“You’re going to be okay,” she tried to soothe Ryan. “You’ve gone through something hard but you can forgive yourself and be happy.”
“How?” Ryan choked out.
“You have to turn it over to the Lord.” Navy had been raised in faith and love. She knew her words were true but sometimes life made a person cynical and you forgot to turn it over to the Lord.
Ryan didn’t say anything, just held her and ran his hands over her back. The motion of his hands creeped her out, but she kept trying to think of him as one of her brothers, not a guy who had hit on her far too often.
She let Ryan cling to her for what felt like forever before gently pulling back. He kept his hands firmly on her back and she hoped she’d helped him somehow. Looking around at the group she said, “I don’t know if you all believe in a higher power, but I always have. What if we knelt and prayed together?”
Holden was staring at her like she was a priceless treasure. She loved it and wished she could bask in his gaze and be in his arms right now. “I love the idea,” he said.
Jorge and Taya both nodded. Michael rolled his eyes. “If that will make you all feel better.” Ollie didn’t respond one way or another.
Alecia must have been shocked by Ryan’s revelations and sadness. She was sitting up and she smiled tentatively at Navy. “I’m a believer too. I would love to pray together.”
Navy returned her smile. “Let’s do it.” She pulled all the way out of Ryan’s arms, grateful for the break, and knelt next to Holden. He turned to his knees as well and they waited as one by one the others knelt. Even Michael joined them.
“Would you say it?” Navy asked Holden.
“I’d be honored,” Holden responded.
Navy extended her hand to Holden on her left and Ryan on her right. They both had strong, manly hands. Why did Holden’s clasp feel so right when Ryan’s felt so uncomfortable? Everyone clasped hands and then bowed their heads.
Holden’s deep voice filled the space as he thanked the Lord for their safety and this shelter and then beseeched Him for the storm to calm and for inspiration for the Coast Guard to come or for them to know when they could safely exit the shelter. He continued by blessing each person by name, asking that they could remain calm and be filled with faith, becoming stronger for the trial they were passing through.
Navy felt warmth and peace flow into her. They were in the Lord’s hands and she had to trust He had a plan for them, even in the midst of the storm. Holden was incredible. After they got through this, she would talk everything over with him, and she would admit to him how hard and fast she was falling.
Chapter Eight
Holden glanced around the small, crowded shelter. Most of the group was nodding off. According to his Apple Watch, it was only mid-afternoon, but there wasn’t a lot to do. Sleeping was a great way to pass the time. It was tight in here, with only the glow of the emergency lamp reflecting off people’s faces. He focused on Navy’s beautiful face. She was sitting about ten feet away from him and was asleep so he could study her unabashedly. Her fine-boned features were already committed to memory, but he wouldn’t pass up a chance to sit and stare.
He had hoped she would sit and cuddle up to him again after the group ate some of the vacuum-sealed food for lunch, but Ryan had started talking in low tones to her. It was easy to overhear him. The guy had been through something horrible with losing his friend and blaming himself. Holden tried to feel compassionately toward him. It would be a lot easier if he wasn’t dominating Navy’s time and touching her nonstop.
Navy had fallen asleep and it seemed Ryan had just crept closer and closer to her. Holden felt eyes on him and his gaze flickered from Navy to Ryan. Ryan was glaring openly at him, his eyes full of challenge. Holden’s own eyes narrowed. He didn’t think Ryan’s story was fabricated. His fear had been genuine, but he did feel Ryan was manipulating the situation for his own gain. And the gain was obviously Navy’s sympathy and affection. Holden clenched his teeth so he wouldn’t say anything.
He looked away, but a few minutes later his gaze was drawn back to Navy. Ryan had wrapped his arm around Navy’s shoulder and smirked openly at Holden. It was all Holden could do to not jump to his feet and go pull her away. Navy gave a soft sigh and leaned against Ryan’s chest. Ryan’s triumphant smile grew. Holden felt the fire of indignation and fury rushing through him. This idiot could not have Navy. Ryan placed his other hand on Navy’s abdomen, moving it dangerously close to her chest. The loser was taking advantage of her being asleep.
