Page 30 of Cease and Desist

He nodded. When his gaze met hers, she couldn’t quite tell what he was thinking, but a look had flitted briefly across his features before he shut it down. Regret? Fear? Lust? She had no clue and yet he seemed to be able to read her thoughts so clearly. Did they teach mind-reading in the Navy?

The cab stopped in front of Hawk’s building, and they got out. He ushered her inside, nodded to the doorman, and got into the elevator. He hit the button for his floor. “Once Gus is here, I think you might get some answers.” Hawk leaned against the back of the lift.

“You think my grandfather told Gus about everything?”

“Gus told me over one of the million cups of tea we drank yesterday that he and Remington had been friends since they were in short pants. My guess is a friendship that lasts that long, there probably aren’t many secrets left.”

She didn’t say anything. It would be good if Gus knew something and could tell them what the hell was going on, but at the same time, she didn’t want him to know. A flare of jealousy reared in her chest at the thought that her grandfather trusted someone else more than he’d trusted her.

“It wasn’t about trust,” Hawk said in a quiet voice, as though sensing the path of her thoughts. “Your grandfather’s relationship with Gus was that of contemporaries going through life together. He was responsible for you. Your safety would be paramount to him. He didn’t want you in any danger.”

“How do you know?” she demanded.

“Because I know what it’s like to be responsible for people’s safety, and I wouldn’t have told them jack shit if I thought for one moment it would put them in greater danger.” He moved forward as the elevator stopped on his floor.

Remy grimaced. It was essentially what Lacy had said. She’d been kept in the dark so he could protect her. But she wasn’t protected now. Now she was in deep shit, so it all had backfired.Thanks, Gramps.

CHAPTERNINE

The elevator door opened, and as Hawk stepped out into the hallway, every hair stood up on his arms. A tingling at the base of his spine came at the same time as his gut knotted.

“Shit.” He turned to Remy, arms outstretched to push her away. “Get back!”

“What?” she said as her eyebrows drew down in confusion.

He was about to shove her back into the elevator when a door opened behind him, followed by an enraged shout.

He grabbed her arm. “Run!” He sprinted toward the stairs, dragging her along behind him. He moved so quickly, she couldn’t get her footing and stumbled. He darted a look over his shoulder in the direction of his apartment. Two men were storming down the hallway. His door was standing wide open.

“Move!” he roared.

Remy recovered her footing and they made a mad dash for the stairwell.

He hit the door and pulled her through before letting it slam behind them. “Go down!”

They rushed down the stairs two at a time to the floor below. Remy had turned at the landing to continue down the stairs, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her through the door to the hallway.

“Why did we stop going down?” she demanded as she ran after him toward the elevator.

He hit the button repeatedly, even though he knew logically the elevator was already called. “We’ll never outrun them going down the stairs.”

When the elevator door opened, he practically threw her inside and then pushed her to the wall while he hit the lobby button and then held the close door button. The stairwell door clanged open. “Come on, come on,” he begged the elevator doors. Slowly, they slid closed. He caught a glimpse of the men just before the doors shut.

“It was a gamble,” he said, “but those guys look young and in good shape. From their neck tats, I would guess they are Asian gang members, but I can’t be sure. There was no way we would have made it to the bottom of the stairs before they caught us. They’d start jumping the stairs, and we’d be done for before we hit the tenth floor. Twenty-one floors is a lot of stairs to go down at breakneck speed without…breaking your neck,” he finished. “Especially in winter coats and boots.”

The doors opened, and he popped his head out to check the surroundings. The coast was clear, or at least no Asian gang members appeared to be in the lobby. He seized her hand and jerked her out of the car. “Do exactly as I say when I say it. I know your tendency is to argue with me and question everything, but don’t. We aren’t out of the woods yet, and I have no interest in either of us dying today. Understand?”

She narrowed her eyes at him but gave him a curt nod.

Well, she could be furious and outraged all she wanted, but later. After they evaded this threat and came out of this situation alive. If she kept questioning and fighting him, they’d be dead within the hour.

They approached the counter where the doorman sat. “Pierre. How are you today?” Hawk asked in a jovial voice.

“I’m well, Mr. Hawkins. And you?”

“Fine, Pierre. Did you see any Asian men go through the lobby? They have neck and hand tattoos.”

Pierre frowned. “No, sir. It’s been fairly quiet for a Sunday. No visitors. Only residents.”

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