Shotgun Bride

What she would’ve given to have heard that two months ago. “Do you need to stay—”

“Yes.”

“Surely you don’t think they’re going to come to my apartment?”

His eyes narrowed. “They kidnapped David from his football practice, in front of a field full of witnesses. It would be a hundred times easier to come after you in the privacy of your apartment.”

She wanted to argue the point, but too much had happened since noon yesterday when her world had exploded. “That’s fine.”

Five minutes later they pulled up in front of the office building. She scrambled out of the front seat, not waiting for him. He hurried after her, walking with her to her office. A new secretary sat outside her office. “Where’s my secretary?”

“She’s not feeling well today. I’m a temp here to help you.” The woman looked at Hawk and nodded. “I’m Julie McKinney.”

Once they were inside her office, Renee turned to Hawk. “Who is she?”

“She’s a policewoman. She’s going to be around for a while. We don’t want something else to happen to you.”

The color drained from her face. Hawk grasped her arm and guided her to her chair.

“You think something else is going to happen here?”

“I like to err on the side of caution, Renee.” He squatted before her. “I’ll do my best to keep you safe, but we need someone here.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “I know you’ll try to keep me physically safe. Too bad you couldn’t have been as good at guarding my heart.”

He flinched and stood.

She wanted to call back the words, but before she could say anything, the door to her office opened and Jacob Blackhorse, the head of security, entered. Jacob had broken more than one heart at the company. He was a handsome man with black hair and brown eyes. His exotic features and teak skin made the women at the company want to catch his attention. No one, as far as Renee knew, had. He and Hawk were two of a kind—and friends.

“I wanted to check and see if everything was okay here,” he said surveying both Hawk and herself. He pointedly looked at the bandage on her forehead.

“I’m fine, Jacob.”

“I’ve doubled the security around the building. And I’m thinking of upgrading our camera system in the garage.”

“Where’s my secretary, Jacob?” she asked.

“She’s temporarily been reassigned to another division. When things settle down a bit, we’ll bring her back.”

Heaven knew when that would be.

“I hear congratulations are in order.” He didn’t say more.

“Emory told you?” Renee said, then shook her head, swallowing her embarrassment. “Of course you’d need to know what was happening.”

A silent exchange passed between Hawk and Jacob.

“I’ll accompany Emory on Saturday,” Jacob informed her.

“I’m going to have more guards than the queen of England,” Renee grumbled to herself.

Jacob grinned.

“Why don’t y’all leave so I can work.”

Jacob moved to Renee’s side. “If you need anything, or are worried about anything, call me.” The understanding in his eyes made her want to cry. When she looked at Hawk, his frown surprised her.

“Thank you, Jacob.”

With a nod, he accompanied Hawk out of her office. Closing her eyes, Renee wondered if her life would ever be the same—or sane.

Hawk and Jacob studied the concrete pillar in the underground garage that bore the scars of his and Renee’s encounter with a would-be assassin’s bullet.

“The police didn’t find any evidence of the shooter in the bushes near the garage entrance,” Jacob informed Hawk.

“I know. Was anything on the security camera?”

“We’re still looking at the tapes.”

Hawk turned to his old friend. Jacob and Hawk had shared a number of hard times together. Jacob had been the one who’d witnessed his ex-wife, Brandy, proposition a friend of Emory’s nephew, Todd, and had let him know what had happened. Hawk had been there when Jacob had lost his wife to cancer. They’d also worked together to stop several attempts to kidnap Emory. Together with Hawk’s old partner, Tony Ashcroft, they’d been labeled the Three Musketeers.

“I don’t like this, Jacob,” Hawk muttered, surveying the area.

“I understand.”

“I have that same sick feeling in the pit of my stomach I had when David was kidnapped.” Hawk walked out of the shade of the garage and looked at the thick foliage surrounding the building. “Did you know Renee was pregnant?”

Jacob quickly hid his surprise. “No, I didn’t.”

“I didn’t, either, until today.” Bitterness colored his words.

“So, I take it her news surprised you.”

The knowledge still knocked him for a loop. He didn’t know if he was more irritated with her for keeping the secret from him or…what?

