All Her Men (The Queen's Men Book 1) by Brina Cary

was a man that would never lie to her. This was a man that truly believed his heart beat for her.
    “Jacob, I…”
    Her words were lost as the ground began to shake. A roar echoed all around her. Heat seemed to come from all sides. Jacob’s eyes were wide. Quickly he enveloped her in a hug. Squeezing tightly. She was at a loss. What was happening?
    Then the wind came.
    The blazing wind threw them several feet forward. Pain tore through her legs as the tiny rocks on the pathway scored her skin. Jacob held her tight to him. Held her as the ceiling came crashing down upon them.
    The roar was too loud. It gave the impression of a freight train bearing down on her and crashing at the same time. The ocean cascading around her in a hurricane. A manned rocket being launched towards the moon.
    Her ears hurt. Dirt and debris flew everywhere. Pain ripped through her ankle. Seemingly, a thousand needles pierced her skin. The scream that escaped her was lost amongst the roar. A dull sound enveloped by the shrillness of the roar.
     
     

 
    Chapter 16
     
    Amelia’s eyes felt heavy. Pain slammed into her. What had happened?
    Debris was everywhere. She was trapped. Jacob? Where was Jacob?
    “Jacob!” She tried to move, but it was hard. Rocks. There were rocks on her? Stones… Frantically, she pushed at them while screaming for him. “Jacob!”
    “Amelia,” he responded. “Amelia, keep calm. ‘Twas an explosion.” Her vision was blurry as he came to kneel beside her. His hands grasped her head as if he was checking her for wounds.
    “Jacob, what was that? What happened?”
    “An explosion. ‘Twas a bomb.”
    “A bomb?” Why would there be a bomb?
    “Aye. Dinnae move, Amelia. ‘Tis not safe. The walls are old…”
    She looked around and sure enough, the walls were still reverberating from the blast. They had stood for centuries, surely they would hold for a while longer. Surely, they would protect them until they could get out. They had to get out!
    “Jacob! We have to get out of here!”
    “Stay still, I will get ye free. First, I need to make sure ye will be all right if I move the stones off of ye. Can ye stay with me and be calm?”
    She nodded. What choice did she have? Loose gravel was slowly streaming down upon them from above.
    He tore his shirt and wrapped it around her face to make a mask. There was dust everywhere. Even now he was thinking of her. The fabric carried his spicy scent and it surrounded her, comforted her. “I need to tell you something.”
    “’Tis not the time.” He moved the stones off of her one by one until he got to her leg. Looking down, she saw that she was trapped.
    A stone shook loose from above. She squeezed her eyes shut and screamed!
    When there was no impact, she looked up. Jacob was holding the large stone up, shielding her. As he tried to move it to the side, the wall came down.
     
    *****
     
    “Jacob! No!” How dare he! Tears ran down her face, soaking into the strip of shirt about her face. If only she could move!
    “Lass, ye must live. I swore an oath to ye, to protect ye no matter what came. Please be brave, let me keep that oath.” The wall was crumpling. He wouldn’t be able to hold it up much longer. Soon… Soon the wall would fall…
    Voices sounded in the distance. Darren. Will. “Please, Jacob! They’re coming! Don’t do this! Hold on!” The men were behind her now.
    “Dear Lord…”
    “Please help him!!”
    “No, the lass. Help the Queen. She must live. Remember the oath.” She vehemently shook her head. “Lass, dinnae fret. I love ye. God help me, but I love ye.”
    Darren and Will grabbed her by her upper arms and began trying to pull her to safety. “My leg! It’s caught under the rubble. Get Jacob! Save him!”
    “Ignore her command,” Jacob wheezed. “The Queen comes first.”
    Darren and Will ignored her and began digging her out from under the rubble. Within seconds they realized the wall was still coming down. The ceiling was crumbling