“Well gosh, darn,” Hauk drawled. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
“No need to be a smartass.”
Hauk drained his glass of tequila. “But I’m so good at it.”
“No shit.”
Hauk pushed aside his empty glass and met Rafe’s worried gaze.
“Look, everything that can be done is being done. Teagan has tapped into the traffic cameras. Unless our visitor is a ghost he’ll eventually be spotted arriving or leaving. Max is working his forensic magic on the note, and Lucas has asked the local cops to contact the neighboring businesses to see if they’ve noticed anything unusual.”
“I don’t like this, Hauk.”
“It’s probably some whackadoodle I’ve pissed off,” the older man assured him. “Not everyone finds me as charming as you do.”
Rafe gave a short, humorless laugh. Hauk was intelligent, fiercely loyal, and a natural leader. He could also be cold, arrogant, and inclined to assume he was always right. “Hard to believe.”
“I know, right?” Hauk batted his lashes. “I’m a doll.”
“You’re a pain in the ass, but no one gets to threaten you but me,” Rafe said. “These notes feel...off.”
Hauk reached to pour himself another shot, his features hardening into an expression that warned he was done with the discussion.
“We’ve got it covered, Rafe. Go to Kansas.”
“Iowa.”
“Wherever.” Hauk grabbed the cellphone on the table and pressed it into Rafe’s hand. “Take care of the house.”
Rafe reluctantly rose to his feet. He could argue until he was blue in the face, but Hauk would deal with the threat in his own way.
“Call if you need me.”
“Yes, mother.”
With a roll of his eyes, Rafe made his way through the crowd that filled the bar, ignoring the inviting glances from the women who deliberately stepped into his path.
He was man enough to fully appreciate what was on offer. But since his return stateside he’d discovered the promise of a fleeting hookup left him cold.
He didn’t know what he wanted, but he hadn’t found it yet.
He’d just reached the door when he met Teagan entering the bar.
The large, heavily muscled man with dark caramel skin, golden eyes and his hair shaved close to his skull didn’t look like a computer wizard. Hell, he looked like he should be riding with the local motorcycle gang. And it wasn’t just that his arms were covered with tattoos or that he was wearing fatigues and leather shit-kickers.
It was in the air of violence that surrounded him and his don’t-screw-with-me expression.
Of course, he’d been thrown in jail at the age of thirteen for hacking into a bank to make his mother’s car loan disappear. So he’d never been the traditional nerd.
“I’m headed out.”
“So early?” Teagan glanced toward the crowd that was growing progressively louder. “The party’s just getting started.”
“I’ll take a rain check.” Rafe said. “I’m leaving town for a few days.”
“Business?”
“Family.”
“Fuck,” Teagan muttered.
The man rarely discussed his past, but he’d never made a secret of the fact he deeply resented the father who’d beaten his mother nearly to death before abandoning both of them.
“Exactly,” Rafe agreed before leaning forward to keep anyone from overhearing his words. “Keep an eye on Hauk. I don’t think he’s taking the threats seriously enough.”
“Got a hunch?” Teagan demanded.
Rafe nodded, as always surprised at how easily his friends accepted his gut instincts. “If someone wanted to hurt him, they wouldn’t send a warning,” he pointed out. “Especially not when he’s surrounded by friends who are experts in tracking down and destroying enemies.”
Teagan nodded. “True.”
“So either the bastard has a death-wish. Or he’s playing a game of cat and mouse.”
“What would be the point?”
Rafe didn’t have a clue. But people didn’t taunt a man as dangerous as Hauk unless they were prepared for the inevitable conclusion.
One of them would die.
Rafe gave a sharp shake of his head. “Let’s hope we have culprit in custody when we find out. Otherwise...”
“Nothing’s going to happen to him, my man.” Teagan grabbed Rafe’s shoulder. “Not on my watch.”
About the Author
Alexandra Ivy is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Guardians of Eternity, as well as the Sentinels, Dragons of Eternity and ARES series. After majoring in theatre she decided she prefers to bring her characters to life on paper rather than stage. She lives in Missouri with her family. Visit her website at alexandraivy.com.
Other Books by Alexandra Ivy
DRAGONS OF ETERNITY
BURNED BY DARKNESS
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ARES SERIES
KILL WITHOUT MERCY
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