“Let’s go back to the spring,” he said. “It’s only an hour away. We can have a wonderful time for the rest of this survival gig, and the helicopter will pick us up there. We don’t have to cross the island to accomplish the challenge. I promise I won’t have them pick us up early, but let’s survive there where I know we’ll be safe.”
Chelsea’s eyes narrowed and she shaded her face with a hand as she continued staring at the rocks. “You want to give up without even trying?”
The disappointment in her voice crushed him. Brad knew he could have an overly inflated ego at times, and that might be a bad thing here, but he didn’t want Chelsea thinking he was a pussy who couldn’t handle a little danger. Still, the sensation that something was wrong wouldn’t leave.
“We can go around,” he offered, although that would mean he’d lose three days that he’d expected to relax with her, showing her that he was the type of man she needed in her life.
When he’d called her ‘love’ this morning, the endearment had slipped out on its own. That didn’t mean it wasn’t true. All his life, Brad listened to his parents, watched how much they cared for each other, and witnessed the many things they did to remind the other how deep their love ran every day. Calling each other love was one of those things, and Brad fervently wished for his own soul mate all the time—his own love.
He didn’t know if he was in love with Chelsea but knew his feelings could quickly escalate to that level. Even with the occasional secretiveness she displayed and a few problems along the trail, the last four days had been some of the best of his life. Challenging, sure, but so worth it. Chelsea was worth it.
To his dismay, she shook her head, dashing any hope she’d be reasonable about not crossing.
“Let’s try,” she said. “We’ve been walking on these sharp rocks for so long, and my feet ache. That path looks safe and easy. It has stood for probably thousands of years. It isn’t going to fall just because we walk on it.”
“Except that does happen,” he said. “A bruised foot from going back across this stuff is a better option than plunging to our deaths.”
A titter of laughter slipped from her mouth, and she tucked her hand into his. “No need to be so dramatic. We’ll be fine.”
“Let’s go back to the spring and make love again.” He raised her hand to his mouth, kissing the back of it. “Doesn’t that sound better than taking chances? Take a different sort of chance with me, one that isn’t so scary.”
Her gaze dropped from his. “You think letting myself fall for you isn’t scary?”
She had started to fall for him or thought she might? Brad grinned, happiness flooding over him like a summer rainstorm, pattering softly against his heart. She was afraid, but she hadn’t shied away this morning in the tent. That had to mean she didn’t regret her decision to take things further between them, even if it frightened her.
“Fine. We’ll cross here,” he said. “I’ll do what you want, love, because I want to make you happy.”
She looked up quickly, eyes narrowed.
Damn. He had to stop slipping. It was too early in their relationship to call her a pet name, especially one that meant so much to him. That had to be the reason for her disgruntled look since he’d agreed to do what she wanted.
“Let’s be smart about it, though,” he hurried to say, hoping if he ignored the slip-up, she’d let it pass without comment.
After what felt like forever, she nodded. “What did you have in mind?”
“I have a rope in my supplies.” He stared across the expanse of ground, trying to judge the distance. “It should be long enough for us to go one at a time across that smooth area. I’ll find something to tie it to, cross, and then you can tie it around your waist and come behind me. If anything happens, I can pull you up.”
“Sounds good for me, but what if you fall?” she asked.
“If I fall, I’ll have to cut my backpack loose and climb the rope.” And hopefully without the added weight of the pack he’d have enough strength. Was this really worth it? He wanted to impress her, but there was a fine line between being brave or foolhardy. “We should put the phone in your bag just in case disaster strikes.”
Brad started to unbuckle the front straps on his backpack to get to the zippered pocket, but Chelsea put her hand over his.
“No, no. Let’s not do that. You shouldn’t go first.”
“What do you mean?” he asked. “I have to make sure it’s safe for you.”
She bumped her hip against his. “Even with these curves, I’m quite a bit lighter than you are. I’ll go first and make sure it seems stable. Then, if something does happen, you can pull me up.” She looked around the barren landscape. “Besides, just what did you intend to tie the rope off to while you crossed? There aren’t any trees or anything here.”
Brad pointed to a nearby pillar. “I thought that would work.”
“It’s probably just as sharp as everything we have at our feet. Wouldn’t that cut the rope as soon as any pressure was applied?”
She had a point, and every point she made further convinced him they should turn around.
“I can’t let us try this,” he decided. “Let’s go back.”
She pouted out her lip and the streak of stubbornness Brad had begun to recognize passed behind her light-blue gaze. “Whether you tie that rope to me or not, I’m going to cross this. I think you’re being silly. There’s no way anything bad will happen.”
As she spoke, she lightly touched the cross at her neck, making Brad wonder if she believed her own words.
“Is there a reason you need to be so reckless?” he asked. “We’re a team. I need you, which means going across this when I say you shouldn’t is breaking the trust we have between us.”
“Then don’t make me break it.” She took a step nearer to him, balancing on the prickly ground as she kissed him. “You’ve given me so much, and I don’t want to disappoint you. Please, let’s get across this spot and keep moving. You said we’re over the halfway point now. Once we reach the beach, we’ll have plenty of fresh food and it can be our lover’s paradise.” She kissed him again. “Don’t you want that?”
