Ollie seemed to regain his grit as they reached the main area and he immediately rushed to the windows and started filming the massive waves spotlighted by the exterior lights illuminating the patio and the beach below.
Holden barely had a chance to register the onslaught of the wind and rain and that the storm had definitely increased in strength when the lights died. A girl screamed. Holden was betting on Alecia. Navy let out a little gasp of surprise.
Holden wrapped his arm around Navy’s hip and pulled her against his side. “It’s no worry. The solar generator must’ve gotten disrupted. If the backup doesn’t kick on, I can fix the power in the morning.” He had been here with Zack and Maddie a few times and Zack had shown him how his power and other systems worked. Holden was surprised the backup generator hadn’t already kicked on.
Several of the people in the room pulled out their phones and turned on their flashlights. The lights bobbed eerily around the room as the storm screamed outside.
“I can hold you all night if you’re scared,” Holden said quietly to Navy. The offer was out there before he could pull it back. He didn’t spend the night with women, no matter how perfect or appealing they were.
Navy pushed at him. “I’m not some scaredy-girl. I’ll be fine.”
“You’re an impressive woman, Navy Quinn.”
Holden hoped he wasn’t coming on to her as obnoxiously as Ryan did. He wished he could see her face more clearly, but at least she didn’t pull free from his arm.
“What do we do?” Alecia cried out, clinging to her cell phone.
“I’ll go check my laptop. If there’s any concern, the weather service will have sent me a warning. They said a storm is headed our way but it will be mild and over in twenty-four hours. I’m sure everything is fine,” Holden said.
The windows rattled ominously and Holden looked out. The moon was almost hidden by the clouds but Ollie had been right, the waves that were rolling in were mammoth. Holden felt a moment of worry, not about the house or their safety, but for his yacht. He’d tied it securely and it was in a sheltered bay, but it would sustain damage from waves this huge.
One of the patio doors flung open and wind and rain rushed in. Alecia screamed again. Holden released Navy and hurried across the dark space. He shut the door firmly, and dead-bolted it. Somebody must not have closed it tight.
“We’re going to die!” Alecia shrieked.
Oh, wow. Holden always tried to react compassionately but she was being ridiculous. “We’re not going to die,” Holden said. He could only see outlines of the people in the room but he thought everybody was there. “This house has been built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane and there’s a storm shelter if the storm gets worse,” he repeated what he’d told Ollie. “We’re very safe.”
“I want out of here,” Ryan said. “Let’s take your yacht and get to the mainland.”
Holden grunted in disgust. “Do you know how stupid it would be to go out in this storm? Not to mention in the dark?”
“I thought your yacht was one of the best in the world,” Ryan taunted.
“It is, but I’m not suicidal enough to take it out in this storm.”
“I don’t want to stay here,” Alecia cried.
Holden hoped one of the men would try to comfort her but none of them moved. He strode toward her voice. “Alecia,” he lowered his voice and hoped it sounded comforting. “I promise you, we are safe.”
The rattling windows and shriek of the wind outside didn’t back him up, but Holden knew how prepared Zack and Maddie were for storms worse than this.
“I’ll find us some flashlights so you can save your phone batteries and everyone should just go to bed. In the morning the storm will be gone.”
“I can’t sleep in this,” Alecia wailed.
“Me either,” Ryan backed her up. “Let’s leave now.”
Wow. Ryan had played professional football and was a complete wuss. Holden had never liked him because of the way he constantly hit on Navy, but this just reaffirmed that his dislike had been justified.
“We are all going to sleep,” Holden commanded, using his owner voice. He could still check the emails or calls that might have come in about the storm but he was sure it was nothing to be concerned about and wasn’t going to exacerbate the situation even if there were extreme storm warnings. He probably should have checked earlier, instead of being so caught up in Navy. “In the morning you’ll see that it’s no big deal.”
“Can you at least sleep in the storm shelter with me?” Alecia begged, grabbing on to his arm.
