Buried

From bestselling author Brenda Rothert comes a standalone romantic suspense about two people who find love in a most unlikely place.

Do you believe in fate?
I didn’t. I’d worked since childhood to become an NFL starting quarterback. All the blood, sweat, and tears were about to pay off with my name in the record books. Setting an NFL record was going to be the crowning achievement of my career. Hell, of my life.
But then fate, the cagey bitch, threw me a curveball I never saw coming. I ended up trapped in a doomsday bunker with four strangers, my chances at that record slipping away as days turned into months.
I never would’ve given Erin a second look. She was gorgeous, sure, but not my type. I liked women who were strong. Fearless. Resilient. Not to mention that she hated me.
But I was so wrong about her. And in that bunker, I fell in crazy, stupid love.I thought a record would be my greatest triumph. But now, all I want is a shot with Erin. I’ve faced down massive linebackers intent on ending me. For her, I’ll go toe-to-toe with fate.

Prologue

Erin

 Every breath is an effort. The air is stale and still; it’s suffocating me. I ran out of hope I could escape several hours ago, and now I’m curled up on the concrete floor, my cheek pressed to the hard, cold surface.

Silently, I count three seconds as I inhale and three more as I breathe out. I think about the numbers and what they represent. Each successful breath means I’m still here. Still alive.

Buried alive, though, which is my nightmare. I break out in a sweat if I walk into a basement, even if it has windows, and this place is so much worse than a basement.

Why did I agree to come in here? How did I manage to walk down those stairs to this giant hole in the ground?

My heart is still racing, but not at the frantic pace it was a few hours ago. My body just couldn’t sustain that level of panic anymore. The tears have dried on my cheeks, but my urge to cry is still there.

I don’t know how I’ll be able to sleep in here. I’m so exhausted that I’m not sure I could crawl out right now if rescuers arrived. Maybe the air will run out and it won’t even matter.

The others are quiet now; I imagine they’re sitting in stunned silence.

I only know one thing for sure: I’m going to die down here.