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Charlotte watched as the crowded, bleak highway transitioned to picturesque rolling green hills, then to a narrow two-lane road lined by tall evergreens crowded together like nature’s guardrails. Behind them, all signs of civilization had gradually begun to disappear, and with each mile added between themselves and the HRA building, the easier she could breathe.

She wasn’t sure where Hawk was taking her, and it didn’t matter. Charlotte trusted him completely.

Conversation between them had been easy and the moments of silence comfortable. He’d respected her wishes and hadn’t brought up the topic of her mom or the mystery of who her father was.

Her mom’s past and how Charlotte came to be weren’t something she could or would share with just anyone. It wasn’t the kind of thing you casually discussed over coffee.

She’d only told her mom’s story to one person, and that only happened after she’d been dating him for almost a year. The guy had sat and listened and with each detail she provided, his demeanor gradually changed from quietly listening to horror and, finally, to pity. The last one had hurt the most.

Suffice to say, she never heard from him again. After that, she decided it was just easier to keep it to herself—a nightmare shared only with her mother.

Hawk was different—she wanted to talk to him about it. He had a unique insight into the types of human depravity that existed in the world and would listen with the wisdom gained from his life experiences.

“We should be at the diner in about fifteen minutes.” Hawk’s deep voice cut through her mental ramblings.

Charlotte checked the time on the dash—two thirty-eight.

“Oh, good.” She was confident her mom was in safe hands, but she also needed to see her and give her a huge hug. “You live all the way out here?” The OSI facility was at least an hour southeast of where they were now. “Isn’t this kind of far for you to drive every day?”

Charlotte scanned their surroundings. She hadn’t seen any buildings or other vehicles for quite some time. Both sides of the two-lane road were flanked by a forest rich with old-growth evergreens and pines. The deeper into the woods they progressed, the more the dense canopy of trees blocked the late afternoon sun.

“I have an apartment closer to work. The place I’m taking you to is where I go to escape from civilization.” He gave her a crooked smile. “Don’t worry, I have running water and indoor plumbing.”

“Hey, I’ve camped with less.” She laughed. “Speaking of which, it looks like there might be some great camping out here.”

“If you like tent camping, there are a couple of small state-run campgrounds with primitive sites just over there.” He pointed off to the right. “See that giant tree lying at an angle?” She nodded. “There’s great camping about a hundred yards beyond it.” He smiled at her. “We’ll have to camp there sometime.”

“I … I’d love that.” Charlotte wasn’t sure if he meant just the two of them or if he was talking about going with a group. Either way, she would be there. “But first, we have to figure out what’s going on with that list and how it’s connected with the bus contract.”

“Speaking of the list, Cole said that, on its own, it’s not really enough to go after the people on it.” He navigated a gentle curve in the road. “We’re going to need more solid evidence.”

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that,” Charlotte said. “We’ll have to figure out a way to gather enough information to get the authorities in there to clean things up.”

Jail time was too good for the people involved.

“After we see your mom, we’ll head to my place and brainstorm,” Hawk said.

“It really ticks me off, because what those asshats are doing is very likely going to destroy HRA.” Her fear had begun to morph into anger. “All of the people who work there, people who are dedicated and just want to make a positive difference, are going to be negatively impacted. Not to mention all of the people who will lose that assistance.”

“Unfortunately, I think you’re right,” Hawk said.

“I mean, I’m not naive. I’m fully aware there are NGOs out there receiving billions of dollars in funding from the government that are then squandered on shadowy, elusive ‘administrative fees.’” She used air quotes. “I guess I just thought HRA was an exception.”

Some NGO executives and board members are also paid ridiculously high salaries—not because of their qualifications for the job but because of their connections and willingness to play the game and look the other way. Whatever pittance might be left over goes toward the actual mission.

“Unfortunately, until someone reins them in and holds them accountable, I’m afraid they’ll continue to get away with it.” Hawk flipped on his blinker.

