A Matter of Circumstance by M J Marlow (if you give a mouse a cookie read aloud .TXT) 📖

about Gunther’s being there that William wasn’t telling him, but Hawk knew better than to push. “I have a sermon to write. If you gentlemen will excuse me?” “I have to get back to the office,” Hawk nodded. “Thank you for your assistance, Reverend Ryan,” he smiled as he held up the bear. “I’ll see that Victoria gets this.” “What would she want with that moth-eaten old thing?” Steven sniffed. He looked at his watch. “I have a meeting.” He hurried off without any more inquiries into Victoria’s health and something about that set Hawk’s teeth on edge. He had seemed more annoyed that she had gotten herself shot when he needed to talk to her. Hawk pulled out his cell phone. “Martha?” he said as the line was answered. “Have someone run a background on Steven Gunther. He’s supposedly a federal agent.” He heard her question. “Why supposedly? Because this man has all the finesse of a bull in a china shop.” He ran his hand through his thick black hair and sighed. “I have a few items for the Tech boys to sift through.” He got into his car and put the bear on the passenger seat next to him. Steiff bears were not cheap he seemed to recall. A mother who could leave such a thing with her abandoned child was not poor. He wondered if Victoria would mind him delving into the mystery of her father while he was hunting for her shooter. Why not, he asked himself as he put the car into gear. He was getting an uncomfortable feeling that the danger her father represented was more than the man who had shot her could ever cause her. Nicol Beauclerc hung up the phone and was relieved to hear the report. His daughter was awake and out of danger as far as her health went. She was also engaged to the federal agent she had been seeing for the past two months. But her kidnapper had shot her in the first place and he was going to find out where the bastard was and hurt him for that even if it blew his cover. He looked at the Interpol agent seated across from him and frowned. This man and he had worked together for the past twenty years to put together his cover. Philippe had been through everything with him; even helped him form the agency that allowed him and his daughter and other operatives to work when, where, and how they wished. “Victoria is awake,” he told the man. “She is expected to make a full recovery.” Philippe nodded and the relief on his face was plain. “Can you tell me why my daughter was shot?” “You expected the man to keep his word?” Philippe asked his friend. Nicol shrugged. “The man has been keeping his head down since. My hunters have found no trace of him.” He frowned. “I believe he wanted to get your attention, Beauclerc. You can expect him to contact you again.” “If he hurts another member of my family,” Nicol said coldly, “I will not rest until I rip his heart out.” He saw Philippe flinch. The intercom beeped three times and his expression went cold. “And I have told you, Inspector,” he was saying as the door opened and his partner, Nigel Madison walked in, “that I have no idea where the bastard is! Finding the man who kidnapped and shot my child is your job! My attention is all on my daughter’s recovery.” He saw Madison. “I have a meeting with my associate now. You can leave.” “This isn’t over, Beauclerc,” Philippe growled as he got to his feet. He glared at Madison and left. “That man is becoming a nuisance,” Madison said as he watched the door close. He turned to Nicol. “How is Victoria?” “She has regained consciousness,” Nicol told his partner, not having to feign his relief. “She can not tell the authorities who shot her, however. The coward was wearing something over his face.” He slammed his fist into the desk. “I will find him, Nigel. When I do, being shot will be the least of what he will suffer for what he did to my child.” “You think it had to do with you?” Madison asked, although he knew the truth. “She had been working as a federal agent, Nicol. It might have been someone connected to one of the cases she’s working.” “No,” Nicol shook his head. “I would not have been contacted for ransom if that were the case.” He calmed himself. “Let us move on to other matters now. I have people looking into the matter.” He was silent for several moments. “I should bring her here now.” “Do you think she’d come?” Madison asked. “She has not seen you in twenty years, Nicol.” “She is not safe, Nigel,” Nicol replied. “Until the shooter is caught, how can she be?” He misread the man’s concern. “I would keep her away from our business matters, Nigel. Her only concern here would be to heal from the injury she suffered.” He shook his head then. “But you are right. She has someone now who will see she is safe. She is engaged to an agent she met during her last case.” “Then you should let him look after her,” Nigel nodded his head. He looked at his watch. “I forgot I had another meeting, Nicol. I will call you later to speak about the security issues.” Nicol nodded and Madison left. He went to his car and placed a call. “Kennedy,” he snapped once the line connected. “It is time Victoria was brought to me. She is her father’s weakness and our means to control him.” 10 Two days after she had woken up, Victoria opened her eyes as the door to the room opened and a handsome man with dark hair and twinkling brown eyes stepped into her room. Oh