Free Seduction Squad by Shaye Evans Page B

Sam, ripping my wrist from his grasp. His lips parted but I shook my head. I knew what he was going to suggest—wait for the others to come back up to help.  But they had the boy to think about, and we—Lockland—didn’t have time.  “I’m not leaving him, Sam! And I’m not waiting for the others to help.”
    Through the screen of his mask, realization dawned across Sam’s face. Slowly, he nodded. “I’m not asking you to leave him—I’m asking you to be careful.”
    The radios crackled with Chief’s voice, but I left Sam to deal with it. I had to figure out how to get over to Lockland. I turned to face the rubble with the weight of dread and fear pressed upon my chest. God, I hoped he was okay. The dust had cleared enough to see that some of the floorboards had given out and were literally hanging by a thread of cabling. I didn’t know how far down it was to the next floor and I didn’t want to find out.
    “Adan?” Lockland shouted. “I’m trapped.”
    My heart soared with relief. “Lock, I’m here. We’re going to get you out.” Cautiously, I stepped across the room and saw the yellow reflector of Lockland’s suit. I gasped, seeing a beam lying across the back of his legs.
    Sam was on my heels as I approached Lockland. “Chief isn’t happy.”
    “Fuck Chief—this isn’t his boyfriend lying here.”
    He sighed and nodded, lowering his weight beside my man. “We’ve got five minutes, tops. Lockland, does anything hurt? Can you move your toes?”
    “My wrist aches, but yeah, I can. What’s over my legs, Adan?” He looked up at me as Sam stood and inspected the debris and what it connected to. If we moved the beam, in turn it’d move the debris, so we had to be hesitant. One wrong move and the flooring could give out or the debris could touch a possible live wire… there were so many things to be watchful of.
    “A beam, but it’s okay, we’ll lift it.”
    “Great…” He sighed. “Where’s the boy? And you shouldn’t be here,” he murmured, glancing over his shoulder at Sam. “I heard Chief’s alert.”
    “Safe, outside — where do you think I’d go?” I smiled. It was just like Lockland to be selfless and think of the boy’s welfare instead of his own. I shook my head, knowing Lock would expect me to respect his wishes, to keep myself safe, but his safety meant more to me than my own well-being.
    “Remember, it’s you and me until the end,” I murmured, choking. I never thought words could be so hard to speak. “You made that promise. I’m keeping it.”
    A smile curved the corners of his mouth under the dust-and soot-covered visor. “You’re crying?
    I answered his question with my tear-stricken gaze.
    “I’m not going anywhere.” He reached his hand out and I grasped it tightly. 
    “Adan,” Sam said, breaking the moment. “I need your help.”
    I shifted and stood as Sam stepped behind Lockland, where debris covered half of the beam. “The beam,” Sam began, “is supporting the rest of the debris—we need to lift it in unison or the debris could fall and cause more injuries.”
    I nodded. “Okay.”
    “On three—one, two.”
    “Three.” With a grunt and a groan, we heaved the beam off Lockland’s legs. It must have been close to two hundred pounds. Eighty pounds of my apparel was nothing compared to the plank. Debris and dust slid from the beam as we lowered it to the ground. 
    I rushed toward Lockland, shifting to sit up. I wrapped my arms tightly around his shoulders from behind. I wanted to rip that mask off his face and crush our lips together in the most heated kiss we had yet to experience. Knowing the air quality was toxic and lethal, I refrained. But it damn near killed me. I wasn’t used to holding myself back when it came to Lockland.
    Carefully, I grasped his upper arms, pulled us to our feet, and wound my arm around Lockland’s waist, supported most of his weight. He winced, limping. Sam appeared in the doorway that led down the