“Yes, since I hadn’t heard from her in a couple of months. Of course, her being Emory’s daughter was just as much a surprise. Those were two bombshells dropped on me within days. I’m still trying to grasp what’s going on.”

Jacob’s expression became solemn. “Hawk, she’s alive and healthy. Count your blessings.”

Being reminded of Jacob’s loss pricked his conscience. Hawk had what Jacob had lost.

“You need to know, Jacob, when I went to get Renee’s birth certificate, the locked drawer where it was kept was open.”

“Is that why you left a message for me yesterday?” Jacob asked.

“Yes, but because all hell broke loose, I didn’t have time to call back. That’s why I want someone with Renee constantly.”

“I’m glad you warned me. I’ll also keep an eye on all the family members. Maybe the killer will tip his or her hand.”

“I doubt it.”

Hawk walked to the detectives’ squad room and spotted Tony Ashcroft at his desk. Hawk wove his way through the battered desks.

“Hey, Hawk, what are you doing down here? Slummin’? Hey, guys, the lawyer’s come down to our level.” The detectives’ squad room was on the first floor. Hawk’s new office was on the top floor of the building, with a panoramic view of the city.

Several comments were shouted at Hawk, none of which complimented his profession.

“Next time y’all want your butts pulled out of a sling, I’ll remind you of your comments.”

Laughter floated through the area.

“You through?” Hawk pointedly asked Ash.

“I went by the hospital this morning after you and Renee left. I thought I’d try to see if she could remember anything new.”

“I took her to work. Julie is undercover there as Renee’s secretary. I thought I’d check if you had any leads on the shooting,” Hawk began.

“Not a thing. There’s no pattern of robberies around that building. No muggings or thefts. It’s so squeaky clean, there aren’t even any parking tickets issued at that site.”

Hawk didn’t think much would turn up. He pulled a chair to Ash’s desk and sat. “So, it looks like the shooter was after Renee.”

“That’s what it looks like.”

There was another reason Hawk came down here. “Ash, I need a favor. I need a best man this Saturday.”

Ash leaned forward. “Best man as in—wedding?”

“You got it.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

Hawk didn’t respond.

“You’re getting married? And who’s this lucky bride?” Ash knew of Hawk’s split with Renee, and over the past two months had wisely not mentioned it.

“Renee Girouard.”

“I think you’ve been keeping a lot of things under your hat. You want to tell me about it?”

Ash deserved to know what was going on. Hawk explained about Renee’s situation and how Emory had asked for his help.

“That’s taking loyalty mighty far, isn’t it?” Ash asked.

“She’s pregnant.”

His bark of laughter rang through the room. “Oh, this gets better and better.”

Hawk didn’t need Ash preaching to him. Ash had his share of women problems and knew what Hawk’s exwife had put him through. “You want to be the best man or give me a sermon?”

Grinning, Ash slapped Hawk on the back. “It’ll be my pleasure.”

“I hope I can say the same.”

Ash’s grin didn’t diminish.

“You look like a fool,” Hawk complained.

Ash shrugged.

“I also need the name of that friend of yours, the ex-cop who’s gone into P.I. work. I want him to check out members of Emory’s family. We’re going to need to get a clearer picture of those folks to see if there’s something we can pick up on.”

“His name is Greyson Wilkins. Hang on, I’ve got his card here in my desk.” Ash opened the desk drawer and rummaged through it. “Ah, here it is.” He gave Hawk the card. “Grey’s a thorough guy.”

“Thanks, Ash.”

“When is this big event on Saturday?” Ash inquired.

“Ten in the morning. I was also needing another favor.”

“Shoot.”

“I’ll also need for you to go with us to the lawyer’s office afterward. If there are any questions about legalities, I want you as an expert. Also, plan on attending the reception. Emory’s going to announce to his family about Renee. We’ll need all the cops we can get.”

“You all are going to rattle a lot of cages, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. Probably ought to hire every off-duty cop in the city to handle the riot those folks are going to create.”

“You got it, pal.”

Hawk stood. “Thanks, Ash. I knew I could count on you.”

As he walked away, he heard Ash mumble, “Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”

Hawk couldn’t have agreed more. But Renee’s safety and his child’s safety were more important than any embarrassment he felt.

Once back in his office, Hawk called the P.I.

