Storm Warning

CHAPTER Five





Donning a grey sweat suit and a pair of dark sunglasses, Tory made her way to the SUV’s. The sleepless night before did nothing for Tory’s complexion, hence the dark glasses to hide the shadows under her eyes. If anyone noticed, they didn’t comment. Everyone was standing by the trucks waiting—everyone except Gabe.

“Morning,” Billy said to her as she approached.

“Good morning.”

“Where’s Gabe?” Adam asked after slamming the back doors shut.

“He isn’t here already?” Tory scanned the parking lot. Why did she all of a sudden feel the slight pang of panic? He may have been angry enough at her to leave, she thought anxiously.

“No, he isn’t in his room either.” Adam shrugged. “I told him nine so he still has about ten minutes.” He turned to the rest of the team. “You guys head out and we’ll wait for him.”

When both of the other trucks left the parking lot Adam waited for the dust to settle, then turned sharp green eyes on Tory.

“What happened last night?” he asked bluntly.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“The hell you don’t. How bad did you piss him off?” He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Gabe’s number.

“Why does it always have to be my fault?” She stomped her foot. “Screw you, Adam. I didn’t do anything.”

Adam slapped his phone closed and shoved it back into his pocket. “All I know is I heard his door slam last night and he isn’t here this morning. You’re the only other nocturnal person I know so I’ll ask you again. What did you say to him?”

“Nothing!” she shouted. “I didn’t say anything to him, Adam.” She whirled around at a shadow on the ground and looked up into a pair of steel, grey eyes. “There, you see! He’s here now. Can we go?”

Gabe lifted a brow and said nothing.

“You can sit up front with him,” she clipped. “You two are perfect for each other.” Tory climbed in the back seat.

“Bastards,” she muttered before slamming her door.

After starting the truck, Adam turned the radio on and pressed the call button.

“On the road yet, Captain?” Billy’s voice boomed over the speakers.

“On our way. And you’re supposed to say ‘over.’ Over.”

“We got an hour before she gets here. Clouds look promising. Already a funnel sighting out of her before she got here.” When Adam waited, whistling, Billy shouted, “over!”

“Good. Get started setting up. Be there in five. Over.”

“Tory, you there? Over.”

Adam handed the microphone back to Tory. “What, Frankie?”

“Just thought you’d like to know. Vikings are in and at our hotel as of six a.m. this morning. Over.”

She growled. “Well, that’s just f*cking great. Thanks”

She handed the microphone back to Adam. Adam let out a creative round of profanity before replacing it in the cradle. Tory rested her head on the side window.

“Vikings are our rivals. They, of course, have better equipment, more scientists, more money. So naturally we’re always in their shadow,” she heard Adam explain. “They’ll probably be set up a hundred yards from us and still get better readings, better pictures, and better publicity.”

“Vikings and Pirates, eh? Well, they won’t get better pictures.”

Tory closed her eyes to block out the drumming headache. Charlie Johnson was at their hotel, which meant Vance very likely would be there, too. He hadn’t taken their break up very well—not that she was worried. She could handle Vance. She could handle anything.





Even when Gabe wanted to strangle her, he couldn’t ignore the attraction. The woman did things to him that he didn’t care for. She had driven him—more let him drive himself—to the brink that previous night, then turned off in an instant.

It left him dazed, confused, and aching. And he didn’t care for it in the least. It had taken every last ounce of will power the night before to make him leave her room. Otherwise he knew he would have taken her then and there no matter what. The better part of the night after her rejection was spent in a cold shower. And now, it was the same grinding need for her that made him edgy.

They steered off the road and joined the rest of the crew, who were almost done setting up the equipment.

“Stats, please,” Tory said after she climbed out of the truck.

While Jack and Joel ran things by her, Gabe made his way to the back of the SUV and unloaded his own equipment.

“National Weather Service’s already got an advisory out for a severe thunderstorm warning and tornado watch for this county,” Joel said between puffs of his cigarette.

“Effective until?”

“Four o’clock.”

Tory nodded. “Sounds reasonable. It’s a big one.” She wiped her hands on her jeans, looked at the sky.

Gabe sat back and watched her work. She was everywhere. Energy radiated from her little compact body and never seemed to settle. Even when all the machines were set up and everyone was in their places, she paced.

Their view was spectacular, Gabe mused. He was going to get one hell of a shot whether this storm produced tornados or just rain and lightning.

“Let’s keep our eyes open, guys. I don’t want to end up in the bear’s cage this time,” he heard Tory announce.

“Bear’s cage?” Gabe asked her, only half expecting an answer.

He watched as she turned to him and he saw uneasiness creep over her face. Her brown eyes were a little wide, but Gabe contributed it to her excitement. Her skin was also pale. Remembering how Adam had claimed she didn’t like storms, he wondered again why she did it. With a waning sigh, she walked over to him.

“It’s when you’re in the part of the storm that’s all but hidden in rain and hail. It can be dangerous. Tornados are quick and that rain can mask them on radar even when they’re there. That’s why we stay right along the edge of the clouds. But sometimes, radars can be off or winds can change unexpectedly. You just never know.”

