Page 31

Hawk held the door open for Charlotte and followed her and Remy into Every Last Child’s reception area. Hard to believe it was only yesterday when he’d watched Charlotte walked into this reception area.

Rebecca looked up from her work, her gaze fell to their joined hands, and she smiled.

Hawk and Charlotte spoke in unison.

“Mornin’,” he said.

“Good morning,” she said.

“Good morning, you two.” Rebecca grabbed a dog treat from her drawer, came around, and squatted down next to the dog. “Hey there, Remy!” She scrubbed her hands under his ears.

“You’re spoiling my dog,” Hawk joked.

“You’re right, I am.” She stood. “I’ll take you back to Dulce’s office.”

Rebecca led them to the door and used her badge and the retinal scanner to access the executive hallway.

Cole met them halfway.

“Thanks, Rebecca,” he said. “I’ll take ’em back.”

“You bet.” She turned and headed back toward the reception area.

He waited to make sure the door shut securely behind her.

“I’ve got everything ready.” He tilted his head toward Dulce’s office at the far end of the hall.

“Will Dulce be joining us?” Charlotte asked.

On the way there, she’d told Hawk about an interesting proposal she wanted to discuss with Dulce. He was all for it and hoped it worked out.

“Unfortunately, she’s tied up on a video telecon.” Hawk led them all into his wife’s office and picked up something from her desk. “Charlotte, this is a button camera.”

He handed her a small, flat rectangular box with little holes in the front. There was a black shirt button at the top and thin red and black wires coming out the bottom.

“I guessed at the button size, but there are other lens tip options we can use, if necessary.”

“So the camera goes through a buttonhole, and this little box thingy will be inside my shirt?” She turned it over in her hand. “What if it slips through the buttonhole?”

“This will secure it in place.” Cole lifted something small, flat, and black from the box. “It’s a magnet that attaches to a magnet on the back of the device.”

“Don’t worry, Pennington will never know it’s there,” Hawk quickly reassured her.

She held it up next to one of the buttons on her blouse.

“It’s not exactly the same.” Her buttons were dark gray. “But a person would have to look closely to notice.”

Hawk would make sure no one got that close to her.

“Looks like I’ll need a smaller size.” She carefully set the camera on the table.

“Here are all of the lens tip options.” Cole put two other buttons in her hand.

She picked up the smallest one and held it in front of one of her buttons with her thumb and index finger. “This one is the closest.”

Hawk uncrewed the lens tip from the camera and installed the smaller one.

“Which buttonhole would be best?” she asked.

If the camera missed something, they would have audio, but they wanted Pennington’s video to be clean enough it could be used in court. Hawk wouldn’t mind seeing it plastered across every possible news source and social media site, too.

He wanted to destroy the man.

“Whatever the camera sees, Hawk will be able to see on his cell phone.” Cole pointed toward the camera.

“Let’s turn it on and see how it looks.” Hawk slid the switch to the “ON” position, then tapped his phone screen a few times. “Okay, it’s on, and I’ve got the app open.”

“Charlotte, go ahead and start at your top button and move it down one button at a time.” Cole stood next to Hawk, their heads down, looking at his phone. “Try the next one.”

She lowered it down one.

“That’s it. That’s the one.” Hawk set his phone down. “Here, let me help you put it on.”

The door to the office opened, and Dulce hurried in.

“Oh, good. You’re still here.” She walked straight up to her husband and kissed him. “I hurried through the meeting so I could be here before you leave.”

“Hey, babe.” Cole wrapped his arm around her, curved his big hand over her butt, and smiled down at her. “We’re getting Charlotte all set up.”

Hawk undid one button, and his knuckles brushed over Charlotte’s breast. He caught her quick inhale.

“You did that on purpose,” she whispered.

He lifted his head from the task at hand to find her fighting a grin. He winked at her and returned his attention to making sure the camera was in place. If teasing her got her out of her own head for even a few seconds, he considered that a win.

“Okay, let’s see how that looks.” He checked his phone. “Why don’t you sit on that couch. Cole, can you sit across from her?”

They took their positions.

“Now, let’s try it with you sitting behind the desk, and Charlotte, you take that chair.” He pointed to the chair in front of the desk, and they took their positions.

“Perfect.” Hawk closed the app and tucked his phone in his pocket. “We’re all set.”

“Hawk, give her this earpiece once you get to the office.” Cole handed him a small black case.

“Earpiece?” She looked back and forth between them.

“It’s like the ones we use to communicate with each other during an op.” Hawk flipped the box open and showed her the small device. “If something goes sideways during your meeting with Pennington, I can communicate with you without him knowing it.” He snapped the box shut. “Mine’s in the truck.”