Up ahead, Charlotte spotted a break in the trees on the right side of the road. As they got closer, she noticed a gravel parking lot, and at the back of it, nestled up against the edge of the woods, was what looked like an older home constructed of wood siding with a weathered cedar shake roof dotted by moss and clusters of old pine needles. At the edge of the road sat one of those light-up signs on wheels with the changeable letters. It read The Chicken Nest , and at the top in a corner was a faded picture of a cartoon chicken sitting on eggs in a nest.

“I know it doesn’t look like much, but the food is incredible.” Hawk turned in to the parking lot. “And the owners are genuine, salt-of-the-earth people who’ve lived in these woods for generations.”

“I’m sure it’s great.” A big, gray truck with mud splattered up the sides was backed in at the side of the building. “Isn’t that Calliope’s truck?”

“Sure is.” Hawk chuckled. “I was with her when she bought it. Watching her run circles around the salesman and the general manager was more entertaining than any movie. It was a sight to behold. She knew more about that truck than both of them combined.”

“Calliope doesn’t strike me as someone who is easily taken advantage of.” Charlotte had never been known for her assertiveness, but thanks to her current predicament and Hawk’s faith in her, it felt like that might be changing.

“Underestimating her would be a huge mistake.” Hawk backed his truck in next to Calliope’s, pressed a button on the dash, and the engine quieted.

Remy popped up to stand on all fours on the back seat, fully awake, as if he hadn’t been snoring seconds ago. He shifted closer to the back door, his tail wagging wildly, making a thump thump thump sound as it whipped back and forth between the back of Hawk’s seat and the back window.

“He recognizes her truck,” Hawk said. “Calliope always sneaks him t-r-e-a-t-s.” It was adorable the way he spelled out the word so Remy wouldn’t react.

Charlotte leaned down to pick up her messenger bag from the floor and reached for the door handle.

“Don’t even think about it.” His voice was stern but in a joking sort of way. “I’m an old-fashioned guy, Charlotte. I open doors for you, walk between you and the street, carry the groceries in from the car, all of that kind of stuff.” He gave her a long look. “You okay with that?”

She removed her hand from the handle. “I am very okay with that.”

He surprised her when he leaned across and gave her soft kiss. It happened so fast, she was sure she’d imagined it.

Charlotte was an independent woman who could take care of herself. Just because she was amenable to having a man do nice things for her didn’t mean she was weak.

Hawk climbed out and circled the front of the truck to open her door. He actually reached across her body and unclipped her seat belt. She took advantage of his closeness to lean close and fill her lungs with his heady scent.

He picked her bag up from the floor and handed it to her. Once she looped it over her head, he took her hand and helped her down from the truck.

“Thank you.” Gestures like that were just one of the many reasons why she was captivated by him.

“My pleasure.” He skimmed her bangs aside and looked at her for a long time.

His simple touch left her feeling flustered and brimming with lust. It sent a deep, intense shiver from her core all the way to her fingertips. And there was something about the sound of the word pleasure tumbling from his lips that hit differently.

“Hawk, I—” Charlotte cleared her throat, shocked by the need coating her words.

“Yeah, me, too, Sweets. Me, too.” He lifted her hand and kissed the back. “Come on. I’m sure they saw us pull up and are wondering what’s taking so long.”

He opened the back door, and Remy hopped out.

How was she expected to walk in there and talk to her mother with her insides in such turmoil? Donna Cavanaugh was very perceptive, especially where Charlotte was concerned. She would know immediately that something was up.

Hawk opened the door and waited for her and Remy to step inside.

A string of small, brass bells hanging from the door handle announced their arrival. The glass beneath it had been scratched from years of them dragging against it.

There were only about twelve tables scattered here and there, each with a metal napkin dispenser, salt and pepper shakers, a jar of ketchup, one of mustard, and the standard bowl full of individual creamers. She filled her nose with a combination of coffee, pancakes, beef stew, and fat from a deep fryer, and found it oddly satisfying. If she had to guess, she’d say there were safely guarded family recipes used in that kitchen that had never been written down on paper. A cup of this, a pinch of that, a skosh of lard, and voilà, comfort food.

“Charlotte!” A chair scraped across the wood floor, and her mom rushed over to her and pulled her into a long, tight hug.

