Tryst Six Venom by Penelope Douglas

I ALMOST REACH for Clay’s hand, but I stop myself. Swinging the door
open, I bolt out of the room, making sure she’s behind me, and we run down
the staircase, hearing a commotion of chatter, laughing, and squealing as the
horn screams into the night outside.
Clay straightens her clothes and fixes her hair. “What is that?”
“It’s the old storm siren.”
“It’s still operating?”
Obviously. I peer out the window as we descend, seeing waves rising high
and crashing onto the beach. Darts of rain spear the windows, the staircase
now empty as everyone evacuates, not so much because people are scared,
but because rain means the canal floods and a lot of rain means the tracks
close in case a train needs to break schedule to get out of Dodge.
Anyone from St. Carmen needs to get home now or they’re here all night.
Bodies pour out of the lighthouse, running to cars, and Clay and I stop,
looking around. Dallas, Trace, and Iron came with me, and I look past the
lightkeeper’s house, down the dirt road running parallel to the beach, seeing
my brother’s truck.
“Oh my God,” Clay breathes out, covering her head, rain plastering our
clothes to us.
I turn to her, wondering if we’re saying goodbye now, but then I decide
for her. “Get in my brother’s truck.”
She’s staying.
I walk and she better fucking follow.
We both run and then stop, cut off by the crowd running in every