Page 60 of Shielding Instinct

Hawkeye kept up the breaths—pinching the man’s nose, sealing the lips, exhaling smoothly until he saw a rise of the chest. Turning his head and taking in more air, Hawkeye had never done this in real life. He’d practiced it on the vinyl dummies.

But never this long. Never in dire circumstances.

Like Cooper, Hawkeye just did the best he could with what he knew.

Reaper was calling something.

The sound carrying over the water was a staccato string of vowels and consonants that Hawkeye couldn’t make sense of.

Hawkeye rose up momentarily. He needed to make sure there wasn’t a warning in those words.

As Hawkeye rocked back on his heels, the man beneath him suddenly coughed and then was puking up lunch and seawater.

Hawkeye’s fingers fumbled and slipped as he tried to get the guy over to his side so he wouldn’t aspirate his vomit.

The volume coming out of this man’s mouth was mind-boggling like he’d tried to drink the entire sea.

Hawkeye knelt on one knee, his foot planted on the board, holding the man in place as Cooper paddled along.

Suddenly, people were crashing in the water toward the surfboard, coming to lend a hand.

As soon as they reached him, Hawkeye fell backward into the water, letting the others take control.

By the time Hawkeye walked out of the surf, Cooper was on the beach, shaking off. Then, Cooper spun and jogged to Hawkeye, who rounded down to give him a whole-body hug and gratitude scritches.

That’s when Hawkeye became aware that the phone in his waterproof carrier was ringing and ringing.

By reflex, he swiped and answered, “Hello?”

“Hello, is this Hawkeye? Man, where are you? Miss Armstrong is having an emergency. Did you get her message?”

“Petra? Emergency?” Hawkeye panted for breath. “Let me…One second.”

Someone pressed a towel into his hands, and Hawkeye sent them a grateful “Thank you.”

Hawkeye opened the messages app, swiping the screen, while movement pulled his gaze seaward.

The rest of Cerberus was heading to shore.

Halo had two people on his board. Levi had one.

Ash knelt on all fours, head down, as Hoover dragged him to shore.

There were citizens in the water ready to assist them, too.

That freed Hawkeye to read.Man in a blowhole? Won’t survive long.

She wasatan emergency. She wasn’ttheemergency. The relief that swept over Hawkeye was disorienting.

Petra needed him. She trusted him.

Per the message, he tapped the link to check the map showing where this guy was waiting, then Hawkeye lifted the phone to his ear. “Stay where you are, I’m on my way. Ten minutes tops.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Petra

The tide receded.

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