“Hi, Mom.” She nestled her chin against her mom’s shoulder and hugged her back. “I’m so sorry you got dragged into my mess.”

Her mom held her at arm’s length.

“Charlotte Marjorie Cavanaugh.” Uh-oh, she used her full name. “Don’t you ever apologize for doing the right thing.”

“I told your mom the high points of what’s going on.” Calliope stood. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m doing okay, I guess.” She looked up at Hawk and smiled. “Having him with me definitely helps.”

“Yeah, he’s all right, I guess.” Calliope bumped her shoulder against Hawk’s arm.

“Smart-ass.” He tugged on one of her pigtails like a brother would his annoying kid sister’s.

Calliope pulled her hair free of his grip and squatted down in front of Remy.

“How’s my favorite boy?” She snuggled her face to the dog’s and scratched his ears. “Guess what I’ve got for you.” She reached into the pocket of her denim jacket, pulled out a bone-shaped dog treat, and gave it to Remy.

From what Dulce had shared with Charlotte, Hawk’s teammate was known for her snarky, take-no-prisoners attitude. Not unexpected, considering her upbringing in the swamps of southwest Florida and her choice to work in what is typically a male-dominated career field. But Charlotte had seen firsthand the way she cared about people, especially children. Calliope was just very selective about who she showed that softer side to.

Hawk set his hand on Charlotte’s lower back. A move that did not go unnoticed by her mom, who looked at her with raised eyebrows.

“Hawk, this is my mom, Donna Cavanaugh,” she said. “Mom, this is Patrick Nakai, but most people call him Hawk.”

“It’s so nice to meet you, Hawk.” Donna surprised Charlotte when she stepped up to wrap him in a hug. “Thank you for keeping my girl safe for me.”

Her mom rarely hugged any man, especially one she’d never met before.

“Your daughter is very special, Mrs. Cavanaugh, so it’s my pleasure.” Donna released him, and he looked at Charlotte when he said, “I promise, I won’t let anything happen to her.”

Hawk’s confidence was there in his proud stance and his unflinching eye contact. He wasn’t just reassuring her mom, he was reassuring Charlotte, too.

Normally, she would give her mom the lowdown on a guy before she ever brought him around her. It was a deal they’d made the first time a boy in high school asked Charlotte to the prom.

Unfortunately, these were far from normal circumstances. And things with Hawk seemed to have progressed at lightning speed. One minute, she was mooning over a man she thought was out of her league, and the next, BAM , he had his lips on hers. Real or not, it was the hottest damn kiss she’d ever had.

“Thank you, and, please, call me Donna.” She smiled looked down at Remy. “And who is this gorgeous fellow?”

“This is my partner, Remy, short for Remington.”

“May I pet him?” Donna asked.

“Absolutely.” Hawk looped the dog’s leash handle loosely over the back of his chair. “Remy loves attention.”

He was also very well-trained and wouldn’t make a move without Hawk’s instruction.

Calliope moved back to the table to give Donna room to squat down and give him some attention. She spent a few minutes stroking his soft muzzle, the top of his head, all while talking baby talk to him.

Charlotte could’ve sworn Remy was smiling the entire time.

“I’d like to wash my hands, if that’s okay.” Her mom stood. “No offense, Remy.”

“I need to do the same, so I’ll go with you.” Calliope escorted her toward the back.

Hawk pulled out Charlotte’s chair for her and remained standing until Calliope and her mom returned. He slid out her mom’s chair and made a move to do the same for Calliope.

“You’re kidding, right?” She rolled her eyes, yanked out her own chair, and dropped down onto it.

“Hey there, Patrick, it’s good to see you.” An older, portly woman with chubby cheeks, a face lined by years of laughter and smiles, and a head full of steel-gray hair pulled back in a low bun strolled up to their table. She was carrying a tray with four glasses of iced water. “Good to see you again, Calliope.”

“You, too, Brenda. Please tell me you’ve got some of your yummy beef stew back there.” Calliope accepted a glass of water. “Thanks.”

“We sure do. Roger has a fresh pot all ready to go.” Brenda finished passing out the glasses of water.

“Yes!” Calliope did a fist pump in the air.

