Hawk Brothers Romance Collection

by Cami Checketts

  “I don’t know. But I know how much he loved you.”

  Kiera pulled back and studied Caroline’s beautiful face. She had some laugh wrinkles around her mouth and eyes, which made her even more lovely. “Loved.” She sniffed and nodded. “Something must have changed. He doesn’t want me anymore.” Was it possible that letter that she’d clung to and used as motivation to work hard and be successful was really Creed dumping her? He’d never planned to come back to her, even if he survived the imprisonment? He’d told her goodbye in that final letter, and she’d taken it as encouragement and love.

  The world was crashing around her, and she could hardly stand up straight from the weight of it.

  “No. I can’t believe that,” Caroline said. “He loves you.”

  “Then why would he leave without finding me? Not even a phone call, a text, an email. Nothing!”

  Caroline blinked up at her. She shrugged her delicate shoulders. “There has to be some explanation.”

  Kiera didn’t want to ask but she had to. “Did he even say anything? Did he even care?”

  “Well of course he cared! He flew to Vegas.”

  “To find me?” She challenged. He sure hadn’t found her. Even if that had been him in the hallway, he hadn’t come for her. He’d flown back home and went straight to California. Why?

  “Of course! At least, we all assumed so. I mean it was a whirlwind with hugging him and all of us asking so many questions, and then he hadn’t met Emmett’s fiancée, Cambree, so he wanted to get to know her. Anyway, late the first night he was home, he came and told us he was going to rush to Vegas the next morning and then he would be back. Of course that meant to find you.”

  “Did it?” She shook her head. “I never saw him. What did he say when he came back? He never said he was coming for me, did he?”

  Caroline couldn’t meet her gaze. “He didn’t say anything. Just came late last night with that beautiful man with the English accent. Tom and the man chatted while I helped Creed pack. Creed was pretty somber, but I talked enough for the both of us, and then he was gone.”

  “He said nothing about seeing me?”

  “I tried to ask him about you, if he saw you. He wouldn’t talk about it. He seemed broken.”

  Kiera felt broken. The thought of Creed hurting and her not being able to fix him, be there for him, seared even more wounds open inside of her. She felt pain that he wouldn’t let her fix him and hurt that she would never get the chance. She hadn’t let herself think about his imprisonment too much, but did it break him, break their love or had his love for her disappeared before that?

  There were so many questions and no answers. The only person who had those answers hadn’t found her, if he’d even tried. It didn’t seem like he’d made much of an effort, and now, she couldn’t even call him and tell him off and then tell him she loved him. Tell him their love could surpass any pain, if only he would allow it to.

  She backed away. One-sided love wouldn’t be enough to fix anything, especially a man as strong and brave as Creed. If he didn’t need her, she refused to be the wilting flower begging for a sip of water from him.

  “Please don’t tell him I came.”

  “But sweetheart …” Caroline began.

  “Please!” Kiera wasn’t above begging. “I can’t imagine what he’s gone through, how hard it’s been. Please don’t burden him with this as well. It’s obvious he doesn’t want me anymore.” Her voice broke. “Please promise me.”

  Caroline finally nodded, and she didn’t reach for her this time. Right now, Kiera really needed that hug. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

  “Not your fault.” Kiera tried to be brave. “Thank you for always being so wonderful to me.”

  Caroline did hug her then. “It’s going to work out. He’ll find you,” she whispered in her ear.

  Kiera wished she could believe that. Creed was an impressive and stealthy tracker, but he couldn’t find her if he didn’t look.

  She forced a smile and turned, walking slowly past the lovely fountains and cobblestone circle drive, along the path that she’d run down with such joyful abandon not long ago. Creed had come back. He was alive. She loved him desperately. And he didn’t care enough to even call her.

  Crazily, there were no tears left. Her heart was cold and empty. The pain that wracked her body made her want to vomit. It was like he’d died all over again. No, it was worse. At least when he’d died last time, others had shared in her grief, and she had that letter, so full of his love and his wishes for her to be happy. At least, she had thought that’s what the letter meant.

