked in with evaporated, replaced by hot impatience. He made a sharp move to go, ignoring the pull in his glute. “I’ll take you back to your vehicle. Right now. We’re done here.”

Sinead rose from her chair without hesitation, chin up and looking entirely too pleased with how this was going.

“Sit down, Ms. Winthrop.” Carson didn’t raise his voice—he didn’t need to. Their boss carried an authority that made everyone stop and listen.

She turned her attention to him.

“There’s a clause in your contract. You don’t get to dismiss us. We’re on this job until you’re safe—however long that takes.”

Sinead sat as if the wind fell out of her designer sails, and Hawk allowed himself a small flicker of satisfaction.

Carson flipped open a folder in front of him. “Of course, that clause is contingent on continued threat assessment. If the situation’s resolved and there really is no further danger to the client, the contract terminates automatically.”

Sinead was back on her feet before he’d finished the sentence, moving like a woman who’d just been called to board her flight.

“Then I believe we’re finished.” She looked right at Hawk. “Two men are dead, and I have a very specific hole in the ground I need to dig.”

“Except,” Carson said with an air of mildness that anyone who knew him understood to be cold calculation, “two men are dead. And we don’t know if there could be more. Which means the threat isn’t resolved. The clause stands.” He closed the folder and lay his hand on the top like the drop of a gavel.

Sinead sat back down, harder this time, arms crossed in the first display of real irritation Hawk had seen from her.

The crack in her cool, calm demeanor.

Her gaze met Hawk’s. For a long beat neither looked away.

She stood again. “I’ll hire my own security then. Someone who isn’t bound by whatever clause you’re inventing on the spot.”

“Not inventing.” Carson gave her a direct look. “Page four of the contract you signed when you gave verbal agreement over the phone with Willow.”

Hawk bit down on the inside of his cheek hard to keep from laughing. Even though he wanted to be finished with the woman, he didn’t want to give her the ability to fire him.

Besides, he was on that ridge. Whatever doubt he had about how real the threat was ended the minute that man lifted his weapon and took aim.