The next morning Penelope woke up to a message on her phone from Sawyer asking for her to meet him on the mainland after breakfast. He’d claimed that he had some errands to run in town and could use a ride back to the island since she was planning to return anyways. She wasn’t sure what to believe.

She needed to tread carefully with him from now on. After rocking her world with a kiss that had left her breathless and wanting, she’d managed to break away and get the heck out of there before she did something she’d regret later. Barely.

With a quick glance in her rearview mirror, Penelope turned into the little Island View stop and shop. It wasn’t until she pulled to a stop in the parking lot she realized that Sawyer was already there.

He stood leaning against the railing of the enclosed walkway that led to the rear of the building where the pub was located. The same walkway that had filled her night with restless sleep as she relived that single, mind blowing kiss all over again.

How exactly was she supposed to forget something like that?

Screw forgetting. She wasn’t an idiot or naive. He’d somehow touched every cell in her body with that kiss and it would never be forgotten. However, that fact changed nothing as far as she was concerned. For now, she’d compartmentalize these emotions running amuck and threatening her ability to complete her task. She had a job to do and that’s what she would do.

If she was lucky, she could wrap up her investigation on the island today and she could hustle back to Seattle before the sun set over the horizon this evening. Between whatever she could dig up today and the research she hoped to uncover once back in the office, she still had several days of work before this case could be closed.

And maybe then she could take the time to analyze what Sawyer had stirred up last night. But only if she put some space between them. Because right now, just looking at him had her heating up all over again.

She put the car in park, but didn’t turn off the engine or move from her seat. There was dumb and then there was colossally stupid if she thought she could face him again in that same walkway without consequences.

There were always consequences. Isn’t that what her father taught her? Ugh. Why did she have to think of that controlling jerk right now? Well, at least it served some purpose. Thoughts of him equated to a douse of cold water to the face.

Kind of.

As Sawyer stood there staring at her, she thanked God for the foresight of remembering her sunglasses this morning. The less he could read on her face the better.

He used his hip to push from the walkway and started toward her. Of course that movement drew her gaze down, where it lingered for just a moment too long.

Jesus. What the heck was wrong with her? He was not the first hot guy she’d encountered in her work. The Bureau was filled with good looking, able-bodied men. None of whom made her this hot and restless.

Not like him.

She sighed. Her brain really had turned on her. The bitch.

“Morning,” he said, opening her passenger door.

She half expected him to challenge her for driving privileges again, but he didn’t. Instead he slid long, jean-clad legs into the seat next to her.

“Morning.”

“Sleep well, Penny?”

She wanted to say something about his continued use of the childish nickname, but she knew with her heart racing at his proximity and her palms sweating against the steering wheel, the less she said the better.

“All finished with your errands?”

He smiled at her non-answer. “For now. I might need to follow up on a few things later.”

“Sounds intriguing,” she said as she pulled the car back onto the road and pointed them in the direction of Devils Point.

“Depends,” he said.

“On what?” She had no idea what the point of this odd chit chat was, but she supposed it beat a deafening silence.

“On how things go today between you and me.”

Her muscles coiled tight at the implication of his matter of fact statement. Something she chose to ignore.

“I’d like to question some more of the island residents today if that works for you. Some of the others who were at the club when the explosion happened. I’ve got a proposed list of them along with an itinerary for what needs to get done today in my folder. If everyone cooperates, I could potentially be finished in just a few hours and out of your hair.”

He laughed, making her glance over at him as she rounded the corner to the bridge.

She had no idea what the heck he could be laughing at. This was how field work went. You observed and questioned and then once you dug into some of those answers you often went back for more. Rinse and repeat. It was all pretty standard.

Her brain clicked on something. “Ohhh—you meant…”

She didn’t get to answer, because suddenly something didn’t feel right as a chill swept across her skin.

In fact, since the moment they’d taken the turn toward the bridge, something in the had air changed. The easy breeze and sunshine she'd soaked up during her morning coffee stop dissipated and cloud cover moved in. It had taken an extra minute to feel it because she’d been distracted.

"Is there supposed to be a storm coming in?” She searched the darkened sky. “Those clouds moved in quick.” she asked.

He looked out the window and said nothing right away. But she caught a deep frown spreading across his face in her side view mirror.

"What's wrong?" The hair on the back of her neck had stood on end the second she passed the black and gold engraved Devils Point sign.

"Nothing," he said before mumbling something else too low for her to hear.

"I thought we already established it's not nice to keep secrets," she said, fighting the urge to rub the back of her neck. Something was very off.

He settled back in his seat. "Everyone keeps them. Everyone. You care to share all of yours?"

His question rankled. This wasn't supposed to be about her. It was about finding out who blew up a building and hurt a bunch of people. She glanced over at him, catching on one of his many scars. He of all people should want to cooperate.

"Are we really on the same side?" she asked as a sudden clarity crystallized in her mind.

He turned and looked at her and she spared him a glance. The anger she expected wasn't there. Instead, he looked tired.

“Do you want to be?”

“What kind of question is—” Through the fog a wall of people suddenly appeared in the middle of the road. Penelope white knuckled the steering wheel and stood on the brakes.

The tires squealed and smoked as she put all her weight and skill into stopping the car before she ran someone over.

"Don't stop," Sawyer yelled.

"What?" With her foot still on the brake, she spared him another quick glance to find his face stamped with anger and determination. "I have to." It was too late anyway, she'd already brought the vehicle to a complete halt with mere inches to spare.

A strange popping noise sounded at the same time Sawyer yelled, “Fuck!” and slapped his hand across his neck. When he pulled it away there was a dart sitting in his palm.

Penelope reached behind her and pulled her service weapon from her back holster. “What is that? Is that a—? Jesus, are you okay? What the hell is going on?" Rising panic swept through her causing her muscles to jerk.

"Get down." He yelled at the same time he pulled her toward his lap.

Another pop sounded and this time she knew someone had taken another shot with what she hoped was still a dart gun.

"I assume you know how to use that thing." He was waving toward the gun in her hand, but his eyes were dilated and his eyelids beginning to droop.

"Yeah, I do." She looked back and forth between the men lined up in front of her car and the big-bodied man partially pitched sideways in the seat.

"Shoot them. Doooonnnnn't assssssk. Shoo...." He slumped forward, pressing more of his heavy weight across her side and she knew he'd passed out. Whether it was temporary or permanent she had no idea. And there was no time to find out.

Her grip tightened around the butt of her service weapon and her finger slid around the trigger. Whatever this was, she had to do something.