Page 68 of Leading Conviction
He sounded like a parrot, but the General’s admission was too much to digest all at once.
“Betraying me, trying to leave me, cheating on me. I poisoned her just like she poisoned Hannah against me, except for my choice of drug was more deadly. Once I realized she planned to steal my daughter away from me, I had no choice but to take care of her.”
“You’re sick.” Disgust tasted like vomit on the back of Eagle’s tongue.
He had to stop this, but if he played it cool now, he could tell his best friend. Hawk would know what to do, he always did.
One of Eagle’s biggest regrets was lying to Hannah about how much Hawk loved her. Even now, there was no one and nothing Hawk loved more than Hannah, and it killed Hawk not to check in on her. He’d been afraid an enemy would somehow get a hold of that information and retaliate against them by getting to her, like the shooters who’d confessed weeks after the Braves game. Eagle had thought Hawk was overreacting, but now that Eagle had just been caught doing the same thing with the Rahab Foundation, it seemed like Hawk had the right idea all along.
If Eagle had just told Hawk about the foundation, he could’ve helped. Maybe if Eagle told him now—
“Ah, I know that look. Don’t even try it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Eagle’s brow furrowed as he tried to play dumb again.
Not that it’s helped so far.
“Tell any member of your team, and I won’t just stop at your son. I’ll come for every single one of them, too. Whenever any of you think you’ve escaped me, achieved yourhappinesswith your ‘picket fences’ and ‘two-point-five kids,’ I’ll appear like a thief in the night. I will find you and everyone you love, and I will wipe them all off the face of the earth.”
Eagle’s jaw dropped at the General’s threat. No, hispromise. Because Eagle had no doubt this powerful man would make good on his word. He’d already killed his own wife, he certainly hated Eagle enough to kill Eagle’s son. And now it wouldn’t be just Eagle’s family, but everyone else’s, too.
How the fuck did this get so turned around?
He’d come in with a plan to get his team out from underneath the General’s thumb. Eagle had hoped he was wrong about their role in the General’s repulsive “enterprise,” as he called it. But the truth was worse than Eagle could’ve ever imagined.
“You see, you thought you had the upper hand with your information. But as you can tell—” The General waved a hand over the two photographs. “Ialways win, soldier. And when it comes to Hannah and anyone that comes between us?Youwillalwayslose.”
“You can’t do this,” Eagle replied in a hoarse whisper.
“On the contrary, I think you know exactly what I’m capable of and willing to do. Both for this operation, and to ensure Hannah stays mine.”
The way he said the last made Eagle’s stomach churn. Those words and the way the General said them were unnatural and vile. The sentiment opened up even more disturbing questions in Eagle’s mind about Hannah’sfather. But asking them at that moment would only get someone killed.
Eagle studied the pictures a moment longer, trying to figure out what steps he should take next.
He could go back to his team and tell them everything. But with Hannah out in the open—with theirson—there was no way Eagle could find her and get to her in time to save the boy.
Maybe if he told Hawk, they could work together to find and save Hannah and the boy without tipping off the General beforehand. The four of them could leave and go into hiding, at least until they figured out how to take down the General. But then his team andeveryonetheyloved would be left in the lurch.
He was trapped. They all were. The General was right. He would win… unless Eagle played the game.
Eagle dragged his eyes away from the picture of Hannah holding his son’s hand and met the monster’s gaze in front of him.
“What do I have to do?”
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
Present Day
Since Hannah was only in her long blue T-shirt and matching sleep shorts after their rooftop rendezvous, Hawk took her by the hand and snuck her back downstairs to his apartment, just in case someone was up early. As he made a show of checking around every corner, Hannah giggled behind him, making his chest light.
When they stopped by his studio apartment, Hawk drew her in for a scorching kiss. After he reluctantly let her go, she slipped inside to set Tommy up with a summer school self-taught lesson on his iPad and got dressed for the team meeting. Hawk paced the hallway until she emerged and they walked downstairs together to meet Wes in the war room.
“You sure you want to do this?” Hawk murmured under his breath. “You don’t have to come. I can give you the abridged version.”
His protective instincts were still off the charts when it came to her. He knew he should back off, but it was hard to believe she wanted to be in on all the information they were gathering about her own father.
“Yes, Hawkins. I need to help, any way I can.” She cut her eyes at him, her brow raised. Sincerity there mixed with an iconic mom look that said “don’t ask me again.” It was adorable and terrifying at the same time.