“Wilkins Investigations, Greyson Wilkins.” The man who answered the phone wasn’t an advertisement for warm and friendly.

“Mr. Wilkins, my name is Matthew Hawkins. I’m Tony Ashcroft’s ex-partner.”

“Are you the partner who became a lawyer?”

“That’s me.” Hawk quickly explained the situation to Grey. “Can you check into the activities of Emory’s family. I need to know if any of them have outstanding debts or bad habits that are demanding a huge flow of capital.”

“I can do that.”

“Discreetly?”

“No problem. Where can I get in touch with you?”

Hawk gave his office number.

“I’ll give you a call in a week, tell you what I’ve turned up.”

“There’s one more thing I want you to do. I want you to do a thorough investigation of my fiancée, Renee Girouard.”

Grey paused. “Is there something you suspect that I might need to know about?”

“No, but I don’t want any surprises from ex-boyfriends or friends claiming they know about a scandal, once everyone knows about her inheritance. I want to be able to stop any sort of blackmail cold, with facts.”

Grey took down the essential facts on Renee’s life. “I’ll look into it.”

Hawk hung up the phone. He hoped Grey could turn up a lead. They were due for a break.

Renee glanced up from her desk to see Hawk standing in the doorway of her office. Her breath caught, and her stomach fluttered. She ought not to have this schoolgirl reaction every time she saw the man.

“It’s time to quit,” he commented.

“Since when did you become the time monitor?”

He quietly closed the door and walked to her desk. “Since you got shot.”

It was an ugly truth that she didn’t want to think about. “Have you talked to Detective Ashcroft today?”

“Yeah, we talked. They were able to dig a slug out of the garage wall. It was sent to the lab, but I wouldn’t hope for too much. It was mangled.”

The door opened. “Renee, here’s the—” Jackie Francis, Emory’s secretary, stopped when she saw Hawk. A grin curved her mouth. “I hear congratulations are in order, Matthew.”

“Emory told you?”

“I made the wedding arrangements.”

“Thanks, Jackie.”

“I will say when Emory asked me to make the arrangements, I couldn’t believe it.” The fifty-year-old grandmother shook her head. “Not after that girl in accounting went out with you last year. She said you were very adamant about no commitments.”

Hawk folded his arms over his chest, and a shuttered look entered his eyes. Renee was sure many a suspect had gotten that glare from Hawk, and it had probably broken them. Now he probably used it when questioning witnesses in the courtroom. It didn’t seem to faze Jackie.

After an uncomfortable silence, Renee asked, “Jackie, what was it you wanted?”

“Oh, here’s the report you asked for. Margaret down in accounting wasn’t too happy about doing it.”

“Tell her thanks for her work.”

Jackie smiled at Renee. “Just ignore Mr. I’m-the-Toughest-Guy-on-the-Block. I saw him with chicken pox. He’s human.” With that parting shot, she sailed into the hall.

A smile tugged at the corner of Renee’s mouth. She glanced at him and saw him scowling at the doorway.

“Chicken pox? How old were you?”

“Twenty. You ready to leave?”

“I’ll be ready once I lock my filing cabinet.” Within minutes they were walking out of the building. As they passed an open office, Stacy and Todd, Emory’s niece and nephew, emerged from the interior.

“Hawk, what are you doing here?” Stacy asked. Her gaze narrowed, going from Hawk to Renee.

“I’m picking Renee up after the shooting incident the other night.”

Stacy glanced at the gauze on Renee’s temple. “I heard about the incident. There was a lot of talk about it today. Sorry I haven’t been down to check on you. I’ve been busy.” The excuse was thin.

“Thank you,” Renee replied.

“Did they discover who did it?” Todd asked.

“Nothing so far,” Hawk informed him.

“Do you have any idea why someone would shoot at you?” Stacy asked.

“That’s the question the police are reviewing,” Hawk explained. They all started toward the elevator.

“Are you coming to the shindig Saturday night?” Todd asked Renee.

“Uh—yes, I’ll be there,” Renee answered. She wasn’t looking forward to announcing to Emory’s family that she was his daughter. She already knew that Stacy and Todd felt she was trying to get too close to Emory.

The elevator doors opened, and they all filed in. A tense silence reigned as the car descended to the first floor.