“They’re very comfortable.” Dulce had used one before. “And if you just keep your hair down over your ear, he’ll never even notice it.”

She accepted the box from Hawk and placed it in her bag.

“Dulce, now isn’t the right time, but when the dust settles from this, I’d like to talk with you about an idea I have.” Charlotte fidgeted her shoulders and adjusted the front of her shirt.

He would need to make sure she didn’t do that around Pennington.

“Does this idea of yours involve you leaving HRA and working as a consultant full-time?” She put her hands together. “Please, please say it does.”

“It does.” Charlotte smiled.

“Then, yes, I absolutely want to hear everything,” she said.

Hawk looked at his watch.

“Charlotte, it’s time to go.” Remy hopped up, ready to join them.

“Not this time, buddy.” Hawk thumped the side of his butt a few times.

“You’re staying here with me.” Dulce knelt down next to him and smiled up at Charlotte. “Carter adores Remy, so Mom is bringing him into the office.”

Carter was their fifteen-month-old son, and he was a kick.

“I’m sorry I’ll miss them.” Charlotte turned to Hawk. “I love that little guy.”

“And he loves his Auntie Charlotte, too.” Dulce stood and pulled her into a hug. “Be careful.”

“I will.” She held on for a moment, then stepped back. “Hawk will take care of me.”

Damn, her faith in him filled his soul.

They left Dulce’s office and headed across town to the HRA building. Thanks to midday traffic and an accident on the highway, it was taking longer than anticipated.

“Should I call Pennington and tell him I’m going to be late?” Charlotte picked up her bag from the floor.

“No.” He reached across the console and held her hand. “We’ll be there soon enough.”

“But what if he leaves?” There was a tinge of panic in her voice.

“Trust me, he’s not going anywhere. He’s desperate to find out what you know.” Especially since she told him that his personal assistant—the woman who knew too much—was in custody.

“You’re right.” She rubbed her forehead—she was becoming stressed.

“Hey, why don’t you give your mom a call, see how she’s doing?” Focusing on something positive right now might help. “Let her know we got Kimball, but I wouldn’t go into too much detail. Oh, and let’s not tell her about your meeting with Pennington just yet.”

No sense causing her further worry about her daughter.

“Good idea.” She flipped open her bag, dug out her phone, and called her mom. “Hey, Mom.” She nodded. “I’m good.” Charlotte smiled at him. “He’s amazing.”

She gave her the short version of what went down last night and assured her she was fine and that everything was close to coming to an end.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to start using our own phones again.” Charlotte turned to him with a hopeful look, then listened to her mom for a few minutes. “You’re kidding. See, I told you he liked you, but you just wouldn’t believe it.” She put her hand over the phone and whispered, “My mom’s boss asked her out on a date.”

Hawk gave her a thumbs-up.

“I have a few things to do today, then I want to hear all about it.” She shook her head. “No, it’s all good. We just have some loose ends to tie up.”

That was a necessary oversimplification.

“Yes, I’ll tell him.” She smiled. “Love you, too.” Charlotte tapped the screen and tossed her phone back into her bag. “Mom says hi.”

“Everything good?” Hawk flipped on his blinker and stopped at the red light.

“Everything’s great! My mom has had a thing for her boss for years, but he was married, so she kept it to herself.” She tucked her hair over her ear and shifted partially to face him. “His wife died of breast cancer about three years ago. Then about a year ago, he started showing an interest in my mom, and today, when she called to check in with him, he finally asked her out.”

“That’s cool.” Her mom was a neat lady who deserved happiness with someone special who treated her the way she deserved to be treated.

“Yeah, I’m just so happy for her,” Charlotte said. “She’s been alone way too long.”

“At least she had you.” He turned right and pulled into the HRA parking lot.

“Ugh, I hate being here.” Her mood suddenly shifted from excitement for her mom to dread. “It’s sad, because I never used to feel that way.”

“It’ll all be over soon, and you’ll never have to come here again.” Hawk gave her hand a gentle squeeze, released it, and backed into her parking space.

Her gaze darted around the lot, then landed on the elevator.

“Charlotte.” Hawk used one finger on her chin to turn her head toward him. “If you’ve changed your mind—”

“No way.” She drew her shoulders back and adjusted the camera. “I’m doing this.”

“Let me make sure that thing is working.” He opened the app and got a crystal-clear view of his dashboard. “Looks good. You’ve got your earpiece?”

“Right here.” She patted her bag.

“Good.” He leaned across the console. She met him halfway, and he kissed her.

A horn honked somewhere, and he slowly lifted his lips from hers.

“Let’s take this son of a bitch down.” Charlotte picked up her bag, grabbed her lanyard, and started to open her door.