Holden didn’t yank his arm free, though he wanted to. “You’ll be much more comfortable in your room. The storm shelter has blankets and food and water but it’s small and the floors are hard plastic. It would be a miserable night.”
“Sleeping through this is going to be a miserable night.” Ryan’s face was pinched. “But I’m not going in any nasty storm shelter,” he muttered.
Ollie, Taya, and Michael hadn’t said anything and Holden didn’t think Jorge was even in the room. Probably sleeping through this stupidity like the smart guy he was.
“I guess you were right,” Navy piped up.
“About what?” Holden loved that she sounded as feisty and sarcastic as ever. He stepped away from Alecia and she finally let him go.
“Hockey players must be tougher than football players.”
Holden chuckled. “Told you so.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Ryan demanded.
“It means you are acting like a total and complete baby,” Navy said. “Go to sleep. You’re going to be humiliated in the morning.”
Holden wanted to cheer. He loved Navy’s backbone. The silence in the room was thick. Ryan didn’t say anything. The only sound was the rain slashing against the windows, the high whine of the wind, and the annoying whimpering coming from Alecia.
Holden walked toward the kitchen with the light from the phones behind him. He found the cabinet door closest to the pantry. He opened it and fumbled around for a few seconds before he grasped a flashlight. Clicking it on, he was rewarded with a far brighter light than the phones provided and some sighs of relief from the people behind him. They’d feel better now.
The windows were rattling louder and louder and the wind had its own eerie tune. Holden ignored the sounds and grabbed a handful of the smaller flashlights. He walked back to the group and handed them out to everyone.
Taya’s face was pale, but Ollie was close by her side. “I’ll walk you to your room,” he murmured. She glanced up at him with a tight, grateful smile.
“Thanks,” Michael muttered, as he took his flashlight and strode off down the hall, looking more annoyed than concerned.
Ryan grabbed a flashlight from his hand and stalked off.
“You’re welcome,” Navy called after him.
Holden grinned at her and handed over a flashlight.
“Thank you kindly, Mr. Jennings.” She bowed mockingly.
“Stop with the Mr. Jennings,” he said, but honestly she could call him anything she wanted. As long as she let him date her.
Navy simply smiled and walked away, a swing to her hips that he found much too appealing.
Holden started after her when he heard a cry of, “Holden, don’t leave me!”
He glanced back. Alecia was cowering against the wall by the kitchen cabinets, farthest away from the windows. The rain slammed against the windows in torrents and the wind turned to a howl. Her face pinched and she let out a wail louder than the rain.
“You’re going to be fine,” he tried to say soothingly. He tried to imagine she was Kim, but even though Kim had been stalked for years, lost the love of her life, her acting career, and her home, she was still tough and living on her own in a foreign country. She would never shriek at a rainstorm.
Alecia ran at him, throwing herself against his chest. Holden pushed out a breath and forced himself to put one arm around her. “Let’s get you to your room,” he said.<
br />
“Can’t I sleep with you?” she begged.
“No!” Holden hurried down the hallway, clutching the bright flashlight as Alecia clung to him. He kept his arm loosely around her simply to try to calm her down. He felt no attraction to the girl and wished somebody else would take care of her, but he was the one in charge.
They passed Ryan and Navy’s suites. He could see faint lights under each door. He wished he could be holding Navy, but she was too tough to need a man’s comfort. He hoped he could offer her something more than comfort.
They made it to the bunk bed rooms and the girls’ door was open. Ollie’s huge frame was squatting next to the lower bunk and he was singing softly, trailing his hand over Taya’s back as she stared worshipfully at him. Both of their flashlights were pointed up at the ceiling.
Ollie straightened to his full height when he heard them but glanced back at Taya and asked, “Will you be okay?”
Taya nodded. “Thank you. That was very sweet of you.”
Holden hated to interrupt their romance, but he needed to get Alecia off his arm. “Okay.” He gently pushed her toward her bed. “Sleep tight. Everything will be fine.”