  She was horribly selfish to even have these thoughts. His mother and family had Creed back in their lives, and that was wonderful for them. But Kiera had nothing.

  Chapter Four

  Kiera spent the day with her mom and the evening with both of her parents, but she couldn’t handle being in Long Island, so close to all those memories of Creed and unable to accept that it was truly over between them. That he’d moved on, dumping her and their love that easily.

  She did the walk, or rather flight, of shame back to Las Vegas and her career. A quick text sent, and Milo met her at the airport with open arms. She heard some clicks and looked around to see they’d been recognized and several teenage girls were taking pictures. She couldn’t even force a smile. Milo tried to start a conversation as they left the airport, but she wasn’t quite ready to face him yet.

  She motioned to the Uber driver. “Can we please just get to the studio and then talk?” she asked.

  Milo nodded, keeping his arm around her. They finally arrived at the dance studio where they’d trained since being in Vegas. They went to their private workspace, a beautiful room that was all windows, mirrors, and hardwood floors. Milo shut the door and said, “I’ve been pretty patient Kiera. You cost us both hundreds of thousands of dollars, not to mention the bad publicity, missing that show. I need some answers.”

  Kiera acknowledged the truth of his statements with a nod. She swallowed and said, “I’m sorry I ran out on you. You have been a wonderful partner and friend, and you didn’t deserve that.”

  Milo waited for more, but she didn’t know quite how to explain. Truthfully, she didn’t want to explain anything about Creed.

  “So Creed’s alive?”

  Kiera couldn’t hold his gaze. “Yes.”

  “But you’re back here with me?”

  Kiera drew in a deep breath and held it. When she thought her lungs would explode, she pushed out the words. “He doesn’t want me.”

  There was silence for far too long. She forced herself to stand straight and meet Milo’s gaze. Milo’s eyes were soft and filled with more emotion than she wanted to deal with. “He’s an idiot,” he muttered.

  Kiera took the words like a punch in the gut. Creed might be the biggest idiot on the planet to turn his back on what they’d had, but she didn’t want to hear about it from Milo.

  “Well, it’s over, and now, I just want to get back to work,” she said.

  Milo shook his head. “I know it hurts, Kiera, but you have to know I’ll always be here for you.”

  Kiera was bone tired, but she had to address this issue now. “You’re the best dance partner anyone could ask for, but if I haven’t made it clear before now, I need to. I don’t feel anything more than friendship for you.”

  Milo’s blue eyes darkened. “You’ve never given me a chance.”

  Kiera splayed her hands. “It’s one of those things you just know Milo. There are no sparks between us, and our values are very different.”

  “I have been more patient with you than any man would dream of being.”

  Kiera thought that might be true. Two days ago, she would’ve argued that Creed would wait for her for an eternity, but apparently, that was false.

  “We can still dance together,” Kiera said, but even as she said it, she knew everything was imploding. She was too broken to keep fighting to be on top, to keep performing, to keep working w
ith Milo and yet keep him at arm’s length.

  “I deserve better than your scraps,” Milo yelled at her. “Tell me that you’ll give us a chance or I am done!”

  Kiera shook her head. “There will never be an us.”

  “I’m through.” He pushed out a disgusted grunt then stormed past her to the door. Kiera whirled to watch him leave.

  Milo turned, and his glower was so ugly it was hard to believe he was the same compassionate man of minutes before. “I will ruin you Kiera. You’ll never dance in America again.”

  Kiera leaned away from the very solid threat he’d just thrown at her. Milo was a big star, but she was the one people raved about. Still, it would be all too easy for him to ruin her. Staying at the top of this game was a precarious dance, and it would be simple to topple off the peak at any time. She didn’t know if she could continue the balancing act any longer.

