Page 39 of Midnight Rebel

Suddenly, a distant sound reaches us—voices, too faint to make out the words.

“This way,” I hiss, picking up the pace.

As we round a corner, the voices become clearer. I recognize Frank’s angry tones, and then—my heart leaps—Autumn’s defiant reply.

We’re close, so close, when a deep rumble shakes the tunnel. Dust rains down from the ceiling, and a sickening crack echoes through the passage.

“Move!” I shout, breaking into a run.

We burst into a larger chamber as a massive chunk of ceiling breaks free. Through the falling debris, I catch a glimpse of Autumn on the ground, Frank’s retreating figure, and?—

“No!” The scream tears from my throat as I lunge forward, heedless of the danger.

Time seems to slow. I see the fear in Autumn’s eyes, the massive stone plummeting toward her. With one desperate dive, I reach for her, covering her body with mine as the world collapses around us.

The impact knocks the breath from my lungs. Pain explodes across my back, but I hold firm, shielding Autumn from the worst of it. Rocks and dust continue to fall, an eternity compressed into seconds.

Finally, silence falls.

I cough, dust filling my mouth and nose. “Autumn?” I croak, fear making my voice harsh.

She stirs beneath me, a soft groan escaping her lips. “Colt?”

Relief floods through me, so intense it’s almost painful. “I’m here, Firefly. I’ve got you.”

Carefully, I shift, assessing the damage. My back is on fire, but nothing seems broken.

My leather cut took the brunt of the falling debris—thank god for MC gear. My back throbs where the larger rocks struck through the leather, and I’ll have some decent bruises tomorrow, but the jacket saved me from anything serious.

Years of riding have taught me to appreciate good protective gear, and today it proved its worth beyond the road.

Autumn looks at me, her face pale and streaked with dirt, but alive. God, she’s alive.

“Can you move?” I ask, gently helping her sit up.

She nods, wincing. “My ankle—I think it’s sprained. But I’m okay. You saved me.”

I drink in the sight of her. “Don’t ever scare me like that again,” I murmur before pulling her into a fierce kiss.

“Boss?” Slash’s voice breaks through our moment. “We’ve got to move. This whole place could come down any minute.”

Reality crashes back in. I help Autumn to her feet, supporting her weight as she tests her injured ankle.

“What about Frank?” she asks, looking around the debris-strewn chamber.

“He ran,” I growl, anger replacing fear now she’s safe. “But he won’t get far. The guys have the place surrounded.”

We make our way carefully through the tunnels, Bones and Slash clearing a path through the fallen rocks. Autumn fills me in on what happened as we walk—Frank’s gambling debts, the developers’ scheme, the sabotage.

“Jesus,” I mutter as we finally emerge into the cool night air. “I suspected something was off with Frank, but this...”

Autumn nods, her expression grim. “It goes deeper than we thought, Colt. This isn’t just about The Manor anymore.”

Before I can respond, Hawk jogs up to us. “We got him,” he says, jerking his thumb toward a cluster of bikes where Frank sits, subdued and handcuffed.

“Good.” I nod. “Call the cops. It’s time to end this.”

The next few hours pass in a blur of police statements and paramedic checks. Autumn refuses to go to the hospital, insisting she’s fine with an ice pack and some rest.

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