She gave up and sat down beside him on the grass.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” she said after a minute.

He looked over at her. She’d left her hair down and it flowed silkily in the wind behind her. Her eyes were more of a deep amber today rather than chocolate and they were focused on his.

“Oh?”

“Yes, well. Last night before…” She trailed off and focused her gaze on her hands. She began to pick tiny blades of grass from the ground as she struggled on. “We seemed to be getting along. Then that happened and now it’s back to being…” She shrugged.

“Go on,” he urged, enjoying her while she was flustered.

She plucked her sunglasses from where they were clipped on her jeans and slipped them back on. “I want us to get along, Gabe.”

“And?”

She pulled her lips back over her teeth. He thought she might bite him in a minute. “And I want us to forget what happened last night and just move on.”

“Forget what happened?”

She nodded, shrugged, and went back to picking grass.

“Tory.” His voice was gentle again and she sat up straight, bracing herself. He watched her shoulders stiffen and her chin shoot up, just as he knew it would. “I don’t think either of us can forget about that. And I think we both know what’s going to happen from here.”

“It can’t.” It came out in a breath. “You don’t want me, Gabe. Please just forget that ever happened.

“I don’t want you?” he asked with a sneer. Was she trying to make him angry? No, he realized, watching her slim fingers pluck at the ground. Her lips were pressed in a prim line, as if she were holding something back. His patience and control were both wearing thin.

“Gabe, I—”

“You want to look at me when you’re talking to me instead of mowing the damn field?”

Tory’s gaze snapped back to his. “Why are you so angry with me?”

“Because you,” he said and yanked her toward him by her shirt collar, “are sitting here denying what you felt for me last night and you’re asking me to forget it when you know neither of us can.”

“I’m not denying anything,” she replied hotly. She jerked back and pulled herself from his grasp. She lifted her chin again and looked at him right in the eye. “And I’m sorry you thought it was more than it was. I’ll be more careful in the future so we won’t have anymore misunderstandings.”

He could scarcely believe what he was hearing. Was she actually trying to convince him she wasn’t attracted to him? Did she think that would make him back off?

“I understand,” he smiled easily. He understood he was just going to have to show her.

Tory let out a relieved breath. “I’m so glad you—”

She swallowed her words when he pulled her into his arms. His lips covered hers and savagely demanded from her. He took and he took—running his hands down to grip her hips—until she was breathless and limp against him.

And right before her arms went around him, he shoved her back onto the ground.

“Understand that,” he bit out.

She could only stare at him and cover her swollen lips with trembling fingers. He felt like a brute, like an animal. She was so small and he forgot his strength sometimes. He didn’t understand how she got under his skin so easily.

“Gabe,” she whispered, shakily.

“Tory! We’ve got one brewing on the radar,” Kary shouted from the watch station. He hadn’t taken his eyes off her and he watched her hazy eyes go sharp and glassy. They darkened to the velvet brown he’d admired when he’d first met her. Her lips firmed and he could see the shudders close. She wouldn’t worry about the kiss, at least not until later.

“Get your camera ready, Wills. It’s going to be a doozy.” She scrambled up off the ground and ran to the watch station.

It certainly is, he thought with a sigh.

Tornado sirens roared in the distance. Gabe was behind his camera in a quick instant. After hooking up his shudder release, he stood beside the tripod and snapped a few shots of the murky clouds in the east to test the lighting.

Damn, but that girl infuriated him. He stole a look at Tory where she was crouched down watching the clouds. She clutched the binoculars in her hands and her fingers were white as bone.

She had a scowl sat on her face as she waited. Gabe tore his gaze from the crazy, beautiful, infuriating woman and concentrated on the clouds. It looked like a black sea. He saw the rotation before Adam pointed to it. He clicked a few shots.

The air stilled around him. He could even describe it as tranquil, that calm before the storm. He glanced over and saw Tory pointing and saying something to Kary. He followed where her finger indicated and could see it.

The sky was barely beginning to dip down. Gabe shot a picture of the phenomenon and zoomed in for another. It grew gradually and as it descended from the sky, it gained thickness and became darker and darker. It sounded like a freight train. The hairs on his arms stood like a frightened cat’s.

He glanced over to Tory again. Now, she held the binoculars to her face and stood in front of the crew. She was trembling violently. He was just about to call out to her when he heard Adam whoop from the other side of him.

He turned back to see the tornado take shape and spin ruthlessly north-east. He almost forgot about his camera, he grabbed hold of the shudder release and clicked repetitively, adjusting the angle as he went.

The twister ate up the distance and crossed the field, still growing in bulk. He heard everyone gasp when they realized it was headed straight toward a big white house on the other side of the field. Sweat rolled down Gabe’s back and he watched the massive black, spinning monster consume the house through his view finder.

Then he heard her scream. He spun around to see Tory sprinting down the hill they occupied. She ran straight toward the tornado and into the path of destruction. His fingers flexed from the panic, his thumb struck the shutter release, capturing another picture by accident. He dropped it and tore down the hill after her.