was why she hadn’t wanted to head in this direction for their descent, only he’d
insisted. Now she was caught between one bad situation and another. “Dane, I can’t
see a bloody thing. I could be exactly on route, or hanging over a thousand-foot free
fall for all I know.”
Dane hesitated, then grudgingly asked, “You want me to go first?”
Yes, as a matter of fact. And I as much as told you that before stepping over the
ledge.
“You couldn’t have said something fifteen minutes ago? Jerk.”
“Yeah, but I’m
your
jerk, right?”
He laughed. The sound echoed off the rocks, and she instinctively tightened her grip
on the rope. His amusement at her expense wasn’t welcome right now, not after the
weekend they’d spent together. The weekend that had fit in perfectly with the painfully
selfish way he’d been acting over the past weeks.
Something had changed, and she wasn’t sure she liked where their relationship seemed
headed. Still, she pulled herself together and responded as plainly as possible. “Yes,
Dane, you’re my jerk.”
Because saying anything else at this moment would be monumentally stupid.
“Bec? Love you.”
She leaned back, staring up the hillside. What was going on? That confession was the
last thing she expected to hear. “Dane?”
All hell broke loose . . .
CHAPTER 6
“Becki.”
She was more than halfway up the wall, climbing well, when she froze. Both hands in
position, feet squarely set. Marcus waited for the next move.
It never came. She just . . . stopped.
“Becki.” He took up the extra slack, pulling her slightly as the rope he had locked
in place passed over the anchor at the roofline and descended to her waist belt. If
he wanted to, he could pry her free by dragging her upward, but that was a last-ditch
rescue move.
If he could get her to move, he could avoid jerking her free and risk smashing her
into the wall.
He shouted again, and when there was no response, he shifted to plan B.
“Alisha. Drop.”
“Dropping.” She had already let go of the wall, the self-belayer jerking into action
like a modified seat belt security strap. The attachment connected to her belt lowered
her slowly to the floor. She was in position, the second anchor rope loose, the fastener
held in her fingers toward the wall. The instant the hook came within reach, she slammed
the metal buckle of the carabiner through the cam, grabbed the vertical rope, and
gave herself enough slack to remove the clip from her harness.
The line snapped tight to the wall as she released it to race to his side. “What do
you need?”
No questions. No hesitation. Becki had been right, his team was good. “Take over belaying.
I’m going to go secure her.”
Alisha nodded. “Hold the ropes tight.” She waited until he proved he had a solid grasp.
She caught hold of the carabiner attached to his harness, twirled the lock open, then
transferred the hook to her own belt. One more move and she’d snagged above where
he had the rope in a death grip. “On belay. You climb.”
He allowed her to pull the weight from his grasp, not trusting until she actually
took it from him.
Alisha twirled a foot into the loose rope on the floor, turning her body into a backup
anchor. He didn’t have time to rope up himself. Didn’t have time for anything but
to step to the wall and climb.
God, he should have done more of this over the past year. Not only his lack of training
frustrated him as he climbed, but the mostly useless claw tool also hindered him.
Only the portion directly at the base functioned as a small hook. Didn’t matter. He’d
do what he had to.
“To your right, and up about three inches. Nice big jug for your foot. Good. Now the
blue ribbon on the left, there’s enough ledge for your forearm.” Alisha continued
to talk him through the ascent as he scrambled mostly one-handed up the wall. He crawled
over Becki, guarding her
insisted. Now she was caught between one bad situation and another. “Dane, I can’t
see a bloody thing. I could be exactly on route, or hanging over a thousand-foot free
fall for all I know.”
Dane hesitated, then grudgingly asked, “You want me to go first?”
Yes, as a matter of fact. And I as much as told you that before stepping over the
ledge.
“You couldn’t have said something fifteen minutes ago? Jerk.”
“Yeah, but I’m
your
jerk, right?”
He laughed. The sound echoed off the rocks, and she instinctively tightened her grip
on the rope. His amusement at her expense wasn’t welcome right now, not after the
weekend they’d spent together. The weekend that had fit in perfectly with the painfully
selfish way he’d been acting over the past weeks.
Something had changed, and she wasn’t sure she liked where their relationship seemed
headed. Still, she pulled herself together and responded as plainly as possible. “Yes,
Dane, you’re my jerk.”
Because saying anything else at this moment would be monumentally stupid.
“Bec? Love you.”
She leaned back, staring up the hillside. What was going on? That confession was the
last thing she expected to hear. “Dane?”
All hell broke loose . . .
CHAPTER 6
“Becki.”
She was more than halfway up the wall, climbing well, when she froze. Both hands in
position, feet squarely set. Marcus waited for the next move.
It never came. She just . . . stopped.
“Becki.” He took up the extra slack, pulling her slightly as the rope he had locked
in place passed over the anchor at the roofline and descended to her waist belt. If
he wanted to, he could pry her free by dragging her upward, but that was a last-ditch
rescue move.
If he could get her to move, he could avoid jerking her free and risk smashing her
into the wall.
He shouted again, and when there was no response, he shifted to plan B.
“Alisha. Drop.”
“Dropping.” She had already let go of the wall, the self-belayer jerking into action
like a modified seat belt security strap. The attachment connected to her belt lowered
her slowly to the floor. She was in position, the second anchor rope loose, the fastener
held in her fingers toward the wall. The instant the hook came within reach, she slammed
the metal buckle of the carabiner through the cam, grabbed the vertical rope, and
gave herself enough slack to remove the clip from her harness.
The line snapped tight to the wall as she released it to race to his side. “What do
you need?”
No questions. No hesitation. Becki had been right, his team was good. “Take over belaying.
I’m going to go secure her.”
Alisha nodded. “Hold the ropes tight.” She waited until he proved he had a solid grasp.
She caught hold of the carabiner attached to his harness, twirled the lock open, then
transferred the hook to her own belt. One more move and she’d snagged above where
he had the rope in a death grip. “On belay. You climb.”
He allowed her to pull the weight from his grasp, not trusting until she actually
took it from him.
Alisha twirled a foot into the loose rope on the floor, turning her body into a backup
anchor. He didn’t have time to rope up himself. Didn’t have time for anything but
to step to the wall and climb.
God, he should have done more of this over the past year. Not only his lack of training
frustrated him as he climbed, but the mostly useless claw tool also hindered him.
Only the portion directly at the base functioned as a small hook. Didn’t matter. He’d
do what he had to.
“To your right, and up about three inches. Nice big jug for your foot. Good. Now the
blue ribbon on the left, there’s enough ledge for your forearm.” Alisha continued
to talk him through the ascent as he scrambled mostly one-handed up the wall. He crawled
over Becki, guarding her
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