surrounding her like a second skin. Beads of sweat popped out on her forehead, her lungs laboring to supply her exhausted body with oxygen. Already her muscles trembled, pushed way beyond their limit. She growled as her legs strained to propel her upward over one particularly difficult section, summoning all her reserves to lock her knees when her foot slipped. The scream snagged in her throat as Dec caught her against him and she scrambled for a hold, her heart threatening to explode. Clinging to the rock with her fingernails, before she could stop herself, her horrified eyes measured the distance between her and the ground.
"I've got you," Dec soothed, his voice calm as though she hadn't almost fallen to her death and taken him with her. She hung there against the cool, grainy rock, panting.
"You're doing great, Bryn." His hands and body pinned her in place. "Just rest a minute, get your breath back. And don't look down."
Too late. She released a shuddering breath, fought to keep calm.
"Thatta girl. Close your eyes for a minute, keep breathing.
We're almost there."
Liar. They were maybe halfway up. She sucked in a few lungfuls of air while she laid flat against the cliff, body trembling as she absorbed his warmth, his strength. In the wake of the adrenaline rush, her limbs felt limp. "Sorry," she whispered finally.
"Nothing to be sorry about. Just a little slip." He made it sound as if it happened to him all the time.
65
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
Tears of exhaustion and fear burned her eyes. She blinked them back and took a deep, fortifying breath.
"It's okay, Bryn. I've got you."
"She all right?" Spencer called from below.
"I'm fine," she answered, willing herself to believe it. "I'm fine," she repeated to herself. Now get your ass moving.
"Better than fine," Dec said in her ear. "Amazing."
If he was trying to distract her from her fear, he was doing a damn good job. A shaky laugh vibrated through her. Who'd have thought she could laugh at a time like this? She took another calming breath and looked up. Three of the other SEALs peered down at them, waiting.
Just a little farther , she repeated. Dec's with you. You can do this.
Bryn resumed the climb, fingers curling tight, legs struggling to support her weight. But she did it. Inch by inch, foot by foot, she climbed. When they reached the top, she all but collapsed, crawling over the ledge and staying there on her hands and knees. Head bowed, she gasped and trembled.
Strong hands lifted her, and she was propped up against Dec's solid chest.
"Here, drink this," he ordered, passing her a canteen.
Between gasps, she drank the water obediently. Jeez, he wasn't even winded.
He passed a big hand over her back in a comforting gesture. "Hard part's done. Now we let gravity help us down."
Oh God, they still had to get down. She didn't want to think about that right now.
66
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
"We'll give you a couple of minutes, but we've got to keep moving. We're way too exposed up here."
From under heavy lids she glanced around. They were totally open on all sides on the plateau, no protection anywhere. At least the storm had fizzled out, leaving only a strong breeze. With no airborne sand to obscure it, the sun beat down on them with relentless power, the heat sucking all the life out of her. She tipped back the canteen, clinging grimly to her resolve.
Declan ruffled her hair affectionately, as though she was his little sister. "Almost over, lady. Then you can sleep until the helo comes in."
The first six members began their descent, taking her father's stretcher with them. Damned amazing guys, all of them. They disappeared from view over the edge, leaving her, Dec and Spencer alone. Both SEALs seemed tense, gripping their rifles, eyes never still, scanning the horizon for any threat. Neither of them looked the least bit tired. No one would ever have guessed they'd just trekked across the desert through a sandstorm and then
"I've got you," Dec soothed, his voice calm as though she hadn't almost fallen to her death and taken him with her. She hung there against the cool, grainy rock, panting.
"You're doing great, Bryn." His hands and body pinned her in place. "Just rest a minute, get your breath back. And don't look down."
Too late. She released a shuddering breath, fought to keep calm.
"Thatta girl. Close your eyes for a minute, keep breathing.
We're almost there."
Liar. They were maybe halfway up. She sucked in a few lungfuls of air while she laid flat against the cliff, body trembling as she absorbed his warmth, his strength. In the wake of the adrenaline rush, her limbs felt limp. "Sorry," she whispered finally.
"Nothing to be sorry about. Just a little slip." He made it sound as if it happened to him all the time.
65
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
Tears of exhaustion and fear burned her eyes. She blinked them back and took a deep, fortifying breath.
"It's okay, Bryn. I've got you."
"She all right?" Spencer called from below.
"I'm fine," she answered, willing herself to believe it. "I'm fine," she repeated to herself. Now get your ass moving.
"Better than fine," Dec said in her ear. "Amazing."
If he was trying to distract her from her fear, he was doing a damn good job. A shaky laugh vibrated through her. Who'd have thought she could laugh at a time like this? She took another calming breath and looked up. Three of the other SEALs peered down at them, waiting.
Just a little farther , she repeated. Dec's with you. You can do this.
Bryn resumed the climb, fingers curling tight, legs struggling to support her weight. But she did it. Inch by inch, foot by foot, she climbed. When they reached the top, she all but collapsed, crawling over the ledge and staying there on her hands and knees. Head bowed, she gasped and trembled.
Strong hands lifted her, and she was propped up against Dec's solid chest.
"Here, drink this," he ordered, passing her a canteen.
Between gasps, she drank the water obediently. Jeez, he wasn't even winded.
He passed a big hand over her back in a comforting gesture. "Hard part's done. Now we let gravity help us down."
Oh God, they still had to get down. She didn't want to think about that right now.
66
Cover of Darkness
by Kaylea Cross
"We'll give you a couple of minutes, but we've got to keep moving. We're way too exposed up here."
From under heavy lids she glanced around. They were totally open on all sides on the plateau, no protection anywhere. At least the storm had fizzled out, leaving only a strong breeze. With no airborne sand to obscure it, the sun beat down on them with relentless power, the heat sucking all the life out of her. She tipped back the canteen, clinging grimly to her resolve.
Declan ruffled her hair affectionately, as though she was his little sister. "Almost over, lady. Then you can sleep until the helo comes in."
The first six members began their descent, taking her father's stretcher with them. Damned amazing guys, all of them. They disappeared from view over the edge, leaving her, Dec and Spencer alone. Both SEALs seemed tense, gripping their rifles, eyes never still, scanning the horizon for any threat. Neither of them looked the least bit tired. No one would ever have guessed they'd just trekked across the desert through a sandstorm and then
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