“Can’t tell. They have a bag over their head.”
“What the fuck is going on?” Velle grouses, rubbing his eyes. “What if it’s one of ours? I mean, it has to be, right??”
“Baby, it’s okay. We’ve got this,,” I tell him with all the assurance of someone who knows damn well exactly what his partners and their people are capable of. “It’ll be fine. We’ll—”
A loud boom of thunder rocks the foundation.
Velle’s eyes widen. Everything seems like it’s in slow motion.
He looks around. And then he grabs me, just as the entire building rumbles. Like an earthquake that prompts a roaring crash from the east.
Chunks of concrete are falling from the ceiling and walls. The empty gun safe falls over.
Velle is just cradling me, shielding me with his body as if a bomb just went off.
Did it?? What just happened?
Do earthquakes happen on islands of this size? Why do I know nothing about geology, dammit?!
The noise lasts only a few seconds before it fades into an eerie silence. Nothing but vast quiet and a faint beeping coming from somewhere.
Eventually, Velle peels himself off of me, his throat dipping while he glances around the room, then quickly down at me.
He cups my face, looking me over. “You okay?”
I nod fast, clutching his waist, and I hadn’t even noticed it. “What the fuck was that?? An explosion?”
“The prison…” he breathes, standing up slowly, helping me do the same. “Some part of it must have fallen.”
I stare at him for a second. “How… do you know that?”
Velle simply blinks at me. “It was only a matter of time…”
What does that mean…?
“Fuck. Joy…” Velle grabs his walkie off the floor, while I’m just staring at him.
“John,” I say his name firmly. He peeks at my face. “What just happened?”
“I don’t know for sure,” he mumbles.
My head cocks. “Seems like you might have an idea…”
The look on his face is solemn. “Harley, there are things about this island, and this building, that if anyone knew… ” He pauses to shake his head. “The prisoners, yes, but even the other guards. You guys.”
Screams bellow off in the distance and he flinches.
Deep blue eyes lock with mine. “The truth is just one of the many burdens I’ve been carrying to keep this place running.” He shakes his head. “But guess what? I’m over it.”
The panic in me is churning adrenaline, which is good. I am nervous as hell about this…natural disasterthat just threw a wrench in the plan.
It was one thing when we were just supposed to fightpeople…
But if we’re also fighting this island, then I don’t know how we couldpossiblywin.
That said, in this moment, I’m also bustling with pride in my man, and in us as a whole.
If anyone can beat Alabaster Isle, it’s John Chevelle.
