Read Online Forbidden by Syrie James, Ryan M. James - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Syrie James, Ryan M. James
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uncle? She wasn’t sure this was the right moment to ask.
They neared the bottom of the stairs, where the construction crew was still working atop a three-tiered scaffolding tower. Claire spied Neil standing just beyond it by the drop-off circle. He waved at them and shouted something Claire couldn’t hear over the annoying beeping noise of a truck backing up.
The four of them passed underneath the scaffolding, heading toward the circle. They were halfway through the makeshift corridor when Claire heard the sudden, loud roar of an engine. To her horror, the truck was speeding backward toward them. Before she could think or move, the vehicle collided with the base of the scaffolding with a devastating crash.
The screech of tearing metal ripped through the air as the entire structure overhead began to collapse.
A huge wooden platform barreled down directly at them.
Claire screamed and ducked, a single thought popping into her mind: I’m going to die .
eight
F rozen in terror, Claire fixed her gaze on the heavy wooden platform hurtling toward their heads, which was a split second away from crushing them all.
But it never did.
Somehow, impossibly, the platform seemed to hover for a fraction of a second in midair. Alec stood tall above her, one arm extended, fingers splayed, as if magically holding up the platform by sheer willpower. She heard screams and shouts from above as suddenly the whole board tilted to one side. In her peripheral vision she caught sight of three men landing safely on the pavement nearby.
Before Claire could blink, Alec’s arms were wrapped around her and their friends and then they were airborne. They landed heavily and painfully on the concrete, out of harm’s way, as the entire scaffolding tower smashed to the ground beside them in an explosion of dust, screeching metal, and splintering wood.
The thundering clatter echoed in Claire’s ears as they all lay in a heap. Dust stung her eyes, but as she blinked it away her gaze briefly locked with Alec’s. Then, just as suddenly as he’d tackled them, Alec was up on his feet and gone. Claire struggled to regain her senses, her ears ringing. Erica and Brian moaned beside her.
“Oh my God.” Claire’s voice sounded strange and muffled, as if she were underwater. “Are you guys all right?”
Her friends sat up, choking. “What the hell just happened?” Brian shouted, grimacing in pain as he rubbed his left arm. The dust coating his spiky black hair made it look almost gray.
“We almost died!” Erica cried just as loudly. Then she burst into tears.
Numbly, Claire wrapped her arms around Erica and held her. Everything sounded so muted, making her feel detached from the world around her.
“Where’s Alec?” Brian said.
“I don’t know.” Claire craned her neck, trying to see over Erica’s shoulder, but the truck that had caused it all was buried in the debris, blocking her view—and no doubt blocking everyone else’s view of them.
“What happened?” Brian said again. “Did Alec just save our lives?”
“I think he did.” Claire pulled herself dizzily to her feet, as the sounds around her slowly returned to normal volume. “I’ll be back in a sec.”
As she carefully made her way through the rubble, she noticed that the cab of the pickup truck was empty. Where was the driver who’d caused the accident?
A crowd was gathering in the drop-off circle just ahead, all chattering loudly and staring at the gigantic mess. Mr. Lang and Neil ran up to her.
“Claire! Holy shit!” cried Neil. “I saw the truck hit that thing, and then it all came down … I thought you guys were dead!”
“No, we’re okay.”
“Thank God,” said Mr. Lang.
“How the hell did you get out of the way in time?” Neil asked.
“Alec tackled us. He—” Before Claire could finish that thought, she spotted Alec talking to some of the faculty and construction workers, who looked just as befuddled as she was. She couldn’t understand a
They neared the bottom of the stairs, where the construction crew was still working atop a three-tiered scaffolding tower. Claire spied Neil standing just beyond it by the drop-off circle. He waved at them and shouted something Claire couldn’t hear over the annoying beeping noise of a truck backing up.
The four of them passed underneath the scaffolding, heading toward the circle. They were halfway through the makeshift corridor when Claire heard the sudden, loud roar of an engine. To her horror, the truck was speeding backward toward them. Before she could think or move, the vehicle collided with the base of the scaffolding with a devastating crash.
The screech of tearing metal ripped through the air as the entire structure overhead began to collapse.
A huge wooden platform barreled down directly at them.
Claire screamed and ducked, a single thought popping into her mind: I’m going to die .
eight
F rozen in terror, Claire fixed her gaze on the heavy wooden platform hurtling toward their heads, which was a split second away from crushing them all.
But it never did.
Somehow, impossibly, the platform seemed to hover for a fraction of a second in midair. Alec stood tall above her, one arm extended, fingers splayed, as if magically holding up the platform by sheer willpower. She heard screams and shouts from above as suddenly the whole board tilted to one side. In her peripheral vision she caught sight of three men landing safely on the pavement nearby.
Before Claire could blink, Alec’s arms were wrapped around her and their friends and then they were airborne. They landed heavily and painfully on the concrete, out of harm’s way, as the entire scaffolding tower smashed to the ground beside them in an explosion of dust, screeching metal, and splintering wood.
The thundering clatter echoed in Claire’s ears as they all lay in a heap. Dust stung her eyes, but as she blinked it away her gaze briefly locked with Alec’s. Then, just as suddenly as he’d tackled them, Alec was up on his feet and gone. Claire struggled to regain her senses, her ears ringing. Erica and Brian moaned beside her.
“Oh my God.” Claire’s voice sounded strange and muffled, as if she were underwater. “Are you guys all right?”
Her friends sat up, choking. “What the hell just happened?” Brian shouted, grimacing in pain as he rubbed his left arm. The dust coating his spiky black hair made it look almost gray.
“We almost died!” Erica cried just as loudly. Then she burst into tears.
Numbly, Claire wrapped her arms around Erica and held her. Everything sounded so muted, making her feel detached from the world around her.
“Where’s Alec?” Brian said.
“I don’t know.” Claire craned her neck, trying to see over Erica’s shoulder, but the truck that had caused it all was buried in the debris, blocking her view—and no doubt blocking everyone else’s view of them.
“What happened?” Brian said again. “Did Alec just save our lives?”
“I think he did.” Claire pulled herself dizzily to her feet, as the sounds around her slowly returned to normal volume. “I’ll be back in a sec.”
As she carefully made her way through the rubble, she noticed that the cab of the pickup truck was empty. Where was the driver who’d caused the accident?
A crowd was gathering in the drop-off circle just ahead, all chattering loudly and staring at the gigantic mess. Mr. Lang and Neil ran up to her.
“Claire! Holy shit!” cried Neil. “I saw the truck hit that thing, and then it all came down … I thought you guys were dead!”
“No, we’re okay.”
“Thank God,” said Mr. Lang.
“How the hell did you get out of the way in time?” Neil asked.
“Alec tackled us. He—” Before Claire could finish that thought, she spotted Alec talking to some of the faculty and construction workers, who looked just as befuddled as she was. She couldn’t understand a
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