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Travis stares at me and I resist squirming and bury down that little flare of awareness that flickers to life inside me. His cheeks and neck take on a ruddy hue before he looks away.
“Good idea—”
The thunder crashes as the day lights up, flashing bright, then everything goes dark.
“Someone call the chief,” Travis says. “Johnson and Peters, get the generator on.”
I whip out my phone and call into dispatch. “Hey, Poppy, do you know what’s going on?”
“Tell the guys to be prepared to stay for a while. There’s a jam on the bridge. Looks like power lines came down on a big rig. 9-1-1 is ringing nonstop.”
“Shit. I’ll let them know,” I say as she hangs up.
I look around at the chaos in the room. I don’t like being the center of attention, but I did it once already so I can do it again. With a deep breath, I stick my thumb and middle finger in my mouth and let out an ear-piercing whistle.
Everyone stops and turns toward the noise. I blush under their scrutiny.
“There’s been an accident on the bridge. So it looks like we’re going to be stuck here on the island for a while. Just get settled in for now, and we’ll get more information for you as soon as we can.”
The moment I finish, everyone has their phones out and the cacophony rises again with people calling their agencies or loved ones.
I already did the first and don’t have the second waiting for me at home. Not that I’ll be getting there anytime soon. Still, I need something to do. I always have in unstable times.
Shit, I have to do it.
I turn on my phone’s flashlight, and after holding it above my head and moving it over the crowd, I find the man I need to talk to. I make my way to Travis’ side, steeling myself with every step.
“Okay, what do you want me to do?” I should defer to his experience as an officer in this situation, I know that, but he really rubs me the wrong way. Well, he doesn’t rub meanyway, which is kind of my problem.
His gaze flickers to me, like he just noticed me, but he hadn’t. With every step taken closer to him, I saw the stiffening of his limbs, the gathering of muscles, like he expected something dangerous to attack.
But Travis doesn’t move. “We need to find out what’s going on, then wait and see what they need us to do. We’re not supposed to be on duty now, but if this gets bad like you say, they’re gonna need all hands on deck.”
His gaze shifts back to me, and in the shadowy room that shrouds like a cloak, he takes me in, a slow perusal that feels like hands on naked flesh, and I can’t quite breathe.
Idiot, I think as my fingers itch to touch him, just brush against him and see what he’ll do.
He’d probably slap me away like a fly.
To someone as big as him, I know I seem exactly like a little bug. I suck in a breath and resist the urge to step back.
He raises a brow that is more sardonic than it has a right to be. “Well? I thought you said this was an emergency.”
The word ass really wants freedom, but I am not that kind of person. I nod.
“Okay, I’ll see what I can find out.” And on trembling legs, I turn and walk away.
Outside in the corridor, I lean against the wall and close my eyes.
The underlying sting from Travis’ tone gets to me when it shouldn’t. I don’t know him. And I don’t need to. He doesn’t like me, so what? It’s no skin off any part of my anatomy, I tell myself as the lights flick back on.
A cheer rises behind me but it doesn’t echo inside. Sometimes the darkness suits me. Monsters hide there, sure, but it also means I can, too.
With a deep breath, I push the thought away as I step away from the wall and go in search of the right people and make call after call.
Half an hour later, I stop before I reenter the room to face the man who single-handedly makes me feel insecure about myself. I lean my forehead against the cool, smooth plaster of the wall and close my eyes for a moment.
It isn’t going to be easy, but I’ve faced worse.
