Carter, Beth D. - Lawless Hearts (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read Online Free

the dark. Cassidy opened the door again with Garrett and Scharlie on his heels.
    Outside, Scharlie saw the sky was a greenish-black color, the clouds hanging thick but moving rapidly. More bright flashes of light struck the ground not too far in the distance. And then, suddenly, the wind picked up so quickly Scharlie had to grab hold of Garrett to maintain her balance.
    “ Scharlie , do you have a cellar?” Cassidy urgently asked.
    “In the kitchen, under the rug,” she answered and watched as he ran to uncover it.
    If possible, the wind outside picked up speed, slamming into the house with monstrous force. She realized that this wasn’t just a drill, that a tornado was bearing down on them and she’d done nothing to secure the livestock she had.
    “My animals!” Scharlie cried and ran for the door.
    “ Scharlie !” Cassidy called out.
    But his warning came a little late. The wind caught hold of the door and ripped it from her hands. The wind whipped mercilessly at her hair and skirts, pulling her forward into the whirling nightmare. She frantically reached for the doorframe and screamed just as Garrett grabbed her around the waist and managed to slam the door shut.
    “Move!” Cassidy yelled.
    She saw Garrett grab his and Cassidy’s gear, as well as a Winchester rifle. They all hurried down the cellar steps and had just managed to secure the door when a ferocious sound blasted over them. Garrett still held on to her waist and dragged her back from the stairs until he bumped into the wall. The cellar was pitch black and smelled of rich earth. Scharlie shivered a little despite being wrapped in Garrett’s warm arms.
    The storm raged overhead, terrible and terrifying. Cassidy lit one of the many lamps stored in the cellar to give them some light to open up the blankets and set all of them up for the night. Tears ran down Scharlie’s face as she contemplated the idea that her house was gone.
    “It’s going to be all right,” Cassidy assured her.
    “I didn’t get a chance to grab Harlow ’s photo,” she whispered.
    Garrett tightened his arms around her, a silent offering of support.
    After a few hours, all sounds of the storm had ceased. Garrett sat upon the blanket, his back to the wall, with Scharlie’s head in his lap. He rhythmically fanned his fingers through her long hair, and the soothing gesture helped keep her calm through the more terrifying hours.
    Cassidy had his hands on his hips, staring at the bolted cellar door. “ Scharlie , is there another way out of here that I’ve somehow overlooked?”
    Scharlie pushed into a sitting position, her long hair tumbling over her shoulders in waves. “No, that door is the only way.”
    Cassidy sighed, ran a hand through his tousled curls. Then he braced his right shoulder against the door and pushed, a grunt seeping through his clenched teeth as he strained. Garrett jumped to his feet to help him.
    “One, two,” Cassidy counted. “Push!”
    Both men strained, but as hard as they tried, the door remained immobile.
    “Shit!” Cassidy hissed as they gave up pushing. He rubbed his shoulder.
    “You think the house came down?” Garrett asked. This time it was he who stood with his hands on his hips and stared at the door.
    “Well, something’s blocking our exit.” He walked over to the shelves on the far wall. “At least there’s enough food down here to last us for a few days. And we can drink the juices.”
    “I preserve a lot in the spring,” Scharlie mumbled inanely. She drew her knees up and encircled them with her arms. “For the winter.”
    Cassidy kicked the dirt floor. “We can set up a latrine in that far corner.”
    “Excuse me?” Scharlie gasped.
    He raised an eyebrow, humor brightening his eyes. “Basic need, sweetheart. We all gotta do it. At least we can dig a hole and set up a privacy blanket.”
    The idea of going behind the privacy blanket and having them know what she was doing brought red heat to her entire face. She hid it