Page 106 of Hidden Tide

She wraps both arms around me, and I bury my face against her shoulder.

Ivy and Hazel reach us a second later.

All five of us cling to each other beneath the bright security lights.

No one speaks.

We don’t need words.

Mom joins us, and the circle closes around her.

For the first time since the pirates attacked Sea Whisper, every Sinclair woman is in the same place.

Alive.

Protected.

Together.

“I thought we lost you,” I whisper.

Willow pulls back. Dust streaks her face, and a small cut marks her cheek.

“I told you I’m difficult to kill.”

“You hide in a pantry for ten minutes and suddenly you’re a Navy SEAL?” Storm asks.

“It was twenty-seven minutes,” Ivy says.

“You timed it?” I ask.

“I time everything when I’m scared.”

Hazel wipes her eyes. “Willow threw a cast-iron skillet at one of the men when he came through the kitchen door.”

Ben looks impressed. “Did she hit him?”

“In the face,” Ivy says.

Willow shrugs. “I’m a chef. I used what I had.”

Ward looks at Ben. “You got a chair. I got shot. Willow got a skillet.”

“Grazed,” Storm corrects sharply.

Ward kisses the top of her head. “Grazed.”

Keating allows us one minute before ordering everyone into the secured quarters.

The building sits farther up the Fort Baker property, away from the public roads and waterfront. Coast Guard personnel guard every entrance.

Inside, the rooms are plain but comfortable.

I don’t care where I sleep as long as my sisters are nearby.

Agent Marquez enters before we finish choosing rooms.

She carries an evidence bag.