climb up the damn cliff?
One of them started up the rock wall, hammering anchors at regular intervals, threading a rope through the anchors.
She gaped at them in horror. They were! They were going to have to scale the frigging cliff!
Bryn swallowed hard, wanting to cry. The thing had to be sixty feet high, at least. She couldn't make it. She didn't have anything left.
"Bryn?"
She swung her head around toward Declan. "Y-yes?" Oh man, how was she going to do this? All she wanted to do was lie in a heap and sleep for a week.
He came over to her, hunkered down at her feet. His topaz gaze studied her carefully. "I don't expect you to climb it."
She sighed in relief, closed her eyes and slumped.
"I can carry you up."
Her eyes flew open in alarm. "What?" Like hell he could.
Yeah, he was strong—he'd carried her over his shoulder 62
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
through the desert last night, hadn't he? But no way could he scale that rock face and handle her added weight.
His eyes crinkled at the corners, like he was trying not to smile.
"You'll have your own harness, Bryn. I'm not fricking Superman, you know."
"But—but how will I—" She huffed out a breath. "Dec, I've never even been to a climbing gym."
"That's okay. I'm going to be with you the whole way."
What difference was that going to make? Oh, God, this was crazy. She watched in disbelief as they hooked up her father's stretcher and prepared to ascend with it, one man above him and another below. They moved with amazing speed, and were halfway up before Dec spoke again.
"We have to get up there, Bryn. The cave we need is on the other side in the canyon. This storm is going to blow over any time and we'll be exposed. Remember the people who took you? They're still out there, Bryn, and by now they've got to know you're missing. They'll be coming after us."
He was right. "Okay."
Dec rigged up her harness, pulled her to the base of the rock and checked the ropes. "We're next in line, so here's how we're going to do this. You're going to place your hands first, then your feet, one move at a time. I'm going to be right behind you, like this." He came up and placed his arms on either side of her, brought his knees up under her thighs so she was practically sitting on his lap.
Oh, God, she thought, the contact zinging through her like lightning. Surprise registered that she could even be aware of 63
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
him that way under the circumstances. He felt warm and solid and safe. Frozen, she stared at the big hands framing hers.
Long fingers, wide palms, clean short nails. The back of his left hand had a crescent-shaped scar on it, about the size of a quarter. His body dwarfed her, and she was tall for a woman.
But what would happen if she slipped? She'd knock him and Spencer off with her.
"I won't let you fall, Bryn."
Swiveling her head around to look at him, she swallowed.
The certainty in his voice and the quiet resolve in his eyes gave her hope, but she remained unconvinced. She didn't have a choice, however. "I'll give it my best," was all she could promise. Now if only her knees would stop wobbling.
"I know you will," he answered, his breath warm against the nape of her neck, raising goose bumps on her skin.
Give your head a shake, Bryn. She sucked in a breath, placed her foot in a toehold and strained up to reach for a finger hold. Her legs already felt like lead weights and they hadn't begun the climb yet.
"Good girl," he said, rock-hard thigh muscles tensing beneath her. "Now use your legs to push up. Don't pull with your arms unless you have to, or you'll fatigue your upper body."
My whole body is already fatigued, she thought in exasperation. She obeyed him though, exhaling sharp and fast as she straightened, like she did when throwing a punch in Karate. Discipline, she reminded herself. Discipline was the thing.
64
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
She moved cautiously, inching her way up with him
One of them started up the rock wall, hammering anchors at regular intervals, threading a rope through the anchors.
She gaped at them in horror. They were! They were going to have to scale the frigging cliff!
Bryn swallowed hard, wanting to cry. The thing had to be sixty feet high, at least. She couldn't make it. She didn't have anything left.
"Bryn?"
She swung her head around toward Declan. "Y-yes?" Oh man, how was she going to do this? All she wanted to do was lie in a heap and sleep for a week.
He came over to her, hunkered down at her feet. His topaz gaze studied her carefully. "I don't expect you to climb it."
She sighed in relief, closed her eyes and slumped.
"I can carry you up."
Her eyes flew open in alarm. "What?" Like hell he could.
Yeah, he was strong—he'd carried her over his shoulder 62
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
through the desert last night, hadn't he? But no way could he scale that rock face and handle her added weight.
His eyes crinkled at the corners, like he was trying not to smile.
"You'll have your own harness, Bryn. I'm not fricking Superman, you know."
"But—but how will I—" She huffed out a breath. "Dec, I've never even been to a climbing gym."
"That's okay. I'm going to be with you the whole way."
What difference was that going to make? Oh, God, this was crazy. She watched in disbelief as they hooked up her father's stretcher and prepared to ascend with it, one man above him and another below. They moved with amazing speed, and were halfway up before Dec spoke again.
"We have to get up there, Bryn. The cave we need is on the other side in the canyon. This storm is going to blow over any time and we'll be exposed. Remember the people who took you? They're still out there, Bryn, and by now they've got to know you're missing. They'll be coming after us."
He was right. "Okay."
Dec rigged up her harness, pulled her to the base of the rock and checked the ropes. "We're next in line, so here's how we're going to do this. You're going to place your hands first, then your feet, one move at a time. I'm going to be right behind you, like this." He came up and placed his arms on either side of her, brought his knees up under her thighs so she was practically sitting on his lap.
Oh, God, she thought, the contact zinging through her like lightning. Surprise registered that she could even be aware of 63
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
him that way under the circumstances. He felt warm and solid and safe. Frozen, she stared at the big hands framing hers.
Long fingers, wide palms, clean short nails. The back of his left hand had a crescent-shaped scar on it, about the size of a quarter. His body dwarfed her, and she was tall for a woman.
But what would happen if she slipped? She'd knock him and Spencer off with her.
"I won't let you fall, Bryn."
Swiveling her head around to look at him, she swallowed.
The certainty in his voice and the quiet resolve in his eyes gave her hope, but she remained unconvinced. She didn't have a choice, however. "I'll give it my best," was all she could promise. Now if only her knees would stop wobbling.
"I know you will," he answered, his breath warm against the nape of her neck, raising goose bumps on her skin.
Give your head a shake, Bryn. She sucked in a breath, placed her foot in a toehold and strained up to reach for a finger hold. Her legs already felt like lead weights and they hadn't begun the climb yet.
"Good girl," he said, rock-hard thigh muscles tensing beneath her. "Now use your legs to push up. Don't pull with your arms unless you have to, or you'll fatigue your upper body."
My whole body is already fatigued, she thought in exasperation. She obeyed him though, exhaling sharp and fast as she straightened, like she did when throwing a punch in Karate. Discipline, she reminded herself. Discipline was the thing.
64
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
She moved cautiously, inching her way up with him
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