Hawk introduced Brenda to Charlotte and her mom.

“Brenda and her husband, Roger, own The Chicken Nest.”

“Yep. We opened this place comin’ up on forty-one years ago.” Brenda set the tray on a nearby table.

“That’s incredible.” Charlotte wondered why they decided to open a restaurant in such an isolated place.

“All four of our children and thirteen grandchildren have worked here at one time or another. She pointed her thumb over her shoulder. “Our second-youngest grandson is washing dishes in the kitchen as we speak. He’s saving up to buy his first car.”

What a wonderful way for their kids and grandkids to learn about responsibility and earning what you want through hard work and dedication. Charlotte’s faith in humanity had taken a bit of a hit recently, so hearing stories like Brenda’s gave her hope that all was not lost.

“Let me tell you about today’s specials.” She rattled off a list of five different entrees. “For dessert, we have brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and fresh apple pie. And we can add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to any of those.”

“I’ve had all of them, and they’re all amazing.” Hawk smiled up at Brenda.

“Yes, you have.” She dug into her apron pocket and lifted out an order pad, then grabbed the yellow, number two pencil from where it was tucked over her ear. “So, what can I get y’all?”

Everybody ordered one of the daily specials—Charlotte and her mom had the meat loaf with steamed broccoli, Calliope had the stew with cornbread, and Hawk got the almond-crusted rainbow trout and a baked potato with all the fixin’s.

“How ’bout drinks?” The pencil hovered over her pad. “Can I get you something besides water?”

Everyone stuck with water except Calliope, who ordered a soda.

“I’ll have that right out to ya.” She tucked the pencil back over her ear and grabbed the tray as she headed across the room.

She circled around behind the counter, smacked her palm against a door, and started shouting out their orders the second it swung open, then disappeared into the kitchen.

“Calliope told me you came across some information at work that could cause problems for some important people if it were to get out.” Donna leaned close, kept her voice low, and reached across the table to hold her daughter’s hand. “And now these horrible people are coming after you.”

“Remember the other night when I stayed at your place?” Charlotte asked.

“Of course.” Donna frowned. “When your power went out, right?”

“Truth is, I thought someone had been in my house and really didn’t want to be there.” She quickly added, “I made up that story about the power being out because I didn’t want to worry you when I wasn’t even sure there was anything to worry about.”

“Come to find out, there was something to worry about.” Hawk rested his arm lazily over the back of Charlotte’s chair. “Someone had been in her house, and the next night, they used one of her kitchen knives to slash all four of her tires when she was at her office.”

“Oh, my God, Charlotte.” Donna’s hand flew to her mouth. “It has always bothered me when you would work late.”

“Before that happened, there were other, little things I dismissed as me being paranoid.” Charlotte went on to tell her about the meeting with Dulce and Cole that morning. “Hawk happened to be at the office, and that’s how he became involved.”

Donna kept hold of her daughter’s hand.

“Mom, what these people are doing …” Charlotte thought of the innocent children on that list. “It’s awful. But please, don’t ask me for any more details. The less you know, the safer you’ll be. Which is why I”—Hawk gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, and she turned to him—“ we need to stop them.”

“So, what happens next?” Donna asked.

“We gather solid evidence, then take them all down,” Hawk said. “Every last one of them.”

“OSI is the best, and there are a lot of incredibly talented people working on this.” Calliope crossed her forearms on the table. “We’ll make sure these scumbags can never hurt anyone again.”

“Good.” Donna gave a satisfied nod and sat back.

Hawk and Calliope’s phones buzzed at the same time. They checked their screens, then looked at each other.

“What is it?” Charlotte was almost afraid to hear the answer.

“They found a print on the knife. As suspected, it belongs to Vincent Kimball.” Hawk looked at the message again. “They also traced the serial number on that listening device from your office to an electronics store not far from the HRA building. With that information, Luna was able to pull up video from a nearby traffic camera that clearly shows Kimball walking into the store.”

“And get this, he paid for it with his HRA credit card.” Calliope shook her head. “What an absolute knucklehead.”