He hated that she manipulated him, but it did sound nice. Better than the hot spring because they would have meat from sea creatures, coconuts from the beach, and he was certain wild almonds would be available as well. He wanted to give her that—wanted to share in her vision of a lover’s paradise.
“Okay, fine,” he relented. “We’ll tie the rope to you. I should be able to pull you up if anything happens.”
“Nothing’s going to happen. Relax, Brad. You stress too much.”
Chapter 20
Chelsea took another step onto the flowing path, then turned to look at Brad. He stood about five feet from the edge of the change in the lava, backpack at his feet with the rope wrapped around his waist and gripped in his hands, ready to save her if she fell.
But could he save her? Each step Chelsea took felt as if she played a game of Russian Roulette. At any moment, the crust beneath her feet could snap, and she’d find herself with a proverbial bullet in her brain.
Was this worth keeping the secret that she’d stolen the phone? She wasn’t some stupid twit who couldn’t think through logical consequences of her actions. If things went bad and Brad didn’t have the strength to pull her to safety, she could drag them both downward to injury or even death, simply because she was too afraid to tell him the truth.
She cautiously shuffled forward another fraction of a step, holding her breath as she waited for the path to collapse. She was only halfway over the dark rocks and didn’t know if she could force herself to take another step.
“Is everything okay?” Brad called. “If you’re scared, come back. We’ll figure something else out.”
While she wanted to tell him that everything was fine and to stop worrying, the words wouldn’t leave her mouth. It was stupid. If she’d been able to get the phone back into Brad’s pack last nigh
t, she likely would have agreed to stay at the hot spring with him, enjoying their time together. Being romanced was a new experience for Chelsea, and although she feared it wouldn’t last, she’d like to enjoy it while she could.
After their session in the tent this morning, she had hoped Brad would go out to start the fire and cook their breakfast, giving her an opportunity to transfer the satellite phone. Unfortunately, when he decided it was time they faced the day, he also decided he’d pack the tent while she took care of the food situation. Since that was their normal routine, Chelsea couldn’t think of a good reason not to go along with it. At the time, she thought she could just make the exchange with the phone whenever they stopped tonight, but she hadn’t anticipated a problem on the lava.
Her heart had dropped when Brad wanted to switch the phone to her bag in case something happened to him. She should have come clean and told him the truth right then, but what if he never forgave her for lying to him for such a long time?
She could see the way he cared for her. Every time she looked into his eyes the blossoming of his love was visible. Add in the fact that he’d started using the same pet name for her that his parents called each other, and Chelsea could only determine he was falling and falling hard.
In her thirty years, she’d never had that. She’d barely had any family to love, let alone a romantic partner. She wanted it, more than she’d ever wanted anything. Now, she feared her lie would rip the love from his gaze faster than time would do on its own.
“Chelsea? You haven’t moved for a long time,” Brad’s voice boomed, reminding her of the current task. “Why don’t you come back? Please, it’s not worth the risk.”
He was right. She knew that. Maybe he’d forgive her, or maybe he’d hate her, but jeopardizing their safety to cover up her lie was more foolish than anything she’d ever done in her life.
Turning around slowly, she locked her eyes onto Brad’s. “I think you’re right. We can’t do it this way.”
“Does the ground feel unstable?”
Her heart beat so fast and hard, she couldn’t be sure if the ground had problems or if her entire body vibrated from how nervous she felt. “I’m scared.”
“Okay,” he called. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Walk slowly back to me. I’ll pull the rope in as you go, keeping it tight between us. Everything’s going to be okay, just get those sexy curves back here to safety.”
Her curves might survive, but she wouldn’t count on everything lasting. Brad had been reasonable on the trip for the most part, but she had seen the way he acted with his family. He didn’t like anyone who challenged his authority, and Chelsea had the impression that lying while simultaneously challenging his judgment on when to use the phone might be a double whammy she couldn’t fix.
Doing her best to keep the gathering tears she felt from falling, she took a cautious step toward him. She’d tell him the truth, ask him to stay with her at the spring and work on their relationship. All she could do was hope he would agree.
As she took another shaky step, a loud crack sounded all around her. She looked down, watching in horror as a zigzag of lines raced through the rock beneath her feet. “Brad! It’s happening, it’s cracking!”
“Shit! Hold still,” he ordered.
Although she froze in place, soft pops and crackles continued beneath her. “It’s still breaking,” she called. “I have to run.” Knowing her judgment hadn’t been the best lately, she looked at Brad. “Is that a good idea?”
His face turned red and his muscles bulged with tension as he held tight to the rope, seeming as scared as she was. “I don’t have a better plan,” he admitted. “Hurry, run now. As fast as you can.”
Not waiting for further confirmation, Chelsea took off. She sprinted five long strides, more than halfway to the change in the surface. The cracking continued all around her, each one louder than the last.
“Almost here,” Brad encouraged. “You can make it, love! Run!”
A deafening roar drowned out whatever else he tried to say, and Chelsea’s next footfall encountered empty air.
