Page 100 of Storm Warning

“Call the sheriff,” Remi said. “Tell him we’re under attack at the lodge.”

“On it,” Dylan said.

“We make a good team,” Jo said. “But now what? How do we get this Whitman guy before he hurts anyone else?”

A figure emerged from the woods. Hawk.

I don’t believe it.

Her heart jumped to her throat. Relief blew through her harder than the violent gusts. But he looked beaten and barely hanging on. She wanted to rush to him, but she was still dealing with a volatile situation.

“As for Whitman,” Remi said to Jo, “wait for the sheriff. Don’t go in there and try to face him.”

“He’ll probably try to take a hostage,” Jo said. “Maybe I shouldn’t have used Little Jo.”

“You did the right thing. If we got in that van, we were riding to our death.” And Remi would have likely faced torture until she gave up the location of the Tempest device. Someone wanted it badly, and it scared her to think of what would happen if it were delivered to the terrorist group.

An armed man suddenly stepped from the woods and started for Remi, aiming a gun at her.

Hawk grabbed him from behind and disarmed him, kicked him in the groin so hard the man fell over. Hawkgrabbed a zip tie—one of several hanging out of the man’s pockets—and tied him up, then stood over him and waited for Remi and Jo to join him.

“Hawk ... I thought ... Whitman ordered his men to kill you.”

“Whitman?”

“Yeah. He’s here inside the lodge. From what I gather John was working with him to begin with, but now John is competing with him ... planning to sell the device to terrorists too.” Had she made a mistake believing Whitman’s words? He was a criminal, after all.

She knew how Hawk felt about his friend and that her statement would hurt him.

“I know,” he said.

Wow. Okay. What happened? How did he find out? “And ... Cole? Is he...?” She couldn’t bring herself to say the word. He could be incapacitated or tied up. She had to tell Hawk the truth about his brother, though she wasn’t entirely sure herself what that was.

“Cole is going to die if I don’t get down on the beach and get him out.”

“What? How did he end up on the beach?”

“It’s a long story. I need you to get somewhere safe, though, or this is all for nothing. Then I can go help Cole. He’s been shot, and he won’t be able to make it off the beach without help, especially with the rising tide.”

“I’ll get him. You stay and help Remi.” Jo didn’t wait for Hawk’s agreement and ran toward the stairs down to the shore.

“Be careful,” Hawk shouted after her. “I can’t be positive other gunmen aren’t out there or those in the bunker didn’t escape.”

Jo slowed and turned to walk backward.

“Haven’t you heard? I’m a survivor.” She whirled around and took off.

“Whitman’s in the lodge,” Remi said. “Dylan’s watching to make sure he doesn’t escape. We’re waiting on the sheriff. Hawk, Erika was behind the attacks. Jo’s abduction. She was probably the driver that took out the sheriff’s vehicle. Cole wasn’t behind any of that.”

“I know it wasn’t Cole.”

The air whooshed from her lungs. “What? How?”

“Cole and I came to terms. John”—Hawk gasped in pain—of the heart or physical?—“lied to me. Told me Cole was an assassin. Had gone rogue. He wanted to come between us so he could stop Cole. And Cole thought I was someone to protect you from. That I was working with John to get the information. John pitted us against each other.”

“If you were, then I’m an idiot. I gave the information to you willingly.”

Hawk pressed closer and hugged her to him. She drew in his masculine scent mixed with salt, mud, rain, and sweat.

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