“Ahem.” He cleared his throat.

“Oops, sorry, I almost forgot.”

Hawk cut the engine, climbed out, and circled the front of the truck to open her door.

“I hope this thing still works.” She looped her badge around her neck.

“It should. Unless Kimball deactivated it before he came out to my place.” If he had, Luna could probably access the security system and reactivate it.

He tapped the call button for the elevator, the doors slid open with a swish , and they stepped inside. They arrived on her floor and walked over to tap the card to the reader.

Beep.

She blew out a relieved sigh, and he pushed the door open.

“Let’s go to your office first.” They were passing the break room when her boss stepped out.

“Charlotte?” He held a mug in one hand, a cookie in the other, and looked very confused. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey, Doug. Um, Mr. Pennington asked to see me,” she said. “I told him I was on vacation, but he insisted. Said it was very important.”

“That’s ridiculous. I’ll go talk to him.” He started to turn away.

“No!” She grabbed his arm and released it. “I mean, that’s not necessary.” She kind of glanced around the large space. “We’re already here, so I might as well find out what’s so important.”

“We were heading to the museum anyway.” Hawk remembered the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library was not far from the office.

“Oh, well, if you’re okay with it—”

“I am, really.” Charlotte stepped up to him and hugged him. “Thank you, Doug, for caring.”

“Uh, sure, you’re welcome.” He held his arms out, and coffee sloshed over the top of his mug.

Poor guy, he had no idea what was going on. Not only was he about to lose an incredible employee who cared deeply about the victims they were tasked to help, but there was a very good chance he would be out of a job soon.

Hawk hoped they didn’t find out the guy was dirty, because Charlotte would be crushed.

As if remembering the hidden camera, she quickly stepped back, causing him to almost spill his coffee again. Fortunately, the thing was tucked safely away between her perfect breasts.

“Well, I’d better scoot.” She moved back. “Hawk’s going to wait for me in my office while I’m in with Mr. Pennington.”

“Good to see you again, sir.” Hawk shook his hand.

“You, too.” He gave her a last confused look and walked away.

“Let’s go.” She fast-walked to her door, unlocked it, and they stepped inside.

Hawk closed the door behind them.

“Oh, my gosh,” she whispered. “I can’t believe I hugged him like that and with this camera on me, too. Do you think he could tell I was wearing it?”

“Charlotte, take a few deep breaths.” Hawk waited until she was done. “Good.”

“Sorry, this is all very new and weird to me,” she admitted.

“You’re doing great, and you have nothing to apologize for.” He checked his watch. “It’s almost ten fifteen.” He lifted his phone and checked the camera to make sure it was still pointing where they needed it to be. “Tell me the plan again.”

“I’m going to leave my badge with you, just in case, and tell the secretary up there that I forgot it. She knows me and will buzz me in, no problem. When I get to Pennington’s office, I’m going to sit across from him but not too close.” She set her bag on the chair behind her desk and pulled out the box with the earpiece. “I’m going to tell him what I know about the list, rattle off all the names on it, then let him talk. If he doesn’t say anything to incriminate himself or the others, then I’m supposed to tell him that I’ve already turned the list over to Jeffrey Burke, that he’s already detained Helene, Kimball, and Leonard, and they are all looking to cut a deal.”

“Perfect,” Hawk said.

Pennington knew the kind of power Jeffrey had, since he was the one who’d convinced the president to ditch Pennington as his chief of staff. Burke had seen through his slick facade to the self-serving creep lurking beneath the surface.

“Is there a trick to this thing?” Charlotte pulled the box from her bag and lifted out the small earpiece.

“Just put it in your ear. It’s like an earbud you would use to listen to music. You might need to shift it around until it’s comfortable.” The teams wore custom-fitted earpieces. “Once you’ve got it where you want it, tap it twice, then test it out by whispering something.”

He turned to face away from her.

“Test test test.” Her whispered words came through his earpiece.

“Good. Can you hear me?” he asked, then turned back to her.

“Yes, I can.” She pulled her hair down to make sure it covered her ear.

“All right, you’re all set.” He framed her face with his hands. “You’ve got this, Sweets.”

“Damn right, I do.” She lifted her lanyard from around her neck and handed it to him. Then she went up on her tiptoes to kiss him and lowered herself back down. “Let’s do this.”

Watching her walk out that door was hard as hell, but he trusted her to follow through with the plan and get the information they needed to put these people away. You can do this. You have nothing to fear. Charlotte mentally pumped herself up on her way to the elevator. Was she nervous? Heck, yeah, she was. Was she willing to do whatever it took to save innocent kids? Most definitely.