Page 5 of Tormented Hearts

“I’m more worried about the guy at high noon who’s working really hard not to give away his position,” she whispered.

Hawk’s head turned a fraction. “How did you spot him? He show himself to you?”

“I saw the glint off his scope.” She wiped dirt off her palms and muttered, “Of course I never got my concealed carry permit. Why didn’t I do one easy thing?”

He didn’t respond to what she said. He moved instead, low and fast, and it was over in a handful of seconds, a rustle of brush and a final shot she couldn’t watch.

She pressed her palm over her racing heart, trying to make sense of what just happened. Two men followed her. Both armed. Now both dead.

Hawk returned to her side, breath even like he’d taken a short walk instead of defended her by killing two men.

Sinead straightened to her full height, brushing leaves from her clothes. She met Hawk’s stare. “Thank you, Mr. Hawk. You’re dismissed now.”

He stared at her, looking genuinely thrown by her statement. “What?”

“Your service is no longer needed. Willow will bill me.” She was already turning back to the outcropping, to the spot she’d marked in her head before any of this started. Her father hadn’t sent her out here to be rescued. He’d sent her to find something.

She picked up where she left off, shovel in hand, and started pacing it off—twelve, thirteen, fourteen—noting the ridge on her left, the second bend just ahead.

Behind her, Hawk was still muttering about protocol, about not leaving the bodies unphotographed, about not going anywhere until—

“Shh.”

He jolted to a halt. “Did you hear something?”

“I’m counting paces.”

He didn’t say anything to that, but when she glanced over her shoulder, he was just watching her, arms crossed, like he couldn’t decide whether she was serious about dismissing him.

Or questioning if he’d allow himself to be dismissed. Finally, he made a thorough sweep of the area. After a few minutes, he returned to her side.

“You’re safe enough here for a minute. I’m going to document what happened.” He slipped away again, phone in one hand, weapon still in the other, leaving her to count.

After a few more paces, she stopped and looked around. “Where the ridge bends,” she murmured to herself.

She only just jabbed the point of the shovel into the earth when Hawk spoke from behind her.

“Ma’am. I need to get these photos to the office for ID. And I need to get you to a hotel with four walls and a lock, not counting your way to buried treasure.”

“I need to finish what I came here for.”

“Where did you come from, anyway? An attitude like that is going to—”

He never finished the sentence, but his eyes opened wide enough for her to notice the color.

Vivid green.

Right before he opened his mouth and screamed.

Chapter Two

Pain clamped on Hawk’s ass like a bear trap, and he hit the ground before his brain caught up with his body.

For one disoriented second he ran through every possibility. A bullet made the most sense, but there was no sound of a shot fired before the sharp pain hit.

Could be a knife blade, but someone would need to be a master thrower to strike a target at any distance let alone through this thick cover.

The better guess was that Sinead threw at him for his half-finished sentence accusing her of having an attitude.