  Milo waited for her response, but her fire, her drive, had been killed by Creed’s desertion. She’d survived these past three months, worked and thrived in her career, for Creed. No more. The weariness she’d been fighting since Creed had been pronounced dead overtook her. His death had about taken her under, but strangely, it was him coming back to life and not wanting her that threw the flowers on top of her coffin.

  It was a struggle to stay on her feet. She couldn’t find it in her to care if Milo ruined her or ran her name through the mud.

  When she didn’t respond, he simply sneered and stormed away. Kiera had no energy to get in the middle of some mud-slinging battle, and suddenly, the only thing she wanted was to get away from it all.

  She leaned against the mirror, slipped her phone out of her purse, and dialed her agent’s number. “I need two things.”

  “Name them.” Ilene sang the words. She was the most upbeat person Kiera knew.

  “I want a statement issued right now that I’ve split ways with Milo and we will not be performing in any upcoming shows.”

  Ilene gasped, but Kiera wasn’t done. “And I want you to set up a tour for me. I want to be anywhere but America. I’ll teach dance lessons at resorts in Cabo or do benefit shows for children in Africa. I’d prefer the last, but I honestly don’t care. Just please get me away from here.”

  “What … what happened?” Ilene asked.

  “Just do this for me, please.”

  Silence came for a few beats. Then Ilene muttered, “If you’re certain.”

  “I am.”

  “Then it’s done.”

  It was done. She’d given up her hard-earned career, but at the moment, she couldn’t find it in her to care. Creed had given up on her. Nothing could be more devastating than that.

  Chapter Five

  Two months later

  Creed had settled into his room at the all-inclusive Cancun resort and was pretending he was like any other tourist who’d just arrived at the sprawling getaway. The massive buildings formed a wide u shape. The pools, restaurants, fitness center, and spa were nestled in the open middle of the buildings, with the beach and ocean visible beyond them. There were twelve sections of rooms with almost two hundred suites in each section. The place was like a gigantic cruise ship on land. Kiera had always wanted to go on a cruise. He rolled his eyes. Not thinking about Kiera.

  He wandered through the buffet and tried a few things. He walked the length of the private beach and watched families playing volleyball, digging in the sand, snorkeling in the ocean, kayaking, or paddle-boarding. He checked out all eight of the massive pools, lost track of the number of hot tubs, and took a tour of the exclusive spa and well-equipped workout area. Of course, he also looked at the menus of each of the six restaurants.

  To anyone watching, he appeared to be a tourist excited for vacation at the luxurious five-star resort, but he was far from it. Vacation and happiness held no appeal since he’d seen Kiera kissing Milo. He was on a job for Sutton Smith, and that meant being as vigilant as he’d ever been in the Navy. Sutton was a good man, but he didn’t tolerate mistakes, and this job may be the most important of Creed’s assignments thus far. Creed was stalking James Gunthry, former Duke of Gunthry, ex-husband of Sutton’s lovely new wife Liz, and all-around slime ball. Creed had followed a trail through the Caribbean that had led him to Cancun and this very resort. After the duke had escaped during a prison transfer with the help of two well-paid guards, he had altered his appearance, going from dark hair to blond. He had added contact lenses that made his eyes green and had done botox to appear younger. He’d even gotten a new nose, more regal than his last one. He’d also put on twenty pounds of muscle, changing from weaselly to having a little bit of a build. However, Creed could, and would, still kick his trash when the time came.

  The duke’s only mistake since escaping prison three weeks ago was getting desperate enough to access a fund that had been in his and Liz’s names in Grand Cayman. Sutton had been alerted immediately, and they’d been able to retrieve the footage from the financial institution. Now, they knew exactly what the duke looked like. Creed, along with his former SEAL teammates Logan and Jace, had spent two weeks tracking Gunthry from island to island—Creed with feet on the ground and the others doing their hacking and probability analyses from Sutton’s home base. It was payoff time. The duke was here. He could feel it.

  Creed went to his room and hurried to shower and dress in a short-sleeved white button-down shirt and tan linen pants. He left a few buttons undone on the shirt so he would look like he fit in with the laidback vacationers. His skin was always a dark brown, and with his deep brown eyes and short facial hair, he figured he looked relaxed enough to blend in.

