Page 17 of Midnight Rebel

Her fingers barely graze the metal, and a deep, ominous groan echoes through the walls. Everything freezes and then erupts. The ground trembles beneath us, dust raining from the ceiling.

“Get back!” I bellow, lunging for her.

Everything unfolds in a blur—the lattice drops with a thunderous crash. Autumn stumbles, a cry escaping her as the iron lattice begins to fall, pulling parts of the walls down.

The ground trembles beneath us, dislodging pieces of stone and debris.

I grab her arm, keeping a death grip on her, moving her back to safety as pieces of lattice clatter down hard. We race to safety as chunks of ceiling collapse around us. Finally, we’re on the other side of the door.

Although we’re safe, that was close. Far too fucking close. I crush her to me, gripping hard enough to hurt, needing to feel her alive.

All I can hear is my pulse thundering in my ears and Autumn’s ragged breathing. She shakes in my arms, her body flush against mine.

“You okay?” I demand, glancing at her face. Calculated, steady. But I need to hear her answer.

She nods quickly, but her usual bluster is gone for now. Without the fire in her words, I hear the quiet apology in her voice. “I didn’t mean to push?—“

I cut in, low and stern. “You nearly got yourself flattened.”

That hard-headed look she gives me doesn’t help, but I can’t shake the emotions roiling under the surface. It’s almost funnyhow small she is next to me, considering how completely she takes up space in my head.

The near miss, the weight of her body pressed against mine, reminding me how close I was to her being gone.

She tilts her chin, a mix of defiance and vulnerability in her eyes. “Why do you even care?”

I release a low growl, moving her even closer, my boundaries shot. “Because with you, I can’t stop myself. Apparently.”

And just like that, I’m kissing her.

It’s not gentle. It’s fast, all desperation and heat. Goddamn it, she feels good. My hand tangles in her hair, pulling her even closer, kissing her hard enough that everything I’ve pushed away, the things I’ve denied myself all these years, come surging up.

Autumn moans against my lips, her hands grabbing my shirt, winding the fabric tight in her fists as if she’s just as desperate—for what, I don’t know. But she matches me, intense and unafraid. As always.

The connection between us burns—a line blurred and crossed, and I know nothing will be the same after this.

We pull apart, both breathing hard. I meet her gaze, filled with silent questions when another creaking sound makes us freeze.

The danger isn’t over.

“We need to move,” I say, grabbing her hand. “Stay close to me.”

This time, she nods without hesitation.

We hurry through the tunnels, every sound making my grip tighten on hers. Each step feels like it could be our last—the entire structure seems precarious.

We finally round the last corner, where the dim light from the house beyond offers relief. But even then, I don’t let myself relax. Not until we stumble into the hallway. Even then, I don’t release her hand.

“Colt,” Autumn starts, her voice shaky but strong. “What just happened?—?”

“Not here.” I cut her off.

I lead her quickly to my private study, locking the door behind us.

She sinks into a chair, dusting herself off. “Are you going to explain this, or?—?”

I sit across from her, glancing at the floor. It’s time to admit my ignorance.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” I say, my words sharper than I mean. “But something’s not right here.”

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