Holden couldn’t sit by. He pushed to his feet and towered over them. “Let her go,” he gritted out.
Ryan glared up at him. “No.”
“Now.”
“You’re just jealous she chose me,” Ryan said.
Holden arched an eyebrow. He was going to rip the idiot away from Navy, forget that he’d ever felt any compassion toward him, and thump him.
Navy stirred. Her eyes blinked open. She stared up at Holden. “Hey,” she whispered. Her eyes widened. Her gaze swung to Ryan, still holding her against his side, with his other hand right below her bra line. “What are you …” She batted his hand away, pushed off of him and stood.
Those who had been asleep started to wake up, staring at Holden and Navy.
Ryan jumped to his feet. “Navy, please. I need you right now.”
Her brow squiggled. “You don’t need me.” She glanced at Holden. “I fell asleep,” she muttered.
Holden forgot all his frustrations with one glance from Navy. He knew Navy wouldn’t willingly cuddle with Ryan and he knew she was strong enough to not allow anyone to manhandle or manipulate her.
“You’re the only thing keeping me calm,” Ryan said. “Please Navy. If I can’t be close to you I feel like I’m going to go insane and pull open that hatch or something. You know how I hate enclosed spaces.”
Navy’s eyes clouded.
“Stop manipulating the situation,” Holden gritted out. He was done with Ryan. The guy needed to stop whining and be a man.
“Manipulating?” Ryan sputtered. “Did you lose a friend in a tragic storm?”
Holden clenched his fists. No, he hadn’t, but he had lost his sister as a teenager and his mom was a shell of herself in a wheelchair because of MS and the guilt she felt about the accident. Everybody here had most likely gone through hard things and Holden couldn’t help but be suspicious that Ryan was using his trauma to be close to Navy. It was on the tip of his tongue to question the entire story.
“Ryan,” Navy said, preventing Holden from acting like the jerk he wanted to be right now. “We’ve talked most of the afternoon. I think you’re going to be fine. You’re stronger than freaking out and doing something stupid like opening that hatch.”
“Not without you, I’m not.”
Holden could not believe this guy.
“Yes, you are,” Navy insisted. “You’re a strong man.”
“You make me strong,” Ryan smiled softly at her. “I’ve always known you were something special, Navy. I really appreciate you being there for me. When you’re touching me, talking to me, I can be strong and brave.”
This was the biggest load of shmuck Holden had ever heard. “Ryan,” his voice came out in a low growl.
Navy held up a hand, stopping Holden. “You and I have been friends for a while now,” she said to Ryan.
“Great friends.” He smiled intimately at her. “But we could be more, much more,” he said in a low voice that he probably thought was appealing.
Navy shook her head. “I’ve repeatedly told you that all we are is friends. I don’t appreciate you taking advantage of my sympathy and me being asleep to touch me inappropriately. We will never be more than friends and if you try something like that again we won’t even be friends.”
Ryan’s smile disappeared and his jaw hardened. He looked like he was about to say something, but then he spun and stalked as far away as he could in the small space, sinking down next to Michael, leaning his
head against the wall, and shutting his eyes tight.
Navy glanced at Holden. She looked vulnerable and innocent in the pale light. He still wanted to take Ryan out, like he had this morning, for touching her like that, but she’d done a great job of putting the man in his place and not falling prey to him. Ryan had a sad story, Holden would give him that, but you didn’t use something like that to bring women in. Holden thought often of his younger sister who had been driving without a license, run a red light, and killed herself and a friend. He would never use that to try to get a woman. He’d never even told a woman he dated about it, but that was also to protect his parents from exposure. It was another reason he was so protective of Kim. She was as close to him as a sibling would be.
Holden wanted to pull Navy in but he simply held out a hand. She walked toward him, took his hand, and stared up at him. He bent down low to try to have some privacy. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, glancing once at Ryan who was now staring sulkily at them.
