Page 98 of Austen

Please, please let Austen be alive.Yes, it was a prayer.

He was trying to figure out if he should take off his shirt and drape it over his head to keep from getting burned when a horn sounded over the expanse of water.

Declan searched, a hand cupped over his eyes.

“There,” Stein said, pointing.“A boat.Smaller than the Coast Guard, but there, on the horizon!”

Declan grabbed the flare gun, removed the barrel cap, loaded the flare, and shot it off.

It arched over the water, bright even in the rising daylight.

The boat responded with another long blast of its horn as it cut through the waves toward them, and it seemed he’d seen it before.

“It’s Hawkeye!”said Stein, getting to his knees, waving.

How—

The boat slowed, edging closer, and Declan spotted a handful of men gathered in the bow, one he recognized.His contact, sandy-brown hair, with a cowboy aura about him.Texas.The man nodded at Declan, his expression tight.

So maybe something had happened to theSanta Maria.A stone formed in Declan’s gut.

But first on his list was finding Austen.

“Seriously?”Steinbeck said as he grabbed the rope one of the men had thrown him.The man had dark hair and a strong build.“Colt?What are you doing here?”

“We’re here for him,” said Colt, the man next to Texas.“Heard he needed a lift.Didn’t realize you’d be part of the package, cuz.”

“That’s your cousin?”Declan said to Steinbeck.

“Yeah, you met him in Barcelona.”

“No, no, I didn’t.”

The raft bumped up against the boat, and Texas let down a ladder.Stein headed up first, glad-handed his cousin.

Then Declan climbed up.

Texas helped haul him aboard.“You okay?”

“Thanks,” Declan said and shook his hand.

“Stein,” Colt said, “this is Tate.He works with that group I mentioned.”

Steinbeck extended his hand.

“Tate?That’s your real name?”Declan said.

“I like Texas better,” Tate said.“Easier to keep my worlds apart.Tate Marshall.”

Declan got that.Except he was so very over his own double life as the Dark Horse.Alosha.He held out his hand to Colt.“Declan Stone.”

“I know who you are,” Colt said, giving him a nod.“Logan Thorne, my boss, can’t stop telling us that you’re his secret weapon.”

Right.“No,” Declan said.“Just trying to stay afloat.”

“We got you now,” Hawkeye said, coming out of the pilothouse.“Tate called Colt, and he called me.You guys hungry?”

“I ate a bar of soap a couple hours ago,” said Steinbeck.

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