Page 63 of Heartless

Gideon snorted. “Unless you joined up at eighteen and got sent to Fallujah in your first deployment.”

True that, but Hawke had been a different kind of kid at eighteen, having lost his innocence long before that. Facing death had been scary as hell, but he’d had few illusions. He’d known death would come for him at some point. Juan Gonzalez might think he had life by the proverbial tail. Little did he know that it could tear him to pieces like a ravenous lion.

“So what’s up with you and Liv?” Liam asked.

The beer Hawke had consumed churned in his gut. “You mean other than I disappeared for two years and let her think I was dead? Other than I captured her mother, who then killed herself while under my charge? Other than the fact that I’m asking her to work with me instead of allowing her to get on with her life?”

Not one bit fazed by Hawke’s bitter questions, Liam shrugged. “Yeah. Seems like an awful lot of steam coming from you two that has nothing to do with any of those things.”

Hawke blew out a ragged breath. “Yeah, well, steam has never been our problem.”

“Sorry to be so blunt, but what the hell is your problem?” Gideon asked. “I’ve never seen two people more right for each other than you two.”

Hawke snorted and sent his friend a telling look. “Oh yeah? You really want to go down that road?” The flash of pain in Gideon’s eyes made him feel even shittier. “Sorry, man,” Hawke said. “Low blow.”

“No, you’re right. I’m the last person that should question you. At least you had the balls to go for it once.”

Hawke didn’t take that as an insult. Gideon had been in love with Eve for years, and the only person who didn’t know it was Eve.

“Guess this isn’t a good time to rub your faces in it, but hell, I don’t care.” Liam grinned like a loon. “Aubrey and I are having a baby.”

Gideon slapped Liam on the back and offered his congratulations. Hawke swallowed down the bitter lump of regret and gave Liam his sincere good wishes. For twelve years, Aubrey and Liam had fought ugly battles and held on to an impossible love. He wished them nothing but the best.

Any sadness he felt for the past was his own damn fault.

* * *

“Oh man, I needed this.”

Olivia glanced back at Eve, admiring that her friend looked as if she’d just walked out of an air-conditioned spa.

As perspiration rolled down her back, she grinned at her friend. “Do you ever sweat like a regular human?”

“Ha. I was taught to glow, not sweat. And you’re one to talk. I don’t see a drop of dew on you.”

Before she could answer, the woman behind them said, “Well, let me tell you. I’m not glowing, and there’s not an ounce of dew anywhere on me. I’m sweating, and it ain’t pretty.”

They turned to see a breathless and red-faced Serena huffing about ten yards back. Eve had decided an early-morning hike was what they all needed. Olivia had to admit that the fresh air and stretching of her muscles felt wonderful. She usually did some kind of physical activity each day, but the past few days hadn’t allowed her to do much more than sit.

“Come on, slowpoke,” Eve said. “I see a rock with your name on it up here.”

They hadn’t yet reached the pinnacle, but even from here, the view was glorious. Majestic, snow-topped mountains as far as the eye could see stretched out before them.

“I’ve missed this,” Olivia said softly.

“No place like it on earth,” Eve said.

Serena finally joined them, her breathing slightly less ragged than before. The second she stopped, she took a long drink from her canteen and said, “I didn’t realize how out of shape I am.”

“You’re not out of shape,” Eve said. “You’ve just been working too hard.” She pointed to a smooth rock a few feet away. “Take a seat and catch your breath.”

“You’ll get no argument from me.” Sliding her backpack from her shoulders, she dropped it onto the ground and then plopped onto the rock with an explosive sigh.

Both Eve and Olivia found their own rocks to rest on, and for the next several minutes, the only noises were the rushing of the wind through the trees and the serene sounds of nature at its finest.

Peace flowed through Olivia, and for the first time in days, she felt the constriction around her chest loosen. It was hard to imagine anything wrong in this world when beauty surrounded them at every turn.

Reality returned with the sound of Eve’s determined sigh. “Okay, sweetie, how bad is it?”

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