Page 20 of Storm Warning

7

Along the dark path, wind buffeted and rain pelted. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, and the heavy clouds ushered darkness in much sooner. Pulling her hood forward, Remi pushed on.

Why had she told Hawk? Said anything at all? She’d wanted to ask him while he was in her office, but Dr. Holcomb had texted and insisted it was vital she meet with Remi as soon as possible.

Maybe she’d been rash, impatient, but she had to know if Hawk was to blame. He’d shown up on the very day she’d not only faced death twice but also received another puzzle piece—hand delivered—along with the warning to remember. Two years ago, she’d woken up in a military hospital, and deep inside, she had the strange feeling that everything was somehow related to the military. Hawk had been Army and she’d been Army, and so following that to a logical conclusion, she’d thought he could have been sent here by someone to pressure her to get her memories back. Like that would work.

But apparently that had been an illogical conclusion,because she believed Hawk when he told her he had no clue what was going on. Then when Hawk had stared at her with an intensity that made her shudder all over—in a weirdly good way—she had to admit that, yes...

I need an ally in this.

And maybe part of her had wanted him to be the person who had sent the pieces, to help her remember, to warn her about the threat. That would mean that he knew what menace she faced. He knew what happened when she did not and could explain everything. But he wasn’t the puzzle piece sender, and now he thought she was crazy. She didn’t need to bring him into this with her. She shouldn’t. Not when she didn’t know the full scale of it.

She forced her mind to shut down the overwhelming thoughts to focus on getting to the lodge. Normally, she could walk this path blindfolded, but the wind and rain and crashing waves disoriented her.

I can do this.

Shining the flashlight along the path, she continued, heading back toward her own cabin where she could sit and wait out the storm and figure out what to do next. A branch blew past and nearly knocked into her, so she picked up the pace. This wasn’t the first time she’d experienced storms here, but it would be the most intense, and yeah, okay, she’d been stupid to come out in it close to dark in the first place. But she’d needed answers and been impulsive. No way would she turn back and wait out the first of the storms with Hawk Beckett.

The sound of water rushing, flooding much too close, sent alarms through her. Cold water surged around her ankles. She wasn’t on the beach, so what was going on? Her heart pounded. This shouldn’t be happening. A practical river had formed, and she felt herself being tugged along. She had to get out of this.

Remi shined the flashlight at her feet at the same moment a hand gripped her arm and whirled her around.

Hawk stood in a soaking wet T-shirt. “You have to come back! It’s too dangerous,” he shouted as he pulled her with him toward his cabin.

Too stunned to argue, she let him lead her through the dark forest. Once inside the cabin, he shut the door and pressed his back against it as if his strong, broad shoulders were needed to hold down the fort.

She gasped, tried to calm her racing heart. In the low lighting, she caught his soaked form again. His chest rising and falling with his quickened breaths. He held her gaze.

“It was just rainwater flooding, rushing to the cliff to meet the ocean. You shouldn’t have brought me back.”

“The water is rushing toward the drop in elevation—I mean, a significant drop. Didn’t you see it? Part of the cliff face eroded, falling right into the ocean.” His voice was shaky.

Strong Hawk Beckett could get scared? Well, if that didn’t shake her to her toes too.

He ran his hands through his wet hair before fisting them at his hips. Concern raked his features. “You almost stepped right off the new cliff.”

“How didyousee it?” He’d been watching her? To make sure she was safe?

“I saw the branch fly past and I thought you were hurt.”

This guy never quit being a hero, did he? “Thank you.”

His lips pressed into a thin line, and he pushed from the door. Remi had to absorb this news to understand. She removed her dripping jacket and hung it on a peg near the door, next to Hawk’s jacket.

I don’t understand.She had to get her mind around it, for her sake and for others.

“Scientists, geotechnical engineers, have already assessed the soil composition and stability. Eventually—in decades—even the lodge might become vulnerable.” She paced the room, then moved to the woodstove to get warm. “This cabin would at some point be threatened. But not yet, Hawk.” She looked at him. “I swear, I would never put anyone in danger. The evaluations, the powers that be, wouldn’t allow me to rent the cabin out if it wasn’t safe.”

His mouth hung open before he slowly closed it, then said, “So, wait. You’re saying you think this cabin isn’t safe?”

“Are you seriously asking me that?” she asked. “You said you saw erosion a few yards away. That wasn’t supposed to happen anytime in the near future. So how can we believe this cabin isn’t going to slide right into the ocean tonight if water was flowing off the cliff? That just further destabilizes it. The other cabins, no. They’re too far back. But this one? It’s the closest to the edge. The best view of the beach, frankly, and the storm.” Remi pressed her hands against her eyes.

God, what is happening? Cedar Trails Lodge is in danger on my watch? My life is falling apart all at once?

She dropped her hands. “I need to radio my staff. Let everyone know where I am and what’s going on.”

She fished in her pocket. Then both pockets. Reached into her jeans.Are you kidding me?Now that she thought about it, she’d been so intent on catching Hawk and getting answers, she hadn’t grabbed the radio on her way out. She hadn’t planned to stay long, so the thought hadn’t pressed on her.

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