Page 56 of Heat Force
Lexi was watching Moyo, tears streaming silently down her face. He squeezed her hand. “He’s going to make it. He’s tough. He’ll get through this.”
“I thought we were all going to die,” she whispered. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
Hawk’s chest tightened. What had he been thinking leaving her in the fucking jungle by herself? “I’m here, Lexi. And I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me, got it?”
A faint smile tugged at her lips. “I think I can live with that.”
Forty-five minutes later, the helicopter touched down at a private hospital in Goma. A medical team was waiting, and rushed forward to take Moyo into surgery.
Hawk carried Lexi inside himself, refusing to let anyone else touch her. She clung to him, her head resting against his chest, weak from exhaustion and relief. Only Patrick was still upright, and able to walk unaided.
As they wheeled Moyo into the operating room, Lexi broke down, sobbing into Hawk’s shirt. He held her close, his large hand stroking her back as he murmured soothing words into her ear.
“You’re safe now,” he whispered. “It’s over. I’ve got you.”
And he wasn’t letting her go. Not ever.
CHAPTER 27
Lexi’s heart skipped a beat as Hawk stepped into the hospital ward. His presence filled the small, sterile space like a burst of fresh air, and for a moment, she forgot about the ache in her limbs and the weariness in her bones.
He looked every bit the dashing hero, clean-shaven and impossibly handsome, though a hint of ruggedness still lingered in the sharp angles of his jaw and the broad strength of his shoulders. He looked entirely different to the man who had stormed into the jungle clinic, muddy and unshaven, to rescue her and Moyo. She loved both versions of him, if she was honest. She’d take him any way she could get him.
His eyes lit up as they met hers, and there was a warmth in his gaze. “I hear you’ve been cleared for release.”
“Doc says I’m good to go.” She smiled weakly.
She’d been on an IV drip for twenty-four hours, the dehydration and exhaustion having taken their toll. While she hadn’t seen Hawk much since being admitted, she’d sensed his presence beside her. The nurse had even mentioned, in a conspiratorial whisper, that he hadn’t left her bedside.
He perched on the edge of her bed and took her hand in his. “I just spoke to the doctor. Moyo’s surgery went well. Theyrelieved the pressure on his brain, and he’s going to make a full recovery.”
Relief crashed over her, stealing her breath. “Oh, thank God.” Tears welled in her eyes, and she didn’t bother to wipe them away. “For a moment there, I thought I was going to lose him. You know he got hurt protecting me from the rebels?”
Hawk’s hand tightened around hers, and his gaze darkened. “He’s a brave kid.”
“He is,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “When the rebels attacked, we managed to get most of the staff and injured gorillas into the shelter. The new steel-reinforced door kept them out. But Moyo wasn’t there—I couldn’t find him. Patrick and I went to look, and when we did, the rebels already had him.”
She recounted the story, her voice trembling as she relived those harrowing moments. “I shot one with a tranquilizer dart, and Moyo managed to wriggle free, but not before another rebel swung his rifle at me. Moyo stepped in front of me—he took the hit trying to protect me. Patrick shot the other rebel with his handgun, and we escaped, but…” Her throat tightened. “It was too close, Hawk. Too close.”
Hawk’s jaw clenched, his hand tightened around hers. “You’re both alive. That’s what matters.” His voice was low and fierce.
She looked up at him, still unable to believe he’d come all the way from New York to rescue her. “But how did you find us? How did you know where to look?”
His expression softened. “I had help. Remember that Navy buddy I told you about?”
“The one you served with?”
He grinned. “Yeah, that one. He loaned me two ex-SEALs—Phoenix and Viper—and they’re the best there is. We teamed upwith Edmond, and he helped track you. From there, it was just about following your trail.”
“You tracked us?” Her voice was filled with awe. “All the way into the hills near Lake Kivu?”
“Yeah,” he said simply, as if it were nothing.
It was crazy—insane, really. She wouldn’t have thought it possible. “You did all that for me?”
His eyes softened and he leaned closer. “I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.”
Her breath caught, and for a moment, all the chaos of the past few days faded away, replaced by the overwhelming gratitude she felt toward him. But it wasn’t just gratitude—she knew that. It went much, much deeper.