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“What? Why?” Hunter asks, his voice high-pitched with fear.
“I guess we're having a sleepover in the basement tonight,” I tell him, trying to project that everything is okay.
Hunter raises his arms, and Silas scoops him up effortlessly. I scramble to my feet behind them, and the three of us hustle into the hallway.
“I'm going to get Nova.” I'm only a little surprised he hasn't come out yet. He's a hard sleeper, especially since he's been pulling these long hours in the studio lately.
No sooner than I say that, he appears in his doorway down the hall.
“Tornado?” he asks, dragging his hand across his tattooed chest.
“Yeah, basement,” Silas says.
Nova beelines for me, hooking an arm around my neck and pulling me in close. He plants a kiss on my temple and murmurs, “Are you okay?”
I look up at him, and he brushes his lips across mine. “I'm fine. I spent a lot of summers here, remember? I know all about the tornado sirens.”
“I keep forgetting that,” he murmurs as we jog down the stairs.
“Should we call Bane? Your mom?”
“Nah, I bet Bane will be here any second if he's not already in our basement. But yeah, we should probably check in on Ma as soon as we get down there,” Nova says.
I bite my bottom lip, wishing I had brought my phone with me. It should've been the first thing I grabbed. I was just so focused on getting to Hunter.
I already know Bane isn't waiting in the basement. There's no way he wouldn't come to get me first. He takes his role as my white knight very seriously.
We follow Silas into the basement, the flashlights from his and Nova's phones guiding our way. Nova shoves his face into my hair when we pass the sauna, and I feel his breathy laugh. Warmth sinks into my cheeks and I toss an elbow into his stomach. He grunts good-naturedly, because we both know my little jab didn't really hurt.
Once we're in the rec room side, Silas sets Hunter down on one of the couches and taps a few of the battery-powered lamps around the room. Soft, yellow pools of light brighten the room up.
Footsteps thunder down the basement stairs. Nova and I turn as one to see Bane jogging toward us, a flashlight in one hand and his phone in the other.
My lips twitch at the sight of him. He's wearing a sweatshirt and shorts, because of course he wouldn't be caught unprepared like the rest of us.
“Everyone good?” he asks, but he's only looking at me.
I nod. “We're fine.”
Bane nods, heading straight for me. He all but ignores Nova as he slides his hands on either side of my face, tunneling his fingers into my hair. He angles me toward him at the same time he lowers his lips to mine. “You sure, sugar?” His voice is low, a caress against my parted mouth.
I swipe my tongue across my bottom lip. “I'm sure. I woke up when the power went out.”
He nods, pressing his lips gently against mine. It's too brief, but I always feel that way. Nova chuckles under his breath, but the sound is all wrong. It's forced nonchalance and zero humor.
“Really, man?” Nova drawls. “She's literally in my arms.”
Bane pulls back, sliding his gaze from me to Nova and back again. “Relax, Nova. She doesn't mind, do you, sugar?”
Warmth coats my skin as our conversation from earlier comes to the forefront of my mind. My lips twist to the side and I regard the man in front of me.
“You trying to cause trouble during a tornado, Lincoln?” I tease.
“Enough,” Silas snaps. “Anyone heard from Ma?”
The three of us turn toward the broody man in the center of the room. He's agitated, running his hands through his hair and staring at his phone.
“I'll go get her, bring her back here,” Nova says, sliding his arm slowly across my shoulders and placing a kiss on the top of my head. “I'll be right back, yeah?”