She tried to come back at him, but luckily Ollie stepped in her way. “Why don’t you lay down, Alecia, and I’ll sing to both of you?” He took Alecia’s arm and guided her to the opposite bunk bed.
Alecia stared back at Holden. He made a mental note to give Ollie a raise and a thank you later. Ollie was a great guy. “Good night,” Holden said, shutting the door behind him.
He glanced back down the hall at Navy’s closed door. If only he dared go knock. The wind seemed to shake the house. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night, and if the storm didn’t clear, a longer day tomorrow. He trudged to his own room. The good news was, Navy had kissed him, and teased him brutally. There was hope, and he was persistent and knew how to work hard for something he really wanted. Navy Quinn was the woman he really wanted.
Chapter Five
Navy clutched her flashlight and wished she dared close her eyes and drift off to sleep. The wind and rain assaulted all the windows in the room. Hours ago she had loved the light and exposure to the outside world the windows provided, but not anymore. She wanted to trust Holden that this house was built securely and the storm would pass, but part of her agreed with Alecia and Ryan and wanted off this island. She was terrified. She’d acted tough when truly she had wanted to ask Holden to hold her all night.
Most storms didn’t bother her, but when she was young her family had taken a cruise and the weather had been vicious. Being surrounded by the vast ocean and the ship rocking violently had never left her mind. Then she’d had her parents and brothers. They had spent one night all huddled in her parents’ suite on the king-sized bed. Her mama had sung to them until they fell asleep.
It was silly really. Colt and Kaleb had both been violently ill, but besides that nothing had happened but a miserable vacation. Yet she still didn’t like being in a storm this vicious surrounded by water with no escape. Holden was right that it would be suicide to take his yacht out in this.
Holden. Why did he have to be so great, pull her in so completely, when she couldn’t be with someone who had hurt her brother like he had? Especially since Colt had asked her not to date him. Navy’s mama had adored her boys and Navy’s daddy had spoiled and loved her, but as the oldest sibling she took her responsibility to protect her brothers seriously. Colt hadn’t given her nearly enough details. Maybe she could talk to Holden and hear his side of the story. That would be the mature thing to do, but who knew how he would slant his side. Her stomach churned thinking about Colt being cheated on and then turning into the master womanizer he was.
She curled into a ball around her flashlight and let her mind wander back to those kisses she and Holden had shared. They were beautiful and she couldn’t find it in her to regret a second of them. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, hoping she wasn’t being as stupid as Alecia.
Time passed miserably slow with the wind, rain, and her thoughts all in turmoil. Navy didn’t think she’d slept, but she must have dozed at some point as the sky lightened perceptibly outside her large windows. She clicked the flashlight off and set it on her nightstand. Standing, she forced herself to look out the windows, and had to clap her hand over her mouth to hold the scream in.
The rain was still slashing at them, but it was the waves that were horrifying. The Caribbean was generally a calmer ocean, but these waves looked to be twenty feet high. The house was built up on the bluff above the ocean and the beach, but the monstrous waves were almost reaching the gardens close to Navy’s window. She knew late summer was hurricane season, but they had been reassured the weather would be mostly calm this week.
She stepped closer to the window, fear and awe racing through her. Mother Nature was nothing to mess with and suddenly she was a little girl, clinging to her brothers in that king-sized bed on the cruise ship as the wind howled against the boat and it rocked violently.
“Navy!” She heard the shriek from behind her as her bedroom door banged open. Alecia stood there with her hair poking out at odd angles and her face pinched and white. “We’re going to die!” She ran and flung herself at Navy.
Navy awkwardly patted her back. “We’re safe. Calm down.”
Alecia continued to wail and cling to her. Navy wished Holden was here to help, but she didn’t want the young lady clinging to him either. Navy pushed back and grasped Alecia’s forearm. “Let’s go find everybody else and get some breakfast.”