“We’ll see you for sure Saturday,” Todd called out as they walked out of the building.

“It’s not something I’m looking forward to,” Hawk grumbled under his breath.

It was a sentiment Renee shared.

Chapter 3

“As they approached Renee’s apartment, the door to the unit below hers opened. Hawk tensed and reached for his gun which he had started carrying again, then stopped when he saw the elderly woman emerge and walk toward them.

“Matthew Hawkins, what a pleasure to see you.” Cora Atkins was the grandam of the complex and had lived in Houston since the early forties. Her tales of the city before air-conditioning kept all the recent immigrants to the area in awe, especially in the summer when the temperature often went over one hundred degrees for days at a stretch.

“Why, just last Sunday I asked Renee about you.” Cora looked at the hanging garment bag slung over Hawk’s shoulder, then at Renee. “Do you want to tell me something?” she asked, anticipation coloring her face.

Hawk leaned over and brushed a kiss across her wrinkled cheek. “You’ll be seeing a lot more of me, Miss Atkins.”

Cora glanced at Renee, then whispered, “Are you marrying this fine young man?”

Renee arched her eyebrow and nodded to Hawk. “I am, but you need to keep it a secret until after Saturday night. We plan to surprise people.”

A twinkle entered Cora’s eyes. “I won’t tell anyone.” She rubbed her hands together.

“Also, Miss Atkins,” Hawk added, “there might be some people sneaking around here, looking for Renee. Reporters, you know. If you see anyone, you be sure and tell us. Or call HPD.”

“I’ll do it.” Cora leaned toward Renee and patted her on the arm. “Didn’t I tell you, my dear, that he’d be back?” Cora turned to Hawk. “She looked so troubled and lost when you weren’t here. But I assured her that any man who looked at a woman the way you looked at her—” her eyebrows wagged “—would be back. All she had to do was wait.”

Hawk didn’t know who was more shocked at the speech Cora delivered, Renee or him.

Cora nodded. “I’ll get out of your way so you can finish moving into the apartment. Congratulations,” she whispered as she walked past them toward the mailboxes.

Cora’s words were as effective as a shock grenade thrown between them. After a moment of silence Renee started toward her apartment. He followed.

She had her key in the lock when he reached out and stopped her. Her gaze flew to him.

“Let me go in first.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because I’m being overly cautious. Humor me.” He stood with his hand out, waiting for her to give him the key.

Her embarrassment turned to worry. She bit her bottom lip and nodded. Hawk handed her his garment bag, then unsnapped the gun holster at his waist. He wasn’t going to be caught unaware again. Opening the door, he scanned the room. It only took a few minutes to check the apartment. Joining Renee at the door, he took his garment bag from her.

“Is it going to be like this every day?” Renee asked as she walked into the dining area and placed her purse on the table.

“I’d rather be too cautious than give someone another opportunity to hurt you,” he informed her. “And until we know something different, I’m going to assume the worst, that you’re in danger.”

Color drained from her face.

He cursed under his breath for stating the situation so starkly, but it needed to be done. She needed to be aware of the danger to her and the baby. He could deal with her feelings later.

Scanning the room, Hawk remembered in exquisite detail the time they made love on the couch, then the floor. He held up his garment bag. “I’ll hang this.” He walked into her bedroom, where the only closet in the apartment was located.

Ignoring the bed and the memories of the last time he’d been in this room, he hung his suit bag in the closet. His eyes were drawn to the neatly made bed. The stuffed gorilla he’d given her after a trip to Astroworld sat in the center of the bed. He remembered how touched she was by the simple gift and the way she showed him her appreciation.

Visions of their lovemaking swamped him. The memories of what they’d shared in that bed were both bittersweet and tantalizing. When his gaze left the bed, it collided with Renee’s. Her eyes were dark with memories.

The charged silence made his blood pound through his head.

She looked so troubled and lost when you weren’t here. Cora’s words rang through his head and he shoved away the hope.

But I assured her that any man who looked at a woman the way you looked at her would be back. All she had to do was wait.

Those words had nailed Hawk hard. Surely the old woman was wrong. His heart wasn’t involved. But how could Cora be right on the mark with Renee’s reaction and not his? He didn’t like the directions of his thoughts.

