Free Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Protecting Maddie (Kindle Worlds Novella) (An Omega Team Crossover Book 4) by Desiree Holt Page B

“This is going to take a lot more than me to handle. And I need a plan of action. If you’ve got the manpower, I can pay you—”
    “Nothing,” Grey interrupted. “You’ll pay me nothing.”
    “But—”
    “When you finish your tour, I’m hoping you’ll join Omega. I wasn’t kidding about that. But even if it’s after yet another tour, I count you as part of the family. Your money’s no good.”
    Hawkeye knew better than to argue with him.
    “I’m not letting her go back to school this afternoon,” he told Grey. “We need a strategy session to keep her safe and put this to bed.”
    “You calling the cops?”
    “Not yet.” Hawkeye hadn’t been at all happy with the way they’d handled things so far. “They didn’t believe her any of the times she called, and I’m sure they wouldn’t believe her now. We’ll bring them in after the hard work is done.”
    “I suggest you bring her here to our offices after you meet her at noon.”
    “I hope she believes me.” Hawkeye wasn’t at all sure that would be the case. If he was in Maddie’s situation, he’d probably be in total denial.
    “We need to strategize,” Grey pointed out. “And she needs to be part of this, whether you like it or not.”
    “Crap.”
    He ground his teeth in frustration. He found himself in a most unlikely position. He had a mantra—no close associations, no long term relationships, no romantic entanglements. Others had managed, but he hadn’t believed he could. He had one focus—being a Delta Force team member. Once that was over, he’d worry about the rest of his life.
    But he’d taken one look at Maddie Winslow, and all his good resolutions went to hell, right out the window. Five seconds after he walked into Gretchen LeBeau’s house and saw her, he’d had the mother of all boners. He was more than glad he’d worn a jacket that covered it. As the hours passed with her, it didn’t get any better. Not even a workout in his home gym could get his craving for her out of his system.
    Last night, he’d done what he’d told himself not to do—gotten involved with the woman under his protection. Never mix business with pleasure. As part of the teams, he’d engaged in hostage rescue, protection detail, various activities that involved close quarters with beautiful, sexy women. None of them had appealed to him except in the most superficial way.
    Maddie Winslow was a different case altogether. She hit right in the gut. Last night had only confirmed what he’d feared—he wanted her with every breath, and not just in bed. Maybe he’d only known her for a couple of days, but the invisible connection between them was too strong to ignore. His problem was where to go with it once this was over. He had always been a loner. He’d seen team members die in the field and leave loved ones at home destroyed by it. He had always told himself he couldn’t do that, and nothing had happened to change his mind. If anything, the thought of Maddie wasting her life mourning him made him even more resolute.
    So, what the fuck was he to do?
    “Hawkeye?” Grey’s voice penetrated his fog. “You still with me?”
    “I’m here. She gets her lunch break at noon. I’ll bring her over then.”
    And hope she could understand and absorb what he had to tell her.
    *****
    “I don’t believe it.” Maddie leaned back in the chair in Grey Holden’s office, hands gripped together to keep them from shaking. “You’ve made some kind of mistake.”
    “I wish that was the case,” Grey told her. “Believe me.”
    She stared at the array of paperwork laid out before her and willed herself not to pass out. In her wildest imagination, nothing like this had ever occurred to her.
    “Can you please go over it again?” she asked. “I want to be sure I understand.”
    “Of course.”
    Maddie leaned forward in her chair, suddenly conscious Hawkeye had reached for her hand and enfolded it in his big one.
    I’m here for you. It will be okay.
    She