“Who is this Vincent Kimball person?” Her mom tugged a napkin from the dispenser, folded it, and placed it beneath her water glass to soak up the condensation.

“He’s the head of security for HRA,” Charlotte said, “and he is not a good person.”

“Maybe we can use his ignorance to our advantage.” Hawk tapped his fingertips on the table. “When we get to my place, we’ll get in touch with Cole and figure something out.”

“So, let me get this straight: This Kimball person was listening to Charlotte in her office without her knowledge?” Donna looked back and forth between Hawk and her daughter.

“Yeah, he hid a little bug thingy in the overhead sprinkler.” She’d hoped her mom wouldn’t find out about that little detail.

“Those sons of bitches.” In an uncharacteristic display of anger, Donna thumped the butt of her fist on the table. The silverware rattled, ice clinked inside their water glasses, and a creamer fell out of the bowl. “I’m sorry, but I am so damn mad this is happening to my daughter.” She put the creamer back in the bowl.

“It’s okay, Mom. We’re going to get them.” She looked at Hawk and Calliope for backup. “Aren’t we?”

Hawk and Calliope answered at the same time.

“Absolutely,” he said.

“Damn right,” she said.

“So, how are things going at work, Mom?” Charlotte desperately wanted to change the subject before her mom became much more upset.

Donna took the hint and talked about a contract they’d just signed for a new, cutting-edge commercial project. She gushed about how her boss was such a talented architect and how he was the perfect man to oversee the massive project.

Yeah, she definitely had a thing for her boss. Now to figure out a way to convince her mom that her boss had a thing for her, too.

Calliope talked about her dad’s recovery and how well it was going. She joked about Lucas pouting and saying he couldn’t sleep without her next to him anymore.

“He shouldn’t have to suffer like that,” Donna said. “You get in touch with him and invite him to come stay at my place. I have plenty of room for both of you.”

“Seriously? Are you sure? I don’t want to inconvenience you.”

“Of course, I’m sure. The more the merrier.” She picked Calliope’s phone up from where it sat on the table and held it out to her. “Go ahead, text him.”

Calliope tapped a message on the screen and got an immediate response. “Okay, he’s going to join us. Thanks, Donna. Lucas will now be able to sleep soundly.”

Charlotte got the sense Calliope would sleep a little better, too, knowing the man she loved was next to her, but doubted she’d ever admit that to anyone.

What must that be like—being so connected to someone that their temporary absence affects you so deeply? She automatically turned to Hawk, and he winked.

What did that mean? Was he feeling the energy buzzing between them, or was it wishful thinking on her part?

“All righty, here ya go.” Brenda arrived at their table, trailed by a tall, older man with plates in each hand. “This is my husband, Roger.”

“Welcome.” He nodded.

“Good to see you again, sir,” Hawk said.

“You, too, son.” Roger, apparently a man of few words, set the food where his wife told him to, then returned to the kitchen.

“Aaand your hot sauce.” Brenda fished a small jar from her pocket and handed it to him.

“You always remember,” he said.

“Of course.” She patted his shoulder. “Ketchup and mustard are on the table, but I guarantee you won’t need ’em.” Brenda glanced over her shoulder toward the sound of the tinkling bells, then back to them. “Just let me know if I can get y’all anything else.”

Brenda left them to greet a young family that had just entered he restaurant. She hugged each of them, picked up the youngest child for a cuddle, and escorted them to a table in the corner.

“She’s wonderful.” Charlotte tugged a few napkins from the dispenser and handed them out.

“Yeah, she and Roger are good people.” Hawk accepted the napkin and draped it over one leg. “She’s a lot like my mom.”

Charlotte hoped to hear more about Hawk’s family, his childhood, where he grew up, all of it. She wanted to know what shaped him into the incredible man he was today.

The wonderful aroma of the herbs and spices used in the meat loaf floated up from her plate. She took a bite, then closed her eyes and moaned when the rich flavors hit her tongue.

Hawk turned to her, and it was like she was prey caught in the watchful gaze of a predator—but in the best possible way.

Charlotte looked forward to spending time with him and exploring whatever these feelings were between them. What a nice diversion that would be from all of the craziness she’d been swept up in.