Page 7

6

Sean heard a woman saying his name. A voice filled with panic—and irritation. The irritation was enough to have him fighting the pain in his head.

Sean opened his eyes. A faint bluish light surrounded them.

And there was a woman beneath him. “Sean!”

“Autumn Jane…” It took him a moment to put it together. “Tornado. Shit.”

“Th-that’s a way to put it.” Her hands wrapped around the material of his shirt. Her phone rested to the left of her head. It didn’t provide much illumination. Just enough for him to see her pretty eyes and pale cheeks. And the fact that there was absolutely no signal. “We’re trapped, Sean. And I don’t know what to do.”

“They’ll be coming for us soon,” he said. But would they? They were on the bottom level and trapped. There were two floors above them.

And there were usually anywhere between sixty to eighty people in the building at any one time.

They’d been near the back of the TSP building, where the old structure met the new annex. The sirens should have given plenty of time for people to make it the central hallways, for the most part.

But there were going to be quite a few who wouldn’t have made it there.

They certainly hadn’t.

And if rescuers came in from the front, he and Autumn Jane would be close to last on the list.

He had no clue how many people would be trapped right now.

Who the hell would rescue the rescuers?

He shifted slightly so he didn’t crush her. “Honey, reach down to my left and feel around. My flashlight’s in a holster there.”

It took her a moment, but she had it free and handed it to him.

He used it to inspect their little cave.

They’d been damned lucky to get under the table. However, they weren’t going anywhere for a while.

How long they’d be able to stay there was anyone’s guess.

“Do you think everyone else is dead?” she whispered, breaking his heart.

Autumn Jane was terrified. Hell, so was he.

He risked pushing on the tabletop, trying to see if there was any give at all.

Nothing.

It was wedged in so tightly they weren’t going anywhere until someone else found them.

Or they ran out of air first. “We’ll be ok.”

She didn’t say a word. He tilted the flashlight in her direction. There was a touch of blood at her temple and scratches on her cheek. Dust in her hair. Sean cupped her cheek in his hand. “We’ll be ok. A woman with seven big brothers won’t ever be buried in the rubble for long. They’re out there, and you know they’re looking for you already.”

Sean leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. Just to comfort. That was all. Just to comfort.

He was warm, but that didn’t keep the shock from setting in.