  The Mexican restaurant he tried out was delicious. The guacamole and fish tacos rivaled the best he’d tasted. He wanted to try the carne asade too, but it had been Kiera’s favorite. He wouldn’t think about her, wouldn’t allow himself to wonder if she still loved carne asade. Her love for him had changed, why not her taste in Mexican food?

  He forced himself to eat slowly and casually, grateful the restaurant was open air so he could keep an eye out for the duke. He finished his meal and popped in the mint the waiter offered him. “Gracias.” He pulled out a hundred and slipped it into the waiter’s palm.

  The waiter smiled at him and leaned closer. “What you need, señor?”

  “How do you know I need something?” Creed elevated an eyebrow.

  “Generous tips are included in your room fare and extra is discouraged. You’re wanting a woman?”

  Creed shook his head. A woman. He hadn’t wanted a woman since Kiera. He wondered if she’d ever tried to contact him. How she’d reacted when she found out he was alive and she realized she’d thrown away their love on that Milo guy. He shook his head. That train had long since been derailed. He was focused on work now. He only felt guilty when he called home and heard the longing in his mom’s voice. He would see them all soon. He was going home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. He would fit in a few football games, some time with his brothers, and of course, he’d be there for Emmett and Cambree’s wedding in February after the Titans’ season was over.

  For some reason, he hadn’t been able to bring himself to go home for the past two months, and Sutton had kept his promise of assignments that kept him away from America and any knowledge of social media and the danger of hearing Kiera Richins’ name. Surprisingly, even his SEAL teammates had honored that request, not updating him on Kiera’s status or rubbing in his heartbreak.

  You would think he could forget, but there were too many memories of Kiera. She’d betrayed him, and the anger festered, simmering below the surface. He’d saved himself for her through pain and torture, and she’d shacked up with the first guy she had found after Creed had been pronounced dead. It hurt too much to even think about it. His mom had tried to bring up her name a few times, but he’d shut that conversation down quickly.

  “A man?” the waiter asked.

  Creed nodded, and the waiter looked him over. “I would not have guessed that.”

  �
��Not like that.” Creed rolled his eyes. He pulled out the picture they had of the duke. “Have you seen this guy?”

  The waiter studied the picture and crumpled the bill in his palm. “I’ve seen the idiota, yes.”

  “He’s staying here?”

  The waiter nodded.

  Creed stood and clapped him on the shoulder. “Gracias.”

  “Be careful, señor.” The waiter sort of shuddered. “Bad man. Bad connections.”

  Creed exhaled through his nose. “Believe me, I know that.” He glanced steadily at the waiter. “What do you know?”

  The waiter studied him. “I know little, but he has recruited help that is rotten.”

  Sutton warned him Gunthry would never be without henchmen.

  Creed waited, appraising the man, wondering if he knew more. The waiter didn’t flinch, and Creed finally released his gaze. “We never talked.”

  The waiter nodded vigorously. “I happily remember that.” He bustled away.

  Creed felt a chill wash over him. He knew the duke was one of the vilest men on earth. He’d abused his wife and daughter, treating them like slaves. He’d had an entire village annihilated to frame Sutton Smith and steal Liz from him when they were young. The duke had even been heavily involved in human trafficking. Creed could usually detach himself from missions, but he felt a personal connection here. Sutton and Liz had been good to him, treating him like family. Liz’s daughter Ally had married River Duncan, a man Creed had looked up to his entire life. A fellow Long Islander with lots of brothers, River had joined the SEALs a couple years before Creed had, and Creed had played football with River’s younger brother, Tennison. Creed had heard one too many awful stories about the duke, including how his men had beaten, drugged, and tried to drown River in the ocean in Kauai. Creed didn’t want to live in a world where James Gunthry ran free. And he didn’t want James Gunthry running free in a world where people he cared about lived.