“You’re supposed to be on my side,” Amber complained. “Just because he’s cute…”
“Hey, I’m not that shallow. Really, I’m offended.” Llallana handed her a plate. “Here, let me help prepare a meal for Hot Stuff. You have to stop growling like that, Amber, or you’re going to frighten Dilaver away.”
Amber turned the heat on high. She lowered her voice. “I wonder whathewants today. He didn’t just show up to get a meal for his American friend.”
“Didn’t he say he wanted some information? I’ll bet you a double steakburger that it has to do with missing trailers of women.”
Amber nodded. “Well, we already knew he would come to me sooner or later.”
Llallana watched Amber for a few minutes, moving out of Ona’s way when the latter passed by with the meatloaf. Unless it was very busy, she seldom helped out in the kitchen when she was in town, preferring to stay upstairs in the apartment, enjoying her time alone. Amber didn’t mind. It was her downtime away from all the really dirty work in their venture—moving the girls from town to town, and making sure they were safe. She had gone along with her friend a few times and knew what a toll that was on the spirit.
“Why did you cook him what he wanted, anyway?” Llallana asked. “You didn’t have to. Could have just given him good old meatloaf.”
Amber glanced up briefly from preparing the dressing. “Because he said he had a bet riding on it that I’d get his order right.”
“I heard that, but what does that mean?”
Amber smiled wryly. She had to give it to the man; he had her cornered. “If I didn’t decode his message, it meant he won the challenge. If I decoded it, it meant I lost.”
Llallana chuckled, shaking her head. “So he’d get you either way. He’s got you figured out, you know. Knows that you think in terms of challenges. He’s a smart one, Amber. Since he won, I guess you’ll have to work with him.”
Amber arranged the plates of food on the tray and handed them to Ona to take out to the guests. “He didn’t win,” she declared. “He gave me a choice. I prefer to lose than have him win.”
“Oh, that makes sense, then. You two ought to make a good team.”
Amber paused as she wiped her hands. Team. The idea of being partners with Hawk McMillan sent an unexpected shiver down her spine. He would use unorthodox methods. And he would constantly challenge her. Both thoughts excited and troubled her.
“We’ll see what he wants,” she said noncommitally.
“My, all these men wanting something from Amber H.” Llallana sighed. “Busy girl.”
Amber unrolled her sleeves and arranged her shirt. “I have a feeling that things are going to get busier. We have to really get our shit together now that Dilaver is back in town. Not going to be as easy to get his trailers.”
“We’ll worry about that later. Now you go and entertain them out there while I make a few phone calls. I want to make sure everything is okay.”
“All right. Hey, Lily? Call Brad and tell him that Dilaver’s here. Maybe he can raid one of hiskafenas.”
Amber watched as Llallana hesitated, knowing that she didn’t want to make that phone call. She also knew her friend wouldn’t say no, not when it had to do with saving more girls. When she nodded, Amber mouthed a silent thank-you before slipping back into the study. She took a deep breath. She could handle Dragan Dilaver. It was the new guy who would be a little harder to manipulate.
Maybe it was just all these months of thinking about it, but it was the most delicious hamburger Hawk had ever tasted. The mouthwatering smoky smell alone made his taste buds cry out in delight. It was exactly how he dreamed of one—a big fat slab of juicy hamburger, seasoned and charred, the works and squishy with mayonnaise. It dripped out in between the sesame buns as he took hungry bites.
“I think this is the most animated I’ve seen you yet,” Dilaver observed, highly amused.
Again, Hawk wished that he could enjoy this particular meal alone. He was surprised at how much he had been looking forward to it. In his job, he’d gotten used to going without, be it food or physical comfort, and it was very rare that he allowed his needs to rise to the surface like this. It wasn’t as if he were starving; he just had been dreaming about hamburgers.
“Amber! Look at how much my friend’s enjoying your cooking.”
Hawk looked up to see Amber walking toward them. He quickly wiped his hands and stood up to pull a chair out for her.
“Thank you,” she said with a smile. “Is your meal to your liking?”
“Exactly how I wanted it,” he replied.
“He’s been talking about hamburgers,” Dilaver said. “You must have read his mind.”
Her smile widened slightly and she glanced back at Hawk. “It was incredibly easy.”
Hawk didn’t say anything at her dig, preferring to finish off his hamburger. She arched her brows at him, refusing to be the first to break off.