“You hungry?” Renee asked.

Hawk grasped for the lifeline. “I am, but why don’t we go out? You look as though you could use a nice dinner.” The memories of this place pressed in on him. The smell of the honeysuckle under Renee’s window after they made love, the feel of her hands on his body, the taste and smoothness of her skin.

She nodded. “There’s that little Mexican food place, La Loma, off the loop, that serves wonderful spinach enchiladas.”

He remembered the place. Their first date had been there. “Let’s go.”

As he locked the apartment door, he was grateful for the reprieve.

Hawk’s arm rested over his eyes as he lay on Renee’s couch and tried to think of the legal case he was working on for the Houston PD. Maybe if he concentrated on something tedious, he could go to sleep. The couch wasn’t made for his six-foot, four-inch frame. As a matter of fact, her apartment was too small to allow them any personal space. They’d been in each other’s way all night.

The world had taken on a surreal quality this last week. Renee was Emory’s daughter. She was pregnant with his child, and they were to marry.

At first Hawk had thought Emory was teasing him about Renee. He always suspected Emory had wanted something to develop between Renee and him. When Emory assured Hawk he wasn’t joking and explained why he wanted Hawk to marry her, things began to spin out of control.

He still didn’t want to deal with the passion Renee generated inside him. His mother, then his ex-wife, taught him not to give in to his feelings. Emotions only generated problems.

But there was another problem that had cropped up since Renee had agreed to marry him. When they had originally made their agreement to marry, he hadn’t known about her pregnancy. He had hoped that maybe after the danger to her life passed, they might go their separate ways. Now, with a child between them, he couldn’t walk away. So if he was going to stay, what about the sexual relationship between them? He didn’t intend to become a monk. With the level of attraction that existed between them, there wasn’t a chance in hell that they’d keep their hands off each other.

The sound of footsteps going to the kitchen pierced his concentration. Obviously Renee couldn’t sleep, either.

He sat up, slipped on his jeans and joined her. Renee held a glass of iced tea in one hand and a homemade chocolate-chip cookie in the other. She looked rumpled and tempting, wrapped in an old robe, her hair hanging loose around her shoulders, and barefoot. Something he didn’t need.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she explained unnecessarily.

Hawk couldn’t, either. “Looks good.” He nodded to the cookie. “Got another one?”

She pushed the tin toward him. “Help yourself.”

After he took a healthy bite, he said, “Nervous about the wedding on Saturday?”

“I feel like a deer the first day of hunting season, in the crosshairs of someone’s rifle.”

He took another bite of the cookie. “Who baked these?”

“I did.”

His brow arched. “I didn’t know you could bake like this.”

“There’s a lot about me you don’t know.”

From the first time he met her, Hawk had tried very hard not to want to know anything personal about her, because he was afraid of where it would lead.

He’d managed to keep his distance from her for a couple of years. But last St. Patrick’s Day, he asked her to accompany him to the Green Gala the police department put on at one of the downtown hotels. That night he gave in to temptation and kissed her. It was the beginning of their fiery relationship. Once they had gotten involved, the fire that had consumed him didn’t give him a chance to think about mundane things like whether or not Renee could cook. He remembered the picnic they had together and the coconut cake she brought. He’d licked icing off her lovely—

Don’t go there.

He’d never wondered if she had baked the cake herself. Now what were they talking about? The wedding in a couple of days. “What about the wedding is making you nervous?” he asked as he picked up another cookie.

A bitter laugh escaped her mouth. “Everything. The family’s reaction, people at work…their reaction, the social elite in this city. I didn’t think it would be a problem, but after what happened the other night—” She swallowed the rest of her comment and touched the bandage on her head. She turned away from him and her shoulders slumped.

He heard her try to choke back tears. Unable to stop himself, he placed his hand on her back.

“It’s going to be okay, Renee.”

She glanced over her shoulder. “I wish I could be as sure as you are.”

Unable to help himself, he brushed off the tear that ran down her cheek. Her skin was so smooth. “That’s why Emory wanted us to marry. He trusts me to care for you.”

She turned around and leaned back against the counter. “So your distaste for marriage only happens when the woman wants a commitment? It’s okay as long as it’s a favor to Emory?”