help, she nearly squeaked. What was he doing walking into her room when she looked like a homeless person? She focused on anything but her pounding heart and rising libido and saw that he was carrying something small and gray in his hand. She held out her arms and squealed in happiness. “Pippin!” she giggled as she held the bear close. “How did you get your hands on him, Hawk?” “Poppy said to tell you that he and Muddy will be praying for you, Victoria,” Hawk told her as he bent down to kiss her on the cheek. “Nice man, your Uncle.” “Martin sent you to my uncle, didn’t he?” Victoria asked, angry at this bit of news. “But I…” She saw his patient expression and felt herself falling deeper into the pit. She was in serious danger of falling in love with him. “I asked him to keep them out of this. Uncle William distanced himself for a good reason.” “His call not mine,” Hawk smiled at her a moment. “While I was there I ran into an Agent Steven Gunther. Does that name ring any bells?” “Not a single peal,” Victoria replied, frowning. She certainly didn’t know anyone named Steven Gunther. “Should I know him?” Was he part of the men she was baiting? “You don’t like the man,” she said as she saw his look. “Why?” “Something about his manner set my teeth on edge,” Hawk replied. He had to put his hands in his pocket to keep from touching her. She looked so lost, he wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her safe. Where is your professionalism, Travers? “I know Martin asked you this before, but do you think your shooting might have something to do with who your father is?” Hawk asked her. He saw her go white. “I did a little checking back when I first learned who you were.” “You are a nosy son of a bitch,” Victoria frowned. She sighed as she saw his jaw go tight. “I’m sorry, Hawk. The answer is yes. The man blamed my father for ruining a business deal for him so he kidnapped me to get money from my father.” She looked uncomfortable. “Papa called me and warned me he’d heard a rumor someone might be gunning for me.” She saw his jaw clench. “I thought it had something to do with the Danville case.” “That was one plausible explanation,” Hawk replied. “After reading the incident report, no one could come up with anything conclusive.” “They would have just killed me,” Victoria replied. “That man abducted me because I’m the daughter of Nicol Beauclerc. I am going to find my father and go kick his ass.” “Where did that come from?” Hawk asked, amused by her temper. “I have a lot of unresolved issues where my father is concerned,” Victoria replied, “and I am having a problem controlling my emotions since the shooting.” She had only known this man two months but she loved him and trusted him. So she did something she had never done before; she shared her history with him. “My mother was murdered because of him and he dumped me on her brother under the guise of keeping me safe.” “You were three when the Reverend took you in,” Hawk said sadly. “That’s an awful young age to have your mother taken away from you.” “I lost both my parents when she was murdered,” Victoria replied. He saw the sadness in her eyes. “I accepted that Papa thought distancing himself from me was that right choice. He would only have called me if the rumors were credible.” “You’re a realist, Victoria,” Hawk smiled at her, liking her no-nonsense manner. In fact, there wasn’t anything he didn’t like about this young woman except for the holes in her past. She couldn’t be blamed for what her father had done with his life. He looked at his watch and frowned. “I have a meeting I need to get to. I’ll be back.” “Thank you, Hawk,” Victoria smiled at him. “Just be careful where you poke. There are a lot of serpents hanging around my father. I don’t want you hurt.” She held up the box. “I am holding you to this, you know.” “Then I should complete the proposal before you come to your senses,” Hawk replied as he returned her smile. He kissed her until her toes curled and then slid the ring on her finger. “You did say ‘yes’, didn’t you?” Victoria nodded and watched him go and the smile he’d put on her face was still there. She’d been seconds away from throwing herself into Hawk’s arms and begging him to join her in the bed. She heard a commotion out in the hall as she closed her eyes to rest and a dark-haired man strode into the room. “Who are you?” Victoria choked as the stranger came towards her, his dark gray eyes filled with anger. Two gray-eyed men in one afternoon; this was just too much of a coincidence. She grabbed for the call button and he stopped her from pressing it. She slapped him the moment he released her and he pulled back, angry. “Is that the way you greet all your visitors, Miss Ryan?” Steven snapped at her in irritation. “I needed to talk to you about a case I’m working on and didn’t need anyone interrupting.” “I don’t know you,” Victoria snapped back at him and pressed the call button. “Go away or I’ll have the nurse call security.” She saw the door open and Martin was there. “This man just burst in here and accosted me, Martin. I don’t know him. Could you escort him out of here.” “I’ll go,” Steven said as he shook Martin’s hand off of his arm. “I just want to know where you put the ring, Miss Ryan. If it’s lost…” “Ring?” Victoria had never had a ring on her finger in her life. Her Mama had been the one who liked jewelry. “I’ve never worn