Page 9 of Heat Force
“Gotta go, Lexi,” Hawk called as Edmond crouched to take aim. “Bongi’s not happy.”
The infants began chattering loudly, momentarily distracting their father from his imminent charge. Philipe grabbed Lexi’s arm, and together they backed into the vegetation that immediately closed around them, obscuring them from view.
“Come,” Edmond said, motioning for Hawk to back away too. He did as he was told, keeping his eyes on Big Daddy, who had now swung his attention back to his injured mate.
Edmond was the last to leave, walking backward, not lowering his rifle until they had backtracked at least twenty yards down the path.
Hawk exhaled in a low hiss. “That was intense. I thought he was going to charge there at the end.”
“He would have if we’d been any longer,” Edmond confirmed in French. “They’re patient if they sense you’re helping, but then instinct takes over.”
“That snare left a nasty gash,” Lexi said, frowning. She tugged off her surgical gloves with a loud snap. “But the antibiotics will prevent infection until the wound heals.”
“Bon travail.” Edmond squeezed her shoulder. It was the only physical contact Hawk had seen the stoic ranger offer, and it obviously meant a lot because Lexi’s face lit up. Damn, she was gorgeous when she smiled like that. Dimples appeared in her flushed cheeks. He hadn’t noticed those before. For a fleeting moment, he wondered what it would take to make her smile at him like that.
“Yeah,” he said out loud. “You did well under very stressful conditions.”
Unfortunately, his words didn’t have the same effect as Edmond’s. She acknowledged his compliment with a curt nod of her head. “Thanks.”
Then she turned back to the ranger. “Take us home, Edmond. We’re done here.”
CHAPTER 4
By the time they got back to the clinic, Lexi felt like she’d been hit by a freight train. The jungle, once a vibrant wash of emerald greens, had surrendered to night. Shadows swallowed the forest, and the only sounds were the persistent hum of insects and the occasional distant call of something wild. The rain had left the air thick, clinging to her skin like a second layer.
Robert was already pacing when they pulled up, his face tight with impatience. He didn’t even wait for Lexi to climb out of the Jeep.
“How’d it go?” he called, sharp and urgent. “Did you find her?”
“Right where the ranger said,” Lexi replied, tugging her bag from the seat beside her. “It was definitely a snare wound, but she’d managed to get free on her own. I couldn’t find any sign of it around where they were ranging.”
Robert’s jaw tightened. “Will she make it?”
“She should. I stitched her up and gave her a shot of penicillin to keep infection at bay. She’ll need monitoring, though. Maybe the trackers can check on her in a few days to make sure she’s healing properly?”
“I’ll see to it,” Robert assured her. “Great work, Lexi.”
Hawk had already pulled the gear from the Jeep’s trunk and stacked it on the clinic’s patio. He stood quietly beside the pile, but she could feel his presence—steady, watchful, like he was filing away every detail. Her insides coiled as their eyes met, but then Robert walked up to him, diverting his attention.
Lexi let out a soft breath. Why did she find him so damn disconcerting?
“This is exactly why our work here at Usala matters,” Robert was saying. “That gorilla would’ve died from infection in a few weeks without medical intervention, and with so few breeding females left in the population…” His voice dropped. “Every single life counts. There are less than eight hundred mountain gorillas left in the world. Eight hundred.” He shook his head.
Lexi left them to talk, the exhaustion finally catching up to her. Her legs felt heavy as she entered the clinic. All she wanted to do was take a long, hot bath and scrub off the mud, sweat, and tension of the day.
As much as she didn’t want to admit it, that volatile male gorilla had frightened her. Her instincts had screamed at her to run, but she couldn’t—not with Hawk watching. She’d forced herself to stay calm, to finish her work. Hawk might have been new to Usala, but he didn’t seem the type to give much credit to anyone who couldn’t hold their own. And if he doubted her, the center’s credibility would be on the line. So, she’d done it. She’d trusted Edmond to cover her if things went sideways. But damn if it hadn’t shaken her.
And now, instead of collapsing into bed, she had to show up at the Lodge for dinner. It was an official welcome for Hawk Anderson, and his team. She sighed. The man was already unsettling enough without a formal sit-down.
The Lodge wasthe only source of light in the otherwise pitch-black forest. Lexi was last to arrive having first checked on the two infant gorillas currently in the clinic before leaving them with their carers for the night.
She’d cleaned up too, trading her mud-splattered field gear for one of the few dresses she’d brought from New York. It was emerald-green, the shade that brought out her eyes, with thin straps and a soft flow that skimmed just above her knees. Gold sandals and a delicate chain completed the look. Her hair, damp from her rushed bath, had dried into soft, wild waves that framed her face as she entered the lodge.
“Lexi, darling, you’re here!” Estelle, Robert’s wife, greeted her with a warm hug. She was a sturdy woman in her mid-forties with tanned skin and bright eyes. She had a white streak of hair flowing from her temple, mixing with the rest of her long, chestnut tresses. It was strikingly unusual and completely natural. A genetic blimp, Estelle had told her when they’d first met. “Come on in, everyone’s out on the deck.”
“Thanks.” Lexi’s stomach tightened when she saw the small group gathered outside. Her eyes were drawn tohimfirst.
Hawk stood at the edge of the deck, a bottle of beer in his hand, his head tilted back as he laughed at something Jasper said. He was stupidly handsome, wearing those beige chinos and a crisp white shirt like he was on the cover of some outdoorsy lifestyle magazine.