Edge of Chaos (Love on the Edge #1) by Molly E. Lee Page B

tufts of black cloud with the sun blinding behind it—I was hooked. The power of the storm drew me in, the potential written all over the dark, churning mass.
    I pressed my fingertip to the window, pointing at the lower right side of the cloud. “There is rapid circulation,” I blurted out, thrilled with the catch. If I hadn’t been looking for it I may not have seen it, the solid color made it hard to see the movement.
    Dash squinted, zeroing in on where I pointed. “You’re right.” He grabbed the walkie-talkie. “Blake spotted some rotation in the western portion of the cell. I’m heading that way.”
    A few seconds later John’s voice crackled over the radio. “Nice. Follow this road and take the third right. That should give us the best vantage point.”
    “On it,” Dash said. “Good eyes, Blake.”
    The compliment added to my already-pumping heart. I forced myself to focus solely on the storm. Lightning crackled, followed by the roar of thunder, loud enough to vibrate my chest. I jumped slightly, admiring Dash’s calm and unflinching control of the truck. The closer we got, the stronger the winds pushed against the vehicle, threatening to throw us off the road. Rain pelted the windshield, and the splattering bursts made visibility of the developing funnel difficult.
    “Dash,” I gasped, as if I chased the storm on foot. “It’s transitioning into lower rotation. See the funnel?”
    Dash slowed the truck on the rural road leading us closer to the storm. He set eyes on it and nodded. “It has potential. Here, take the wheel,” he said, as if he were asking me to hold his phone.
    I gaped for a moment, but then blinked twice and reached over him, wrapping my fingers around the steering wheel. He kept his foot steady on the gas as he shifted in the driver’s seat, reaching behind him. The motion made his hard chest graze against my bare arm, and another flush raked across my skin. I swallowed and focused on the rain-soaked road ahead of us.
    The minute felt like an eternity until he finally righted himself. With a video camera in his right hand, he retook the wheel with his left, and I scooted back to my seat.
    Dash turned on the camera and pointed it at the developing funnel in front of us. Judging from the length of road and the growing mass ahead of us, it was only a mile away now. “It’s organizing!” Dash hollered as if we weren’t sitting right next to each other, and my heart leaped into my throat.
    Another crack of lightning struck the ground underneath the cloud, the bright light leaving an impression on the back of my eyelids. Thunder roared even louder than the first time. The hair standing on the back of my neck confirmed we were well under it now.
    “The tail is lowering,” Dash shouted into the walkie-talkie. “Paul, I will throat punch you if you miss these shots!”
    I would’ve laughed if I hadn’t been so focused on the fact that Dash had just confirmed the tail of the funnel was about to touch down, causing a mixture of ice-cold panic and pure excitement to shoot up my spine.
    “I already gave him my camera!” John shouted back, grounding me.
    The energy was high in both vehicles; I could hear it in their tense voices through the line. My heart raced and the adrenaline expanded within me, begging for release.
    A thicker string of cloud snaked out of the rotating portion of the storm, creating a more threatening funnel. Ice filled my veins. I’d never been this close to a tornado before, and despite the slender size, if it touched down, it would be powerful enough to rip trees from their roots. For a split second I had the urge to take the wheel again and spin us in the opposite direction, instinct shouting at me to flee, but it passed in a blink.
    An exhilarating thrill sped through me, replacing the momentary fear, like reaching the top of a roller coaster just before making the first drop.
    The grayish-white cloud churned and snaked horizontally to the left, like a long