Holden knew now wasn’t the time to talk about it. He grabbed them each a water bottle and then guided her to the wall and they sat side-by-side, sipping their water and staring at nothing, mostly avoiding Ryan’s glares.
The seconds ticked by slowly. Others in the group fell asleep and Navy tucked her feet under her and leaned her head against his shoulder.
“You tired?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Do you want me to … hold you?”
After Ryan holding her without her permission he was a bit gun-shy and didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable.
Navy smiled up at him. “Yes, please.”
Holden’s stomach leapt and he couldn’t stop the grin on his face. He wrapped his arm around her trim waist and pulled her against his side. She leaned into him and rested her hand on his chest. Holden’s heart was thumping fast. Navy Quinn was willingly in his arms. There might be a hurricane raging outside and they might be in this bunker for days, but he wouldn’t complain if he could just sit and hold her.
Chapter Nine
Navy slept fitfully in Holden’s arms. She wanted to stay awake and savor the feeling of being close to him, but the stress of the past hours and the semi-darkness and inactivity made her feel exhausted.
The hours went by very slowly. Her Garmin watch told her it was now seven-fifty p.m. They all struggled to get comfortable and not freak out being in the small space. They would lie down, stand up and stretch, sit against the wall, eat the MREs, granola bars, and hard candy to distract themselves. Even though she knew the time, it was trippy how the minutes crawled by. She could see why throwing a prisoner in a dark hole was such torture. At least she had Holden. He stayed positive and talked encouragingly to everyone.
Alecia and Ryan were the hardest. Michael didn’t say much and Jorge, Taya, and Ollie bore the discomfort stoically. Alecia whined and sometimes flailed around and never gave up on trying to get Holden’s attention. They finally all gave up trying to console her with empty reassurances and just ignored her until she stretched out on a blanket and fell asleep.
“Thank heavens,” Taya muttered when Alecia started snoring.
Ryan grew increasingly irritable and irrational. He had stopped trying to claim he needed Navy to calm him down, but he glowered at her and Holden and kept insisting they should open the hatch.
“The storm’s definitely passed now,” he muttered for what must have been the twentieth time, staring up at the hatch like he was going to rip it off. “Let’s go check. I can’t stay in here any longer.”
“Ryan,” Holden’s voice was ever patient but Navy could feel his frustration as she was seated close to him. “Give it some more time. If the storm didn’t calm, the house could be completely flooded. With as much water as was pushing through that hole and no chance for it to recede with the continuous waves coming in, opening that hatch could injure or drown all of us.”
Ryan narrowed his eyes. “You aren’t the boss right now. I don’t have to listen to you.”
“Yeah, well you aren’t rational right now, so no one is going to listen to you.”
“Amen, brother,” Ollie said.
Ryan turned and scrambled into Ollie, slamming his fists in the other man’s face. Taya cried out and tried to push Ryan away. Ollie shoved him off and stood. “Bring it, dude.”
Ryan growled and tackled him into the wall. Ollie got in a few good punches but Holden sprang after them, ripping Ryan off of Ollie and throwing him into the wall. He put one elbow under Ryan’s chin and shoved him as if he was body checking him at a hockey game. Ryan struggled but couldn’t free himself.
“Calm down,” Holden commanded. “You’re scared, we understand, but freaking out isn’t helping anyone.”
“Leave me alone,” Ryan gurgled out, his throat pinched by Holden’s elbow.
“Gladly,” Holden said. “But if you come after anyone else, I will beat you until you bleed. Got it?”
Ryan’s eyes widened and Navy thought he might have been afraid, but he didn’t look at all rational.
“Yes,” he squeaked.
Holden released him and he fell in a heap on the floor. Holden walked to Ollie, who was standing with his fists clenched. Taya had a hand on his arm, but not even her touch was comforting him.
“Sorry, man,” Holden said. “I should’ve let you thump him, but I wanted a piece of it.”
