Page 57 of Shadow of Doubt
“Sorry.” Brooklyn flashed him an apologetic look and bolted for the corner.
“Stop!” Colin called out. Why he didn’t know? She wouldn’t listen. He raced after her, careful not to catch his foot in a hole.
She moved at a rapid pace, continuing ahead of him and reaching a section where a closet had likely stood. By the time he reached her, she’d dropped to her knees. She clawed at the floorboards and one lifted in her hands. Then a second one came up. A third one.
“See.” She glanced up, a triumphant look on her face. “I told you he hid things under the floor.”
She had indeed. “But is there anything in there?”
She reached into the crawl space, but the ceiling groaned and shifted.
The roof was coming down. Now! On top of them. Too late to move out of the area. He had no choice.
He dove for the floor, circled Brooklyn’s waist with his arm, and took her down to the charred floor. He rolled on top of herand covered her as best he could. He spotted something black in the space she’d revealed.
Had she been right? Tarver had hidden something?
Didn’t matter at the moment. Lumber came crashing down on his back.
Now his focus had to be on staying alive.
14
The lumber fell. Crashing over them. Around them. Like giant pixie sticks. The concussive force as it hit Colin’s body pummeling into Brooklyn.
What had she done? Let her impulsive thoughts get to her, racing into an area that was off limits. Now she’d put Colin in danger. Maybe put his life on the line as he took the brunt of the damage.
Sooty dust rose up. She tried to cough. Couldn’t get a breath with Colin’s heavy weight pressing down on her. The wood continued to fall but slower. Nearer to the exterior wall.
Colin lifted up on his elbows and looked her in the eyes.
Thank you, God that he can move!
“Are you okay?” His voice was husky, and he studied her face, concern etched in his eyes.
“Me?” She got out between coughing fits. “I should be asking you that. You protected me and took the hit.”
He cleared his throat. “I’m good.”
“You were hit hard. We need to take you to the ER to be checked out.”
“Just a few bruises. I’ll be okay.” He brushed her face with his thumb. “Soot.”
“I’m sorry, Colin. I didn’t listen to you, and look what happened. You could’ve been killed or seriously injured protecting me. You shouldn’t have done that. I put myself in danger and didn’t deserve your rescue.”
“When I saw the ceiling coming down…” His voice broke, and he cupped the side of her face. “I don’t know why, but you get to me in a way I’ve never felt and can’t explain.”
Her heart lurched. “Me too. You, I mean. You get to me too.”
Footsteps pounded their direction and stopped next to them. Boards were lifted and tossed to the side, freeing up Colin’s back.
“You guys okay?” Dev asked.
“I’m fine, thanks to Colin,” she said. “But he took the brunt of the fall and needs to be checked out.”
“I’m good,” Colin said. “Honestly, if I wasn’t fine, I’d say so and make an ER trip.” He pushed off her, but he seemed to do so reluctantly.
She got it. She immediately felt the loss. Felt alone. Wished everyone else would go away, and he would return to her.
