‘What are you doing? Get inside. Now!’
For answer she kept walking, would have passed him if he hadn’t caught her arm.
Her haughty stare could have stripped bark from a tree. ‘There isn’t time to argue. Accept my help and do what you have to. What about shutters? I can’t see any. How do we protect the windows?’
Alexei paused, surprised to discover she was serious. She planned to help him batten down for the storm. ‘They’re electric. They’ll come down at the punch of a button.’
‘Then shouldn’t you go and punch that button before we lose power?’
She was right. Plus he wanted to double-check the backup generator.
Alexei considered picking her up bodily and carrying her inside. She’d be safe. But no doubt she’d race back out here as soon as his back was turned.
‘Very well.’ He cast a look at the trees bending in the wind and, behind them, the inky, threatening sky. ‘But only five minutes more. The main entrance will be open. Come in that way.’ He lowered his head to her level, watching her pupils dilate. ‘No longer than five minutes. Got it?’
Silently she nodded.
But when the time was up, Carissa was nowhere to be seen. The wind was stronger now, the sound like a freight train approaching from a distance. They had to take shelter. They didn’t have much time left. Fat drops of rain fell and a second later he faced a grey sheet of solid water.
His mouth tightened as he scanned the exterior of the house. All the furniture was shut away. The house was secure, storm shutters in place. But Carissa was nowhere to be found.
Alexei called her name but the wind tore the sound away. Anxiety nipping at him, he sped through the garden, drenched by the needling deluge.
He couldn’t see her. Not near the pool or house. He ventured further into the garden, blinking to clear his vision. With each passing second tension coiled tighter, his pulse racing faster.
Alexei rounded a curve in a path to see something staggering towards him. The sight was so unexpected, the shape lurching drunkenly, that it took precious seconds to process what he saw. When he did, he stifled an oath and raced forward, anger vying with stupefaction.
A sculpture! She’d stayed out inthisto save a sculpture.
Arms out, he grabbed the ungainly wooden shape as Carissa staggered against him, blown by the force of the gale.
‘Leave it! It’s not worth it.’ He felt her flinch. Saw her eyes widen as he tugged it from her.
She clung on like a limpet, mouthing something he couldn’t hear. ‘Save...together.’
Alexei shook his head. ‘Inside. Now!’
Whether she heard him over the wind’s rising scream, Alexei didn’t know. But her mouth set in a mulish line as she held on tight. They didn’t have time to argue. The wind was still picking up speed. Soon the flying debris would be larger, more dangerous.
Hefting the sculpture more securely, Alexei grabbed her hand and started back down the path.
The way back took forever. The sodden ground was treacherous and the wind buffeted mercilessly. More than once he saved Carissa from falling when her foot skidded. Then, as they approached the house, the wind caught Alexei and the wildly rotating sculpture full force and almost plunged them into the pool. He would have dropped it there and then, except this time Carissa was dragging at his arm, holding him steady.
Cursing, Alexei regained his balance and lurched forward. His muscles strained at the effort of carrying the cumbersome sculpture that wanted to fly from his arms into the screeching wind.
Darkness. The slam of the door. Stillness after that riot of rushing air and hammering rain.
Alexei struggled to the control panel on the wall, jamming his elbow against the switch that brought down the final storm shutter. Another jab and light filled the foyer.
His breath came in rough gasps that tore his throat. Water sluiced down his face and he almost lost balance in the spreading pool of water as he bent to lower his ungainly burden.
Finally he straightened to stare at the convoluted collection of carved sails that still spun and shivered with the dying momentum of the wind. No wonder it had felt as if it might take off from his arms. It was designed to move in a breeze. Breeze, not a cyclone!
Alexei had bought it as a brilliant, evocative piece that paid homage to the centuries of seafarers who’d passed this way. Now, looking past the still-turning sails to the woman beyond, he wished he’d never seen it.
She could have been hurt. More than hurt.
The savage clench of his ribs around his organs wrapped fiery pain around Alexei’s torso.