Page 67 of Storm Warning

“Doesn’t matter if I told you or not.”

“I’m not leaving you,” he said. “Your Conclave Assets can just clean up the mess.” And leaving the scene of a crime would make Remi and Hawk look bad.

When John didn’t respond, Hawk felt his pulse and found it thready. He’d been hoping that it would remain strong.

“Come on, John, don’t die on me!”

“I’m afraid that is a foregone conclusion,” another voice spoke up.

Hawk pivoted, but Cole had made his move while Remi and Hawk were distracted by John’s words.

Cole stood with his weapon thrust into Remi’s side. “She’s coming with me. You shouldn’t have gotten involved, Hawk.”

Fear for Remi strangled Hawk. Her gaze held his. He wanted to tell her how sorry he was a thousand times over. No one else was going to die on his watch.

“Cole,” he said. “Please stop this. Whatever you’ve gotten into, we can fix this!”

If he was taking her now instead of killing her, then Cole needed her alive, and he needed her memories. If Hawkmade a move for her now, would Cole shoot Remi? Or his own brother? He wanted to signal her to make a move and he would take Cole out, but Remi subtly shook her head. She knew, like Hawk knew, that he simply couldn’t take that risk.

Hawk didn’t recognize the man before him. Those angry, dark eyes didn’t belong to the brother he’d grown up with. Cole aimed his gun at Hawk and fired.

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Gunfire echoed in her ears. Her heart jumped to her throat.

“Hawk!”

He dropped behind the desk, and she couldn’t see him.

“Hawk!” Her screams went unanswered. Had he been shot? Was he okay? She tried to break away from Cole and disarm him, but all muscle and ultra-skilled, he easily outmaneuvered her and pulled her closer to him to haul her out of the office. How could she have been so focused on John’s words that Cole had slipped into the room and grabbed her?

My mistake could cost everything!It could have already cost John and Hawk their lives. Anguish engulfed her. “Let me go! Did you just shoot your brother? Are you crazy?”

She wasn’t going to let him get away with it. Get away with her. She’d fought this guy before. He dragged her down the hallway, because no, she was not going willingly. Her chest tightened with grief that threatened to paralyze her. Strength tried to drain from her limbs.

Cole was winning this fight, but she wouldn’t give up. Remi tried to twist her arm out of his ironclad grip as hemarched her out the door and into the tumultuous weather. She angled her face to look at him. Take in his features. He’d dropped the whole mask thing because maybe at this point, it was worthless to hide his identity.

“Did you kill him? Your own brother? How could you?” She seethed the words.

Her whole body shook. Tears choked in her throat. She couldn’t afford to be weak.

Hawk could still be alive. I can save him if I can get free.

“Let me go. I don’t remember anything, so all of this is for nothing. You hear me? I don’t know what happened to you, but you broke Hawk’s heart.” She refused to let the sob caught in her throat break free.

Cole continued to urge her along the pier, and she couldn’t forget that he also aimed a handgun at her. He was a skilled assassin, and Remi couldn’t fight him and win at this moment. But like Hawk had said, she would live to fight another day, or maybe later this same day. She’d just have to watch for her chance.

“Tie your ankles,” he said.

“What?”

“Put the plastic ties around your ankles.”

He rested his handgun against his chest. Now wasn’t the moment for her to make an escape, but plastic ties now would mean a tougher escape later. He then tied her wrists, never once looking her in the eyes. Then lifted her over his shoulder. He climbed onto the boat with ease as if Remi was a ten-pound bag of russets. Then he set her in a chair inside the pilothouse.

He stared down at her. “Are you going to give me any trouble? Because I don’t need you awake for this ride.”

What did that mean? “No trouble.” At least not yet.

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