“How can you think of food at a time like this?”
“I always have to be on the lookout for food, I was raised with five brothers and would have starved to death if I didn’t fight for my share.” Navy tried to tease, but it was lost on Alecia.
She directed Alecia out of her room and down the hallway. As they approached the kitchen, raised voices made Navy’s stomach churn with apprehension. The storm was bad enough, they didn’t need to be fighting about it as well.
As they walked into the large open room Navy registered that it was really only one raised voice: Ryan. He was screeching about the storm and how much trouble they were in and gesturing madly at the windows.
Holden was facing away from the hallway, his broad back tight with tension. He must have heard them approach as he turned and smiled at Navy. “Good morning.”
Navy smiled back. How could those deep brown eyes staring at her and that perfect smile make her forget all about the miserable night and the storm?
“Holden!” Alecia screeched and ripped away from Navy to fling herself against Holden’s chest. “Please save me!”
Navy rolled her eyes and didn’t care who saw.
Holden held Alecia back from him, grasping both of her forearms. “We’re going to be fine.”
“How can you say that?” Ryan demanded. “Look at this!”
He gestured at the windows that yesterday had given an amazing view of the gorgeous tropical island. Today the view was terrifying. Branches whipped in the wind; the leaves were being torn from them and littered the pool. Navy had noticed all of the patio furniture was bolted down. It was a good thing or it would be banging into the windows. The waves were crashing high and fierce, some rising over the ledge of the plateau the house sat on and rolling onto the pool deck before mingling with the overflowing pool water. If the waves got any higher they would flood the house.
Ollie had his camera out and was getting footage of the storm. Only Ollie. The guy wasn’t as cut and lean as Ryan or Holden but he was built and real-world tough. Seeing him film made Navy calmer somehow. They would get through this and it would be a great story for the show.
“I’ve already told you this house can withstand any storm. If you’re concerned, you could go down to the storm shelter and wait it out.” Holden’s voice was patient but Navy could see he was getting more and more annoyed.
“If the Coast Guard doesn’t come in the next hour I’m taking your yacht
and getting out of here,” Ryan yelled.
Holden shook his head. Navy wondered if Ryan realized how ridiculous he was being. The Coast Guard shouldn’t go out in this.
“You wouldn’t survive in those waves,” Holden said.
Alecia started bawling and tried to cuddle into Holden’s chest. He strong-armed her away. “Alecia, please. I need to help everyone.”
“Help me first,” she begged.
A branch ripped off a nearby tree and slammed against a window. The window held just like Holden said it would, but Alecia still wailed and fell to the ground sobbing. Taya cried out. Michael cursed. Ryan stormed up to Holden and slammed his fist into his jaw. Holden reared back but held his ground.
Ollie’s camera swung to capture the action, but nobody else moved.
“Don’t ever touch me again,” Holden said in a deathly quiet voice.
“Let me take your yacht or I’ll pummel you into the ground,” Ryan threatened.
Holden arched an eyebrow and leaned toward Ryan. “Try it.”
Ryan growled and threw himself at Holden. Holden dodged and Ryan’s momentum drove him into the closest window. Holden sprang after him, whirled him around, and jabbed him solidly in the abdomen. The breath was knocked out of Ryan and he leaned forward. Holden gave him a swift uppercut and his head flew back. Another jab to the jaw and Ryan folded onto the ground.
Navy gasped and silently cheered. Ryan was out of control and out of line. He needed a lot more than a few punches to get his brain working again.
Holden ripped him to his feet and pinned both his arms behind his back. He glanced around at the group. Everyone was staring at him with slightly open mouths. Their ever-patient boss had lost it. Holden caught Navy’s gaze and gave her a grim smile. “I told you hockey players were tougher than football players.”
She laughed, despite her fears of the storm. “Looks like you’re going to need new trainers with me quitting and Ryan obviously being fired.”
Quinn Family Romance Collection Page 59