A scream tore from her mouth and she plunged into space. As her stomach rose to her throat, the rope tightened around her belly and changed the direction of her fall, swinging her in an arc. The sunlight filtering through the dust revealed a hard wall, coming at her fast.
Still screaming, Chelsea struggled to twist her body, trying to get her feet in front of her to absorb the impact. No matter how she jerked, she was unable to control the rate at which she twisted. Her shoulder hit first. Pain flared so intensely that she saw red for a second before her head slammed into the wall and everything went black.
* * *
“Chelsea?” Brad screamed her name repeatedly while he yanked on the rope and inched closer to the edge of the jagged area. His eyes could hardly take in what he saw. Everywhere the smooth rocks had previously stood was now a gaping maw of blackness. It was impossible for him to comprehend how far it dropped. The only thing he knew for certain was he had to pull Chelsea to safety.
The muscles in his forearms bulged, already hurting. The only thing that kept him moving was the reassuring weight of Chelsea on the other end of the rope—although she hadn’t answered him after her screams cut off.
Deciding to save his breath, he quit calling her name, steadily pulling the rope. His shoulders burned from the jolt he’d received when Chelsea reached the end of the rope and jerked him forward. He worried that something in his shoulders might have torn, but he didn’t have time to worry about that now.
The rope became harder and harder to move. His hands cramped and each inch gained seemed as though it would be the last he could manage. Somehow he kept pulling while simultaneously walking forward, increasingly worried about Chelsea’s lack of response.
He finally reached the edge of the hole, able to see her limp body through the black dirt filling the space. Five feet of air still hung from the top of the rocks to her head, and she didn’t move. He’d have to pull her all the way up on his own. Somehow, he had to find the strength. He couldn’t lose her.
Fighting through the pain for what felt like hours, Chelsea’s body was finally closer, almost to the top. However, miles might as well have been what separated them. Brad’s arms and chest shook with fatigue and the rope slid the wrong way a couple centimeters, challenging his cramped hands to hang on. Gripping as hard as he could, Brad kept it from slipping farther but had no idea how he would bring her the remaining distance.
“Chelsea?” Barely able to croak the words from his dried mouth, Brad knew he had to rouse her. He wouldn’t be able to do more on his own. As much as he wished it were otherwise, Brad simply didn’t have the strength to save her. “Come on, love. You have to help. Wake up and reach for the ledge. Wake up!”
She remained motionless, and Brad wondered if she’d hit wrong. If she went into the wall headfirst, there was a chance her neck had snapped and he now struggled to rescue a corpse. Tears welled behind his eyes, but Brad wouldn’t give in to them. Chelsea was the woman he loved, the one he planned to spend his life with, even if she didn’t realize it yet. She wasn’t dead. She couldn’t be.
“Wake up, Chelsea Taylor. You wake up right now and help me, damn it!”
The rope slipped a little more, smacking Chelsea’s head against the wall when Brad jerked it back upward.
He didn’t know if he could do it, didn’t know if he could continue. He’d always thought himself strong before, but his muscles had never been tested like this, and his arms were entirely pumped out. Adrenaline could only go so far, and Brad feared he was nearly at the end of his reserves.
From below, a soft moan sounded and then a deep, racking cough.
Relief flooded through him, and he kept his grip as tight as he could. She was alive. For now, that was all that mattered.
Galvanized by the knowledge that she lived, Brad pulled the rope another few inches before he had to stop again.
“Chelsea?” he called
. “Are you awake?”
She coughed again. “Yes. Everything hurts.”
Feeling nearly weak with relief at hearing her voice, Brad held strong to the rope. “I’ve almost got you to the top, love, but I’m so tired. My muscles are cramped and locking up. I need your help.”
She peered upward, a grimace turning her lips downward as she grabbed her head with one hand. After a few seconds, she once again made eye contact. “What do I need to do?”
“Are you close enough to reach the top of the ledge?” he asked. “I need you to pull yourself the rest of the way up.”
“Pull myself?” She looked away from him, but not before Brad saw tears well in her eyes. “I’ve never been able to do a pull-up in my life.”
He hated asking it of her, hating being so weak. He’d already pulled her over fifteen feet judging by how far out the rope was when the tube collapsed. If only he had enough left to get her the rest of the way.
“I’ll still help,” he said. “If you help by using your arms, I should be able to pull some more. We’ll get you to the top. I’m not letting you fall. I promise.”
“That’s good,” she said, “because I can’t even see the bottom.”
She lifted one arm, fingers questing for the edge of the newly-created cliff.
“That’s it,” he encouraged. “Just grab hold and we’ll have you back here in no time.”
“Oh, shit,” she said. “Shit, shit, shit.”
It was an echo of his own sentiments, but not what he wanted to hear. “What’s wrong, Chels?”
“I can’t move it, Brad. I can’t move my other arm. I must have broken or dislocated it. It hurts like a bitch and I can’t raise it.”
His own shoulders hurt more than he cared to think about right now, but it sounded as though Chelsea was worse off. That also meant she couldn’t help him pull her to safety. He had to figure out another way to reduce the weight he pulled, some other way to make it easier so he could get her to the top of the ledge.
Love's Ride (McCallister's Paradise Book 4) Page 14