Navy smiled to herself at the quick way Holden diffused Ollie’s anger. Ollie nodded and shook the hand Holden extended. He glared at Ryan who was rubbing his neck. “You know I would’ve thumped him, but I can understand you wanting in on the fight. He’s been an absolute idiot trying to use Navy because she’s such a good person.”
Ryan’s glare could have burned through ice. Navy thought it was time to ease tensions a little bit. “Who wants a cookie?” she asked, searching through the pile of food. “I saw some in here.” She found the box and stood, extending it out.
Holden’s gaze was soft and warm on her. He nodded. “I’d love a cookie.”
She smiled at him and he returned it. Here was a man. A great man. She hated this desperate, uncertain time in this bunker, but loved getting to know Holden on a different level than she had before. Her mama was always preaching about how through trials everyone gained the greatest insight and blessings. That seemed to be happening here with Holden. Being close to him was a blessing she had often dreamed of.
Everyone finally settled down after the fight and cookies and water. There was a temporary latrine in one corner and they all agreed to face away and take turns using it. Thankfully it was top of the line like everything else in Zack’s house and sealed off after they used it so the smell was tolerable. This situation was rough, but except for Ryan and Alecia, everyone seemed to be dealing pretty well. Holden thought Ollie was a standup guy. The kid was definitely getting a raise after this.
Most people found a spot to curl up with a blanket or lean against the wall and started nodding off again. Sleep was definitely the best option right now. Holden thought there was no way he would fall asleep, but he enjoyed holding Navy in his arms, and found himself closing his eyes. He jerked awake moments later.
“You doing okay?” Navy asked quietly against his neck.
“I am. You?”
“Fine.” A few seconds ticked by, then she said, “Tell me about your family.”
Holden stiffened. He hated that he reacted like that but he didn’t tell anyone about his family. Did she want to know about Kim because of Colt or about his parents? She couldn’t have any clue about his sister. No one did since he had changed his name before college and the media had never found his parents or the story that had hurt them so deeply.
He didn’t want to open up because it was hurtful and unfamiliar to do so, but he knew that’s what people in relationships were expected to do. He glanced around and only a few people were awake. It was enough. He leaned close to Navy’s ear and whispered, “Can I tell you later … when we’re alone?”
Now she was the one stiffening, as if she sensed he didn’t want to share. He rubbed his hand up and down her arm and finally she relaxed. “Alone sounds nice,” she whispered back.
“Yes it does.” He smiled at her and she returned it then settled her cheek against his chest. Navy was so great to give him a pass right now. He really couldn’t risk anyone else finding out about his parents and hurting his mama worse than she already was hurting, but it was an excuse to put the story off and he knew it. Alone with Navy sounded amazing, but then he would have to open up. He held her close. It would be worth it to be with her.
Hours passed and he finally settled in and let himself nod off.
A weird screeching noise pulled him from his sleep stupor and brought his head up. He blinked, confused at what he might be hearing. Glancing around, he saw Ryan standing on the ladder, below the valve, and twisting it open.
“No!” Holden roared, leaping to his feet.
Ryan glared viciously at him and gave a final twist and a tug. Holden leapt at Ryan, but he was too late. The hatch flung open and smacked Ryan in the head. Ryan went limp and blood spurted from his head but Holden was too concerned about the rush of water pouring from the hatch to help the guy. He grabbed the hatch and strained to push it back into place, but the water was gushing from the flooded theater and it was impossible to do much more than budge the safety valve.
Screams of surprise came as the group was immediately soaked and started springing to their feet. The water wasn’t freezing, but it was still shocking to see it coming in so fast.
“Michael, Ollie, help me!” Holden hollered, straining against the hatch and trying to get it closed. They would be miserable in knee-deep water, but it was a better option than letting the shelter flood and hoping he could get everyone out without someone drowning.
Michael and Ollie both pushed through the deepening water to his side. Ollie strained to help Holden push the hatch back up, but they made no progress against the flow. Michael tried to climb the ladder, as if he could escape the room. The force of the water knocked him back down.
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