Page 84 of Duke's Daring Bookworm
“Oh. Time to go?” She stood and poured out the rest of her champagne while I shoved everything back into the packs and pulled on my shorts and shoes.
“No. We won’t be able to fly in this, but we shouldn’t be outside in the thunderstorm. There’s no real cover and we are basically lightning rods.”
Just as I said it, four quick strikes hit the water just offshore.
“Oh, shit.” Lily’s eyes widened. In the city, thunderstorms weren’t a big deal. The buildings were safe spaces, and lightning rods were placed to draw strikes away from homes and businesses. We didn’t have any of that protection here.
“Will we be safe in the helicopter? Won’t it draw lightning, too?” She had to shout over the roar of the wind and pounding waves.
“The metal frame will diffuse the strikes, and its insulation will keep the inside safe.”
Marine mode kicked in and I infused my voice with authority. Lily didn’t need to know how worried I was right now. She didn’t need to know how fast my heart beat at just the thought of her being in danger.
I slung our bags over my shoulders and led us back to the only shelter this place had.
“Duke!” Lily called out, further behind me than she should have been. She’d fallen to her hands and knees. Roots caught her foot in their tangled web, and she couldn’t escape without my help. The lightning strikes picked up in frequency and were close enough that the sound and the light had synced up. Panic made us both clumsy.
I dropped all the bags and ran to her. I pulled her free easily enough, but her ankle had already swollen. Blood trickled from a cut on her head, the newly falling rain causing it to smear across her pale skin.
“I’ve got you.” I bent and picked her up, running to the helicopter, reaching it just as the first bolt of lightning hit a tree on the island, hitting with a deafening crack. Smoke billowed from the tree, fire burning despite the rain.
Lily buried her face in my neck as I set her feet on the ground and wrenched open the door, shoving her inside right as another strike hit, this time at the edge of the clearing. The light cast harsh shadows on her face, highlighting the lines of fear carved into it.
I dove in behind her, shutting the door against a gust of wind and another strike, this one lighting the clearing and leaving a smoking patch of grass not far from us.
Shit, that was close. I double checked the latches on the doors and then crawled to the back seat, joining Lily as she jumped and cringed from each strike.
“Let me look at that leg.” I pulled a basic first aid kit from under the seat, hoping it had something to wrap around her ankle. Lily moved back, lifted her injured foot, and placed it gently in my lap.
She flinched when I asked her to try moving her foot, and then again when I lifted it for a good look. I couldn’t tell if it was broken or sprained. Either way, stabilizing itwas all I could do.
“It’s most likely a sprain.” No need to worry Lily if it wasn’t. “I’ll wrap it and put the ice pack on it.”
Lightning flashed outside and Lily stayed quiet, her face pale while I worked.
“Are we going to be ok?”
“Look at me, Lily.” I pinned the end of the wrap and cupped her cheek, turning her head away from the storm raging outside. “I’ll get you home safely.”
I lifted the side of my mouth, trying to smile for her, but it felt awkward and strained.
“Besides, I’m too valuable to lose. People will track me to the ends of the earth just to pitch me on their latest business venture, hoping I’ll invest.” I stroked her cheek with my thumb.
“Naturally.” Her shoulders dropped in what I hoped was relief, but she slurred her words, and I didn’t know if it was from the head injury, exhaustion, stress, or too much champagne on an empty stomach. “Can’t let the billionaires come to harm.”
“Exactly,” I said as I pulled out the alcohol wipes and butterfly bandages for her forehead. I hoped it was enough. I evaluated her pupils and bandaged her wound, but kept talking to distract her. “Hell, at least three board members are probably looking for me now just to complain about each other.”
I taped gauze over the cut on her forehead in case the butterfly bandages didn’t stop the bleeding, and then pulled her into my arms.
She shivered against me. The blankets were in one of the bags I’d abandoned, and I didn’t even have a shirt to give her. I rubbed her arms and went through the emergency supplies we had in here.
“Did you bring a change of clothing?”
“N-no. Just my swimsuit cover.” Her shivers intensified, and I worried it wasn’t just from the drop in temperature. I tore through the first aid kit looking for an emergency blanket, my hands shaking despite my years of training. Tucked into the bottom of the kit was a small silver rectangle. I shook the blanket out and wrapped it around both of us, using my body heat to warm Lily up. I ran my hands along her back until her shivering slowed and stopped.
“Duke,” she whispered. She had rested her head against my shoulder and wrapped her arms tight around me under the blanket. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
I barely held back a groan. I shouldn’t have had to take care of her. This entire trip had been a terrible idea this time of year, with its unpredictable weather and frequent thunderstorms.
