Page 57 of Under Pressure

Gray had sent the alert, along with video clipping from the local news station. At this point, the hurricane was projected to be between a category three and four, with wind speeds between one-hundred-and-twenty and one-hundred-and-forty miles per hour. Those numbers would climb as the storm got closer.

Gray: If we don’t get the treasure off that ship now, the currents from the hurricane could sweep it out to sea.

No one knew that better than Sean. Even normal currents could seriously change a wreck sight.

Sean: Meet up in thirty minutes.

Gray would gather the team at Bob’s Underwater Salvage.

“Everything all right?” Axel asked from behind him.

Sean turned. Everyone was standing now, talking through their next steps. He shot a look in Grandpa’s direction.

Johnny came up behind Axel. “You’ve got to go?”

He did but he didn’t want to leave Gramps. If something happened to him, he’d never forgive himself.

“This isn’t like the time Grandma broke her hip,” Axel said, catching Sean’s attention and making his stomach wrench. “First of all, that wasn’t your fault–”

Sean was pretty sure Nonna’s hip was his fault. Grandpa had asked him to stay with her one afternoon a few months after she’d been diagnosed, but he’d been on duty and hadn’t been able to get there.

“It’s not your fault either,” Johnny said, glancing at Axel. Axel had been on his first world tour and dealt with some of the same feelings of guilt Sean did.

Axel’s posture tightened, but he ignored Johnny and continued. “And second, you have backup now.”

Johnny nodded. “We’ll take care of Gramps; you go find your treasure.”

“So there really is a treasure?” Jonah asked. “Crickey. That’s exciting.”

They all shot looks in his direction, but Sean’s gaze dropped to Blue. She and Jonah stood just to the side of where he and his brothers were talking, her indigo eyes wide with worry.

“Yeah, there’s a treasure,” Sean said, tearing his gaze off Blue and pinning it to Jonah with a big smirk. “It’s called Bob’s Underwater Salvage and it’s right on the water. I’ve got to get itlocked down before the hurricane hits. And I have a boat on the water to secure.”

“He’s so proud of his baby,” Axel said in a mocking tone. “Bob.”

“Who’s Bob?” Jonah asked.

“The guy I bought my company from,” Sean said. His gaze dropped to Blue, to the way Jonah held her close at his side, and he swallowed the lump in his throat. He looked at Jonah. “Good to meet you.”

“You too, mate,” Jonah said.

“Take good care of her,” Sean said, grabbing a couple beignets of the piano before weaving through the crowd to his mom. He thought he heard Bell say his name, but it was too quiet to be sure. He kissed his mom on the cheek. “I’ve got to run. Happy birthday.”

Mom patted him on his cheek. “Be safe.”

“You too.”

Gramps pointed to the beignets and whispered. “Do you really need those?”

Sean shoved one in his mouth and chewed, enjoying the burst of powdered donut, cream cheese, and strawberries on his tongue as Grandpa gave him a disapproving look that only made Sean chuckle. It eased a little of the building tension in him. He’d needed that laugh—and beignet—and Gramps was always good for a laugh.

Swallowing what was left of his first beignet, Sean turned to the group and said his goodbyes quick-like before heading out the door and shoving the last beignet in his mouth. Bear and Sweetie still sat on the porch. Bear looked more hangdog than when he and Sweetie were separated when Aaron had gone on his honeymoon with Cocoa last year. Bear didnotlike being left out of things. He lifted a paw as Sean passed, and Sean stopped to scratch him behind the ears.

“Stay here, buddy,” Sean warned, then rubbed Sweetie under her smooth, leathery chin with his other hand as he continued to scratch behind Bear’s ear. “You guys don’t want to get lost before a hurricane.”

The screen door screeched open, and Sean glanced up just as Blue stepped out.

“I’m sorry, Sean,” she said.

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