Page 8 of Out of Reach

Inside the bright foyer, the three men were met with raucous voices from the next room. Hawk led the way to where half a dozen people sat at a long dining room table, playing cards in their hands. The players stopped talking upon their entrance.

“You must be Jude. I’m Jase Falcon.” A slender, handsome man with dark curly hair and tawny skin stood up from the table. When Jude leaned in to shake his hand, he saw the man’s eyes were blue with a splash of brown at the center. He looked familiar. He was undoubtedly Slade’s nephew, but Jude wouldn’t know him from that.

Jase introduced the other five people sitting around the table, all of them looking like they came off a poster for the armed forces.

“We have a room for you downstairs,” West, a tall guy with broad shoulders and blond hair said. “I’ll show you, if you’d like to get comfortable after your flight.”

Jude followed him back into the foyer and then down a flight of stairs to a room off to the side.

“There’s a bathroom in the locker room next to this one,” West told him. “If you’re hungry, I can find something for you to eat. I think we have some leftover chicken casserole from last night.”

“We stopped at an Italian place on the way, but thanks,” Jude told him. “I’ll just shower and then come back upstairs.”

“Great. Holler if you need anything.”

Jude watched him walk away before opening his suitcase and pulling out a pair of sweats.

With a sigh, he headed for the bathroom, determined that when he talked with Hawk’s superiors, he’d inform them he wasn’t in any danger, and he was going to be headed back to New York City within the next couple of days so he could meet Tomaso Ricci.

Finally, things were looking up.

CHAPTER SIX

Hawk

“Slade mentioned your tires were stolen in Brownsville,” Logan said, humor lighting his eyes, despite the news their boss had given them that some homeless guy’s dead body had been found in Jude’s apartment in New York City. Hawk wasn’t sure if it was a coincidence or not, but he was glad he’d gotten Jude out of there when he had.

“I’m surprised the whole thing hadn’t been stripped. That area was gang central,” Hawk said just as Jude walked in.

“Have a seat,” West invited, giving Jude one of his boy-next-door grins.

When Jude had taken a seat in one of the leather chairs, Logan said, “Hawk tells us the place you were living in was pretty undesirable.”

Jude chuckled. “That’s putting it nicely.”

“I didn’t meet you earlier. I’m Logan Fields.” They shook hands. Logan and West were old friends, having served in the Marine Corps together for years. Recently they’d realized they felt more than friendship, and now they were in a romantic relationship. If that made their jobs awkward for them, Hawk hadn’t seen any sign of it. They worked just as seamlessly together as they always had.

“Jude wants to go back to New York City,” he said.

“I got a call about a modeling job on our way here.”

“I thought you’d been blacklisted by Prescott,” Jase said.

Jude shrugged. “I guess he decided I’d suffered enough. I know you guys think he’s put a hit out on me, but that has to be a mistake. Sam wouldn’t do that.”

“Until we can confirm that, you need to take it seriously,” Logan said. Hawk was thankful he hadn’t had to say it, as Jude didn’t take direction from him well.

“I’m not missing this meeting,” Jude said with a familiar stubborn downturn of his mouth. “It might be my only chance to get back into modeling.”

“Or maybe Prescott’s trying to flush you out,” Hawk said.

Jude sighed. “Look, that just doesn’t make sense. I can’t think of one reason why Sam would want me dead. We got along fine, and I left himsix monthsago. He was pissed and that’s why he had me blacklisted. But want me dead? No way.”

“How long were you with Sam?” Logan asked.

“Just over a year. We met at a party. We talked, and Sam was sympathetic to my struggle to break into modeling. Before I knew it, he’d introduced me to some of the top names in the business. Not long after that, I started working for Tomaso Ricci—he’s the one who wants to see me on Friday. And, soon after, Sam and I started dating.”

“How long after that did you move in with him?” Logan asked.